Spider-Man: into the spiderverse. Every. Single. Character. So well written. I can’t even express how deeply I love this movie.
@mirandalegendre78494 жыл бұрын
I could watch this movie over and over. It's such a great movie.
@thespider86544 жыл бұрын
Indeed. One of the best comic book movies, which we don't get often. Hopefully we get more great comic book films.
@EvoluteCreator3 жыл бұрын
@WayneFTW loving one film shouldn't have to diminish another
@thornmollenhoff86983 жыл бұрын
agreed
@sobeautifullywritten43183 жыл бұрын
Yes!!!
@shyzunk4 жыл бұрын
I read almost exclusively high fantasy. The issue is, that fantasy has so much conflict, magic and mystery in it, that it is very tempting to focus on worldbuilding and plot, which is why the characters tend to be flat underneath their cool badass quotes, skills and abilities. I wish more people were able to master both worldbuilding and characters, it seems too often one comes at the cost of the other.
@MacduffProd4 жыл бұрын
That's exactly why I rarely read 'classic' high fantasy anymore. Thankfully, I feel like there's a trend towards more character-driven books now, perhaps fueled by the popularity of YA in the recent decade (and the now rising New Adult subgenre). Also I recommend actively checking out books by female authors, I usually find their characters to be less...bland, without the world, magic, plot, etc. losing any of their power and intricacy.
@clixiedust4 жыл бұрын
a song of ice and fire is a perfect example of character-driven fantasy, though i'm sure you've read it already given its popularity
@Air_Serpent4 жыл бұрын
Maerwynn id say the Mistborn series and Children of Blood and Bone are good examples too
@taylorduarte67253 жыл бұрын
I write fantasy, and I am currently 8k words deep into backstory on my character because I want to make sure its fully fleshed 😂😂 May just end up creating a prequel because of it. I agree. Everything has to make sense! Its my goal to write a fantasy novel where you have cool characters with cool powers in a fun world, but they're also so relatable they could be someone you know in your real life, or even you.
@DreadfulThrumbo3 жыл бұрын
@@taylorduarte6725 Are you going to participate in NaNoWriMo?
@holleyk8draws4 жыл бұрын
kung fu panda, believe it or not. It has dumb jokes here and there but the protagonist is super well written!
@cornonthecob21583 жыл бұрын
Now I want to watch Kung Fu Panda again
@cornonthecob21583 жыл бұрын
@@benjaminramsey498 Same!
@minacvijetinovic77993 жыл бұрын
absolutely agree
@mehmetgurdal Жыл бұрын
Dumb jokes? Are you out of your mind? They are great. Jokes are for children, story is for the adults, saga is for everyone. Just watch it
@datboi42 Жыл бұрын
You can like Kung Fu Panda and it’s dumb jokes, it’s okay 💀
@rainbowsalt45683 жыл бұрын
I’ve always loved anime so much, and now i realized why - 99% of anime focuses on a character’s inner conflict so much it’s almost obnoxious! But you grow to love the characters and when they face that huge battle/climax scene it hits you like a punch to the gut. it occurred to me that, actually, anime has a habit of perfectly balancing characters and plot. no wonder it’s so popular!
@mehmetgurdal Жыл бұрын
Japanese authors tend to focus on emotions and internal conflicts more directly, so it's not surprising. Just finished the Fullmetal alchemist brotherhood . Masterpiece, an absolute Masterpiece
@A.H._4 жыл бұрын
Mulan will always be my favorite movie, period. Yeah, yeah, it looks like it’s just a woman dressed up as a man to fight in a war, but is much more than that. It’s about a woman finding herself and her self-worth, and understanding that she’ll bloom in her own way, and that’s OK. She learning how to fight and actually fighting the Huns is a lot of fun, but is not the important part.
@ThePalatineHill4 жыл бұрын
that's weird as i disliked mulan simply because of how boring its plot was, (i did have high expectation before i watched it tho) honestly the only thing good from it was 'man out of you' bit. the movie felt way too one note and cared only about the main character and not anything else going, felt disappointingly generic
@A.H._4 жыл бұрын
@@ThePalatineHill After it all, it's a movie for kids, made a while ago. That's kinda the style, but it's fine. We all like different things.
