As a writing exercise, I like to write flash fiction: tell a story in 200 words. Then cut it down to 100. Then cut it down to 50. It's hard but it's really helpful.
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
2 жыл бұрын
That sounds like a fun challenge. And since it's flash, you're not heavily attached to the story. Have any of those flash pieces gotten published?
@barbaravenkataraman5017
2 жыл бұрын
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty I don't see my reply to this question, weird. The answer is yes, I collaborated with other authors to write a book of 100-word stories called: A Year of Shorts: Flash Fiction. It was a fun project. :-D
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
2 жыл бұрын
@@barbaravenkataraman5017 Nice... And for some reason KZitem inexplicably deletes my subscribers' comments from time to time
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
2 жыл бұрын
@@barbaravenkataraman5017 Here's what you posted that got deleted: That's my favorite takeaway as well. I like this book: Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer, by Roy Peter Clark"
@TheThinkersBible
Жыл бұрын
Wonderful idea, thank you!
@liviemillie6455
Жыл бұрын
I love to write flowery, and naturally do, because I pretty much just read Victorian novels and my writing is influenced ... but I do NOT want wordiness and purple prose, so I appreciate this.
@davidaleshire4292
6 ай бұрын
Tips 5 and 6 are definitely going to come in handy in cleaning up my current project. Thank you. I’d be interested in learning about some of your favorite, and least favorite fiction novels, of different genres. Horror, fantasy, rom-com, etc. A good or bad book can be a good learning tool.
@eriktucsok4184
Жыл бұрын
Have to say, I'm very happy that Brandon actually gives examples. Had to subscribe!
@ryanfinnerty6239
Жыл бұрын
Your channel ❤Thank you so much for doing the work and helping us writers like no other authors do. Less gatekeeping more love.
@peanut3438
2 жыл бұрын
Wowwie I needed this so bad,, thanks for the advice!
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
2 жыл бұрын
Glad it helped! Let me know if there are any other topics you'd like me to cover
@yolandadorta8064
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for this information.
@TwiztedHumor
2 жыл бұрын
I love this man.
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
2 жыл бұрын
I love these comments
@chaz9808
2 жыл бұрын
The adverb vs verb really helped me thanks man. Also are there any circumstances where it’s ok to use passive over active voice?
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
2 жыл бұрын
Yep, check out my video on Passive Voice. I explain it with examples: kzitem.info/news/bejne/2G2at4trbH6YnKg
@castelodeossos3947
Жыл бұрын
'“Read over your compositions, and wherever you meet with a passage which you think is particularly fine, strike it out.” ― Samuel Johnson
@sammott8557
7 ай бұрын
I'm a bloater. The last tip helps me the most. Thanks!
@romacordon9942
2 жыл бұрын
Thank you, Brandon, for posting these 6 tips. I really needed it! Editing a manuscript now, and I've made peace with large scale cuts of unnecessary scenes. But the finer points of making sentences stronger and leaner is driving me crazy. This video is a tremendous help! It gives me something to work towards. Your suggestion on dialogue trimming is brilliant! Prepositional and bloated phrases - is one of my downfalls, so I appreciate you including these. I had an issue with passive sentences and weakening adverbs - but have been fixing these. Your examples on prepositional and bloated phrases are an eye opener for me and will prove supremely useful in the future. Thanks again! ~ Roma C.
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the kind words! Best of luck with your editing
@barbaravenkataraman5017
2 жыл бұрын
Great video! In his book, "On Writing", Stephen King said the best advice he got when starting out was: Second draft=first draft minus 10%
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
2 жыл бұрын
I'm not a big fan of On Writing (some of King's advice sent me in the wrong direction for years), but "Second draft=first draft minus 10%" is one of my favorite takeaways from that book.
@barbaravenkataraman5017
2 жыл бұрын
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty That's my favorite takeaway as well. I like this book: Writing Tools: 55 Essential Strategies for Every Writer, by Roy Peter Clark
@allycat2836
4 ай бұрын
I love the Seinfeld reference 👍
@emmanuelmakoba6085
2 жыл бұрын
This was educational, thank you
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
2 жыл бұрын
Glad it helped!
@didutasev4427
2 жыл бұрын
Great! Thank you.
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching!
@sdavis2488
4 ай бұрын
Thanks man. 220k seems bloated. Still proud of it.
@jdbowman02
Жыл бұрын
Great channel! Very helpful!
@stevecarter8810
Жыл бұрын
... and then you get Susanna Clarke taking all these tips then doing a 180 and running in the opposite direction to great effect! What a wonderful art
@TheBluenyt09
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the tips 😎🤘
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching!