@jacindaellison33634 жыл бұрын
@@A.H._ I would say, imo, Mulan is a great example how to create a strong female character without her coming off being a jerk and man hater.
@paparoxo36064 жыл бұрын
I disagree, Mulan doesn't have a arc, she is a flat character, she already believes in the truth, what changes is the world around her.
@cadencev55723 жыл бұрын
SAME I LOVE HER.
@nikkoleburns32134 жыл бұрын
Thank you for using sci-fi as your examples. I feel like some sci-fi movies are like look at this amazing CGI and not the under developed characters! People of Hollywood need to watch your channel.
@AbbieEmmons4 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for your kind words! They mean so much to me, and I am thrilled that the content I make encourages you to chase your dreams and make your story MATTER!
@nachoojeda30024 жыл бұрын
I really disliked Altered Carbon from Netflix for that very same reason. Everything felt bland and meaningless to me. Flashy violence for the sake of it.
@nosywendigo592 Жыл бұрын
@@nachoojeda3002 I loved Altered Carbon. I raved about that show. The real reason why I loved it is because of its dystopian feeling, that overwhelming pressure, and the compliance and conformity Harlan's World required. The Envoy was simply someone, who had been sleeved one too many times, and barely could stitch together his real memories until the very end. He also couldn't express whatever humanity he had left because sleeving has a psychological and emotional cost. What makes Altered Carbon so good is not the flashy violence; it's the choices that the main character has to make that drew people in. Who's the best and memorable villain in Altered Carbon? No, it wasn't the millionaire, Harlan, or the Special Forces. It was Reileen Kawahara, Kovac's sister. She was the most memorable villain who had a clear agenda, a drive, a motivation, and an underlying need. She was not a predictable character; she was a seemingly innocent young girl who turned into the dark path and became a villain from choices that she had to make in order to survive, even if it means she has to make evil choices; those came at a cost though when she realizes who the Envoy was.
@ItsRainingDolphins4 жыл бұрын
I think it’s different for everyone though!! My dad can’t stand character driven stories because he doesn’t care about connecting to fictional characters - he just wants to read an interesting plot. Different stories attract different sorts of people. I think as writers we need to get that everyone looks for something different in a story and not everyone is looking for a lesson or a character to connect to. Some people just want a good plot with twists and turns and surprises and the characters are just vehicles to experience it. There’s no wrong reason to read and therefore there’s no wrong thing to focus on when writing. Some people are looking for a good world. Some people are looking for plot twists. Some people are reading to care about characters. I think looking down on plot driven stories is fine, but realize that’s what some people look for in a story, which is fine too! Furthermore, plot driven stories don’t actually mean we don’t care about the characters. It just means the plot is what decides the character’s actions and pushes the story forward, not the character’s inner deliberations. In many examples of character driven stories, nothing really HAPPENS because the author is focused on telling the character’s story and thoughts instead of an adventure. And that’s fine! Some people dig that. Character driven stories aren’t just stories where you care about the characters, and plot driven stories aren’t just forgetting about the characters in favor of plot. It’s just a term used to describe motivation. A lot of “character driven” stories I find the characters unlikable and am turned off immediately. Too much emphasis is on how the characters are feeling and I don’t care and there’s no interesting plot to fall back on. Like your misbelief thing - some of the misbeliefs chosen in stories are so cringy and ridiculous I can’t stand to read any more to find out if the character learns from his mistakes. Whereas a book that focuses more on plot has the potential to be interesting and impactful even if I stop caring about the characters. It just depends. I think it’s important we as creative people don’t dismiss other points of view as inferior just because we don’t personally like it. We talked about that during my creative writing course in college haha. Anyway I enjoyed the video and your aesthetic is so pretty!!!
@Joshuabhaus4 жыл бұрын
Balance.
@gotanything28204 жыл бұрын
@@Joshuabhaus yes
@Crakygamez4 жыл бұрын
Theres a balance,as long as you dont point out interesting stuff to explore only to ignore it the entire story,its frustrating.that usually happen in plot driven that tries to be deep.good example would be final destination and mission impossible? Its action All the way through.but with balance we can have both!!. Im just pulling my ass here :p
@lesleyblackvelvet58023 жыл бұрын
I actually don't find the misbelief thing cringy. It's really enlightening if I can say so. That's what character development is for. Wondering when the character will learn from their mistakes? That's why we have a story to tell. An example I'd bring up is Kung Fu Hustle, specifically regarding Sing (Stephen Chow's character). His backstory is that he wanted to become a good guy to help those around him, but when he gets his chance to do so by helping a mute girl being bullied by boys, he gets his butt beat. This leads to him getting the fear of defeat under a misbelief that good guys always get beat up. It's what drives him to join the top notch gang of killers to prove himself as a strong person. It's really part of understanding character, and it's why most action movies are kind of stale.
@chestnutmilkweed29963 жыл бұрын
Misbelief thing could be more impactful than you could ever imagined if it's executed really well. There is no terrible story, it just a matter of how are they executed. Everything could be so shallow and cringy if you think just above the surface. Character driven and plot driven are both important in the story. There should have been a balance between the two.
@t.l.e.e.4 жыл бұрын
Avatar the Last Airbender is Character driven.... while The Legend of Kora is Plot driven.... I had been wondering recently why one made such a significant impact on me and why I didnt even remember the names of characters from the other.
@100lovenana3 жыл бұрын
Exactly, I agree
@King-wl6zj3 жыл бұрын
There both character driven ones just better than the other
@gerg38673 жыл бұрын
I think it's kind of hard to call Korra plot driven. In season 1, Korra is an arrogant, impatient kid. The events of the story are caused by her poor choices. She gets humiliated by Amon, captured by Tarrlock, and has her bending taken away because she was too hot-headed to even consider that she could lose a fight. In season 3, a mistake she made in season 2 leads to the creation of the season's villain, which resulted in Korra nearly dying, and having to suffer PTSD. Season 4 sees that PTSD preventing her from performing her actions as the Avatar. I don't think Korra is a perfect show at all, but all of these conflicts were caused Korra as a character, not by outside forces from the plot.
@cadencev55723 жыл бұрын
Korra has internal conflict tho
@manicmuffin3 жыл бұрын
I disagree, LOK is just as much (if not more) of character driven story as ATLA. LOK's main problem was that its series was more rushed, fragmented, and disjointed than ATLA, but that was more due to budgetary constraints from Nickelodeon. The studio only ever gave them the budget for one season at a time, so the creators weren't sure if they could do an over-arching series like ATLA, meaning each season had to contain an entire story arc (compared to ATLA using all three seasons as a three-act structure for a larger story). Also, each LOK season had only 13 episodes compared to ATLA's 20, meaning they had even less time to develop each story arc than an average ATLA act length. With regard to whether they're character driven vs. plot driven, let's examine the protagonists in the first few episodes (to avoid major spoilers) with regards to the plot vs. the character's desires, fears, and misbeliefs and see how they differ. For Aang, in the first episode of the first season, his primary desire to master all the elements in order to defeat the Fire Lord. This is external conflict, something Aang is thrust into without any agency on his part. His fear is that he won't be able to defeat the Fire Lord, and his misbelief is that he's responsible for the 100 Year War because he ran away right before the Fire Nation attacked. While he does have a significant character arc over the course of the series, growing from being a goofy kid to a responsible young Avatar, and learning to overcome his guilt and grief of running away 100 years ago, as well as his fear when he ultimately has the final show-down, most of the plot is externally influenced, and his choices are mostly reactionary to the external forces he faces. Aang chooses to leave the South Pole because he must master the four elements in order to end the war. For Korra, in the first episode of the first season, her primary desire is to master airbending, the one element she hasn't been able to master due to her lack of spiritual connection. Her fear is that she won't be a worthy Avatar without mastering her forth element, and her misbelief is that being strong and independent means being rash, foolhardy, and solitary. This is entirely internal conflict, there is no external force demanding that she learn airbending (yet), but it's just a drive from within herself that she must overcome. Korra's choice to leave the South Pole is entirely motivated by her internal conflict, there is no deciding external force compelling her into action. Korra's conflict with Amon comes after and is secondary to the conflict she's first wrestling with in the start of the season, and parallels her character arc of the season (she overcomes both her internal conflict and her external conflict at the same time, connecting her season 1 character arc with the plot of the story).