@piecrumbs9951
2 жыл бұрын
Do you have a video on exposition and how to relay it realistically? I'm not a huge fan of exposition dumps, even though some of my favorite stories employ them. I like stories that give little bits of exposition here and there and make you piece the story together yourself, and I'm currently trying to employ this in my story. I would love a video on it.
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
2 жыл бұрын
I did a video on Info Dumps last year. Let me know if this is what you're looking for: kzitem.info/news/bejne/05p-uKxroXyZm20
@jojogodtier
10 ай бұрын
Wordy sentences depending on the context can add character and tension. . For example : "look,its a very very very gigantic man." It may sound wordy and can be easily simplifyed but it is very realistic for a 6 year old little girl to say that to her mother in a store. Sometimes wordy can be better. your advice is good but there is exceptions to the rule.
@SoldatDuChristChannel
Жыл бұрын
Im confused, some of the longer sentences just sounded better? Whats the point of obsessively shortening every sentance as much as possible? Wordyness is not arbitrary if it sounds nice and flows well, its stylized
@alekvillarreal3470
2 жыл бұрын
I’ve got like 1,000 words it’s too early for this video 😂
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
2 жыл бұрын
Haha it's never to early!
@stoatystoat174
Жыл бұрын
Cheers, good fun to pause your video and try and work out the better sentence before you show it
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
Жыл бұрын
Oh, nice! Cool to see you're taking a more hands-on approach
@Azathoth43
Жыл бұрын
I take no issue with any of these tips but it saddens me that stories like The Lord of the Rings would never be published today.
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
Жыл бұрын
Thanks for watching!
@RitaSaghen
2 жыл бұрын
Share this video with a friend you know ;)
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@seanwelch71
Жыл бұрын
What about writing strong long sentences? I find terse writing boring.
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
2 жыл бұрын
Which of these tips did you need to hear the most? Let us know!
@quantumhelix8668
2 жыл бұрын
Bloated phrases is my main weakness. One thing that also causes wordiness is what I like to term "explaining the joke". A writer will write a sentence or two and then "tell" or explain what the preceding sentence(s) conveyed or meant to convey. It's repetitive, condescending, and flags that the original sentences are weak if the writer of it thinks they need to explain further.
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
2 жыл бұрын
@@quantumhelix8668 "Explaining the joke." That's brilliant. I'm listening to an audiobook that "explains the joke" often, and it's condescending like you said. The author refuses to let the reader draw their own conclusions.
@sarahlamoureux1454
7 ай бұрын
Taking the opposite advice, this is a video about helping me reach 50,000 words in my next NaNoWriMo novel.
@ThatsJustMyBabyDaddy
2 жыл бұрын
Excellent commentary, as always.
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@TheThinkersBible
Жыл бұрын
Your first tip -- cut large portions first -- is the most helpful for me. I did that last night editing my next video but didn't think of it as a specific part of the process -- now I'll do it intentionally, thanks! Next is "instead of using adverbs, use a stronger verb." Great approach!
@KeysofIDproductions
2 жыл бұрын
Which one? Honestly, all of them.
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
2 жыл бұрын
Haha glad the video helped!
@jimbrentar
4 ай бұрын
I have a disagreement. Dialogue. It should sound natural. As a reader, I hate it when every character talks like an English major who knows and uses every piece of writing advice ever. It sounds phony. You need at least one character who says things like, "Um, you know, I did knock on his door. And like, nobody answered. I mean, what was I supposed to do?"
@henrijames7337
Ай бұрын
I agree with your point about inappropriate language for a character, but in this case I think you are confusing What they say (content) with How they say it (voice). You could have kept the voice but still trim it by saying "Um, you know, I did knock. And like, nobody answered. I mean, what was I supposed to do?" Of course if character's known for longwinded phrases, then you might not be able to cut them down.
@warmflash
Жыл бұрын
Love the new look and sound of your channel. ❤❤ ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
Жыл бұрын
Thanks!
@quantumhelix8668
2 жыл бұрын
Brevity is the soul of wit.
@Ayyavazi13
2 жыл бұрын
Spoken by an extremely verbose character. 😀
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
2 жыл бұрын
Amen.
@mattygunn3852
Жыл бұрын
Rewrite: “Brevity is wit’s soul.”
@avivastudios2311
2 жыл бұрын
Hi there. I'm here cause you replied to me. Thank u. I hope I can be just as good a writer as you.
@WriterBrandonMcNulty
2 жыл бұрын
Thanks! And try to write every single day. Good things happen over time
@barbd00
Жыл бұрын
Best way to determine passive voice - can you put "by zombies" at the end and it still makes sense.
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