@TheThreeBookshelves4 жыл бұрын
I’m sure someone’s already said it, but in the book, Ready Player One actually has great internal conflict and arcs for the protagonist and side characters... though it does still suffer from some infodumping at the beginning. The movie basically went, “Let’s throw out everything about these characters and stick in a high-speed race with King Kong and a T-Rex instead!” The book goes a thousand times deeper than anything in the movie did. My favorite seemingly-plot-driven-but-actually-super-character-driven thing is Lost. There’s plot happening ALL over the place, but the backstories we get for each character in various episodes gives meaning to what’s happening on the island in the present. Some of the best character development ever written (and performed) in that show.
@ebru25824 жыл бұрын
So so true what you said about Lost. It's honestly my favorite TV show of all time!!
@kanashiiookami65374 жыл бұрын
Lost; great show, watched it twice. Vehemently hate the final season. So many things they could have done, so may threads they could have tied up. What did they do? Careen of a cliff into a realm of "wtf?!". But that said, the characters were/are the best and are the only reason I suffered through the maddening final season. I just wish they could have gone back and rewrote the last season so that everything is explained and ended properly. As is? Glaring plotholes throughout.
@saramarie76263 жыл бұрын
Lost is the best!
@obiwannabe122 жыл бұрын
I couldn't put my finger on why I didn't like the movie as much as the book, it was more up-to-date but there really wasn't any conflict. The whole reason Wade really wanted to win was bc he believed having money would make him happy, being the only kid in his school too poor to even afford to leave campus. The reason he wins is highly dependent on the fact he had nothing better to do with his time than learn everything about the hunt whole everyone else went out and had fun.
@wwvc11 Жыл бұрын
i remember reading an extract of ready player one in my english class, which made me want to buy the book.
@AFlawInThePlanDH4 жыл бұрын
Speaking of Marvel movies, I actually think the first Captain America film, although not the best film, is pretty character driven. Steve is a great character, but some of the movies didn't do him justice at all.
@Lexy-O4 жыл бұрын
I thought Winter Soldier was good too.
@AFlawInThePlanDH3 жыл бұрын
@@Lexy-O Oh, absolutely. Winter Soldier is my favorite.
@SkittlesInYourHand2 жыл бұрын
@Hannah wuz Here Ik I'm late to the party but he also grows into accepting that the world is much more complicated than he first thought. Not only does he choose to live for himself, he chooses to fight for what specifically he believes in, even if it's against his country.
@rivendells_shona2 жыл бұрын
@@SkittlesInYourHand yeah, I would say the MCU is a character-driven franchise even though each individual film is not necessarily character-driven.
@somecallmejeremy Жыл бұрын
All Captain America movies is all character-driven, to say the most.
@crystalsummer75584 жыл бұрын
This just helped me have a MAJOR breakthrough with a character! Exactly what I needed today
@prico33583 жыл бұрын
Did you finish that story?
@prico33583 жыл бұрын
I am going to write my first thing ever.. I've started to outline
@SkittlesInYourHand2 жыл бұрын
@@prico3358 How's it going almost a year later?
@taliw77362 жыл бұрын
Same !!!
@taliw77362 жыл бұрын
@@prico3358 great
@happyfellowship42914 жыл бұрын
Favorite character-driven story??? Hard, there's so many, but I just rewatched Big Hero Six. So good. All the characters are great, it's got action, but the best part is THE EMOTION. My favorite superhero story.
@naomijohns43342 жыл бұрын
Oh my goodness!!! YES! BH6 IS ONE OF MY ALL-TIME FAVORITES!!!
@taylardotson81002 жыл бұрын
I agree!!!! You understand Hiro's internal conflict and care about him as a person, and the plot is still adventurous and interesting
@greatwavefan397 Жыл бұрын
On a scale of 1 - 10, how would you rate your pain?
@josieroth44372 жыл бұрын
Little Women: I grew to love all of these characters and really felt like I knew them. They all go through so much growth as people, and I love it!
@emmamichelsohn75154 жыл бұрын
This is so well said and so important. Answering the why it matters question for my MC is what finally got me to finish my outline after 8 years of struggling. Wish I'd found your channel waaaaayyyyy sooner!
@lenandov4 жыл бұрын
Emma Michelsohn 8 years?! Thank you. I started this book four years ago and the time passing weighs heavier every time I think about it. So thanx for sharing that your work finally came together. It gives me hope :)
@emmamichelsohn75154 жыл бұрын
lenandov I'm so glad my story could inspire someone! Keep watching Abbie's videos and check out Save the Cat Writes a Novel by Jessica Brody, that's what finally did it for me. Best of luck!
@katie65264 жыл бұрын
I wanna create a story that makes the reader completely fail in love with the characters then at the end hurt the characters so badly that it leaves the reader emotional scarred
@TeknuAddict3 жыл бұрын
Have you tried reading Robin Hobb? She's very good at that. As in so good I'm literally too scared to read the "Fitz and the Fool" trilogy out of fear of what is going to happen to those characters...
@sanaayasureka82563 жыл бұрын
Oh yes. I want to write a book which leaves the reader in tears
@tired58803 жыл бұрын
So banana fish?
@adrithmanvik18532 жыл бұрын
@Steampunk of Gondor although with berserk the only ones you feel bad for are guts and casca. The rest of the band of the hawk members are very flat with barley any depth so when they die you're meant to feel bad for guts and casca the rest is meh.
@jhovanielperez47632 жыл бұрын
*Yoko Taro flashbacks*
@julias.72854 жыл бұрын
Skyward by Brandon Sanderson and The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson are AMAZING character-driven stories, definitely recommended!
@nelsonogbuigwe75004 жыл бұрын
Yo I read the way of King's. That book is AMAZING. One of my favourite books in the world
@nelsonogbuigwe75004 жыл бұрын
I've read the whole stormlight archive series
@Firstfalconfree2 жыл бұрын
I love how Sanderson writes characters! They are deeply flawed human beings, but he uses these flawed characters to bring about change in their worlds.
@eileen8787 Жыл бұрын
I haven't read the Way of Kings, but I read his Mistborn Series [The Final Empire (and co)] and it is also very character driven although the first novel can feel like a slow burn at the beginning, it really does pick up quite quickly, and the main character Vin is great and her development throughout the series is fantastic. I highly recommend it if you like Sanderson. The plot is super fun and even every side character is fleshed out and amazing. It never gets boring. Also, I liked Skyward, although I felt the second in the series was much more plot driven and I didn't quite enjoy it is as much. I don't even remember the stakes at the end, and I just realized I completely forgot to pick up the third book when it came out, likely because, again, I don't even remember the stakes at the end.
@firstlast-oo1he4 жыл бұрын
You need BOTH. Character and plot go hand-in-hand to create an enthralling story. Without plot, all you have is a bunch of random inconsequential things happening. Anyone who says plot is what makes a story bad, and I hate to say this, have yet to truly understand what story IS. A STORY happens when something EXTERNAL forces someone/someones to confront their INTERNAL shortcomings (flaws, fears, etc). You don't need massive world-ending stakes to have a plot. All stakes are about life and death. Losing the chance to be with someone you love IS STILL ABOUT DEATH! Without plot, there is no conflict. And without conflict, there is no drama. And without drama, your story will be boring. No matter what words you use, without any of this your 50k word manuscript is sure to make a great doorstop. You need BOTH. It's a chicken and egg situation; character can come from plot or plot can come from character. But you need both to be strong. A strong plot FORCES a character to confront their inner self. They can't sleep on it, THEY ABSOLUTELY *MUST* ACT *RIGHT NOW* , or risk death (which, as alluded to above, can be an emotional one). Maybe a bit dramatic in that last sentence, but the point is that something happens which forces the protagonist (or protagonists) to take action. By the same token, you also need a great character. And here's what fiction writers can learn from other mediums -- it's not what we SAY, it's what we DO. A great way to show who a character is, is through the choices they make IN CONFLICT, of which there are six types: internal, relational, situational/environmental, social, paranormal, and cosmic. Simply put: INTERNAL = Versus self. Something that stops a character from moving forward. An example would be a man (and I know, I'm stealing this example) who wants to move in with his girlfriend (before marriage), but guilt holds him back. RELATIONAL = Versus someone else. Protagonist can't win unless the antagonist loses, and vice versa. SITUATIONAL/ENVIRONMENTAL = Usually involves fear; a natural obstacle between what the character and what they want. One example could be a lifeguard who's afraid to save a drowning girl when he see's sharks surrounding her. It could also be something more human or man-made, as long as it's a clear obstacle that would still be there otherwise. SOCIAL = Versus a group of people. PARANORMAL = Versus the supernatural, or technology, or magic. COSMIC = Versus God/fate/etc; a more existentialist sort of conflict. All of these should naturally arise from your hero(ine?)'s dramatic need. Another point: we are _intrigued by characters who WANT things (plot)_ . We don't just empathize with a list of traits. That's not what makes someone likable. We empathize -- we understand, and connect with someone who WANTS SOMETHING... _badly_ . We empathize with the STRUGGLE that people go through. "external vs internal, mental vs emotional, etc" traits do not matter nearly as much as we'd like to think, which is why I personally do not focus on them.
@lazy_biscuits082 жыл бұрын
Yes. To say "all good stories are character driven" is ignorant. "Many popular stories are character driven" would be appropriate. For example, there's this anime I watched called Monster. We don't know much about the protagonist aside from what the plot demands (there's also the fact that he also serves as an audience insert) But still you never feel the need to know his backstory to connect to him and that shows good writing. People give so much emphasis to characters that they forget that the main thing that stories need is to capture readers attention, whether it is through plot or character, and a balance is absolutely necessary for a good story.
@oliverford5367 Жыл бұрын
Popcorn movies = all plot, no character. They can be entertaining but you're watching it for the explosions. But the other extreme, I'd consider Twilight to be too much character. I don't hate it, the characters mean something to a lot of people and that's no small feat. But there's nowhere near enough plot for 4 books and 5 movies. They could be reduced to 2 books/movies without losing anything.
@benjaminroseman1794 Жыл бұрын
@@lazy_biscuits08 I've been watching that show on Netflix and from what I see it has focused very much on its main protagonist since episode one. Giving good focus on a character isn't all about recounting their entire life story. Which since you mentioned anime many of those writers don't seem to get at all. It's about understanding their interests, motivations, ideals, and how the present event have been affecting them internally. Which can all be achieves without giving anything about their past?
@kenchance5629 күн бұрын
I agree you need both. External Plot and Inner Conflict. But like Abby says..."Why do they want it?" You can all the plot in the world, all the angst in the world, if you don't feel for the character, you won't read the book. You might feel sorry for the character but it won't motivate you to keep reading. That's why you need both plot and inner conflict.
@hellomehi66922 жыл бұрын
My favorite story of all time is the Hunger Games story. The plot is amazing and well thought out, but the characters are even more so. There are almost no characters who we don't get at least a tasting of internal conflict and the more prominent a character they are the more insight we get. Beautiful.
@themisha17054 жыл бұрын
Ready Player One is a WONDERFUL book. The book has very few similarities to the film and it's really a rivetting story that is very character driven. It's sad that they changed so much in the film.
@paulapoetry4 жыл бұрын
Great video. Characters are the heart of fiction, for sure - but, of course, we need to get the plot right, too. And strong characters are important in every genre. Thank you for recognising this. Stories that focus exclusively, or almost exclusively, upon plot feel so empty. 💝
@riverbright4 жыл бұрын
Your new space is so nice! Also yes character driven stories [but with a good plot] win every time for me :) Plus, your editing in this one is epic.
@teril7334 жыл бұрын
An older movie that represents the type of story I hope to tell is "Pay It Forward". That movie gutted me and made me really think about the kind of life I wished to live.
@nahalnaib85784 жыл бұрын
I love it when you say you measure success by the number of lives impacted. I believe in this strongly, and that is just one reason why I love you and your channel!
@thefinalbrick4 жыл бұрын
Gladiator (2000). I love how Maximus chooses to fight for the heart of the crowd to make the Roman people realize their fallen Emperor. He freed the slaves, had his vengeance, and created a new Rome that he never got to witness. I adore this movie.
@lonepanther274 жыл бұрын
You’re an amazing person I value your advice so much And I love your passion ❤️
@lillyschehen13982 жыл бұрын
This is hilariously on point with what you’re saying because when you said “let’s talk about Ready Player 1,” I was like “nope, never heard of it.” Then you started talking about the plot while flashes of it played on the screen and I was like “oh wait, this is familiar now that I’m looking at it actually,” but I couldn’t tell you a single piece of information about it at all😂😂😂
@Lexy-O4 жыл бұрын
I always said plot is the skeleton of a story. When people tell me they are only interested in plot, I feel like they counterintuitively taught themselves to miss the characters and story in order to focus on plot because they think it makes them sound clever. So many stories forget characters and focus so much on concept, plot or world building that they forget to be about something beyond magicland, fantasyland or dystopianland...
@Lexy-O4 жыл бұрын
Your video is brilliant 💖
@riyazullakhan17222 жыл бұрын
Your presentation is so good..very effective and useful. I have learned a lot. Thank you
@avivastudios23112 жыл бұрын
plot is skeleton characters are skin
@casgrotto3 жыл бұрын
*speaks while crying* finally the Amazing Spiderman gets the respect it deserves *sniffles*
@jihanmahmoud1160 Жыл бұрын
Thank you so much Abbie! The way you explain how to make story structure correctly and how to make it actually matter has made me understand so much :D It's making me excited to start my comic that I'm creating. You're an amazing teacher
@termimaltalent6084 жыл бұрын
Little late to this party, but I have to point out The Last of Us. That game is just fantastic. Yes, it's about a zombie apocalypse, but it's not getting swept up in the blood and gore, it's more about the characters. The first scene is just about a girl giving her father a birthday present, showcasing their relationship, it makes you care about them before it even starts throwing zombies at you (and by the time it does it's more about getting your daughter to safety). I genuinely care about the characters because the writers cared about them; their backstory, motivations, feelings. It's one of my favorite stories and I don't replay it because I want to shoot some zombies, I replay it because Joel and Ellie mean something to me.
@JJalloh Жыл бұрын
Success is measured by the lives impacted not by sales. Another great gem.
@N.Traveler4 жыл бұрын
The best piece of character development advice I ever had was from a guy on KZfaq whos name I'm ashamed I can't remember (he analyzed Zuko's character), he said: Don't just have something bad happen to your characters, have something happen to them that they BLAME THEMSELVES FOR. I love that you really made this a point in this video. A character has to take responsibility for their actions (their fatal flaw usually causing it). In fixing their mistake, they then inevitably have to overcome their flaw. I'm so glad I didn't succumb to peer pressure to see Ready Player One with my friends. It seems terrible... Amazing video as always Abbie!
@VictoriaKDixon4 жыл бұрын
My favorite character driven story would probably be Inception. The plot/concept definitely takes a lot of the attention being so intriguing and different, but the story of Cobb and his journey to get home to his kids really does get me every time! I think it's a perfect example of taking an interesting plot and rounding it out with a character who's story you really do care about! It wasn't just about the unique idea, it was about a journey to forgiveness and returning home.
@nightmareshogun65172 жыл бұрын
Attack on Titan. One of the greatest masterpieces in character driven stories, supercharged with a deep and interesting plot that makes you stick till the end.
@Sybilsbeauty3 жыл бұрын
Hi Abbie! I found your channel a couple days ago and I cannot leave it! You've been brilliantly speaking to my soul and I've been enjoying your every word, and putting all of them to use. This particular video has caused me to press pause, applaud your genius and write you a short note to let you know that in this very moment your work is changing my life. I appreciate you so much. Thank you. You'll be seeing me around here frequently. Ok, back to the video. Lol
@nikkireigns3 жыл бұрын
What a lovely message! I hope she sees it 💞
@Sybilsbeauty3 жыл бұрын
@@nikkireigns I hope so too Nikki!
@bootoons4 жыл бұрын
I think I know what you’re trying to say, but you really need to read Creating Character Arcs by KM Weiland. It’ll get you to stop thinking about plot, character, and theme as separate entities.
@theficticion12312 жыл бұрын
My favorite character driven stories are My Hero Academia (a tv show) and the Green Ember (a series of novels) both handle character development really well, despite being totally different stories! And Avatar the Last Airbender
@danielsmithiv1279 Жыл бұрын
My Hero addresses and fixes all the issues she had with the Ready Player One movie. I liked Ready Player One, but it was no masterpiece or character study film. My Hero is though.
@kubok35962 ай бұрын
Probably my all time favourite movie is Inception and I think it balances the plot and character development really well. Although it starts with an action sequence where we are thrown into a world of dreams within dreams, we are quickly shown what drives Dicaprio's character Cobb - his desire to return to his children. When Saito wants to hire him for an inception of thoughts and in return offers to help him get home, Cobb accepts because it's his way to get back to his children, even though it means he will have to face his fears, because as we later learn it was his (innocent) inception that caused his wife's death which lead to him leaving the country and abandoning his children.
@readingislife. Жыл бұрын
The Harry Potter movies are a GREAT example of character-driven stories. Call me basic, but every single character is meaningful and you can relate to them. Also, not a movie, but the Buffy the Vampire Slayer tv series is an excellent example of a VERY character-driven story that NEVER excludes good and exciting plotting.
@TheGoldbags3 жыл бұрын
Best explanation about the character-driven story on KZfaq I watched
@mom2many1664 жыл бұрын
Always LOVE the way you put it into a perspective I can digest, great video, SOOOO flipping helpful!! Thanks.
@susanlewis11104 жыл бұрын
This is exactly what my story needed! When your standard tale of the relationship between a boy and his dog (well dragon actually) is nothing but a list of what happened, you know you have a problem.
@AbbieEmmons4 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much for your kind words! They mean so much to me, and I am thrilled that the content I make encourages you to chase your dreams and make your story MATTER!
@Olafemi964 жыл бұрын
I watch a lot of anime and most anime are character driven, especially One Piece.
@shiyuhe34994 жыл бұрын
Cooler Man lol same I LOVE ANIME
@Sahrul-qr2nm3 жыл бұрын
IMO, One Piece has a balance between character-driven story and plot-driven story. It's got good world building as well as compelling characters.
@salviraa73823 жыл бұрын
If you ever read / watch 'Bakuman" (By the creators of Death Note), it is implied that the first and most important think "mangaka" / "comic artist" should make is a interesting character readers will love. So yeah... i think that how it goes for manga and anime.
@adenlarios2 жыл бұрын
I would have to disagree with the statement that character driven stories are better than plot driven stories. One of my favorite video game series, Bioshock, is heavily plot based and doesn't focus on making likable characters, and I would say this series is a masterpeice. While Bioshock certainly has some really good well developed characters, what really hooks you into the games are the incredibly creative worldbuilding, shocking plot twists, and the immersive atmosphere. In fact sometimes, character based stories can sometimes be worse. Another one if my favorite game series is Danganronpa, and I certainly liked the first one better than the second one (I haven't played the third one yet, but I heard it was awful). What made me really like Danganronpa 1 so much was the elements of phsycological horror, the worldbuilding, the gameplay, and the plot twists. The second game on the other hand, focused more on making likable characters. While I do like the characters of danganronpa 2 a lot more than danganronpa 1, danganronpa 2's worlbuilding, atmosphere, and plot twists are just not as good, making it lose what made danganronpa so special in the first place.
@maperspective66852 жыл бұрын
Lucas' Star Wars made me understand the 10-minute rule twenty years ago when I sat down and timed everything that happened in the film. I also observed that this rule also works in any part of a film, or a tv series, even in the middle of an episode, in the middle of a season, and in the middle of the series. If after 10 minutes you're not hooked, it's bad. Whedon's Buffy the Vampire Slayer tv series made me understand that the plot should be at the service of character development and, therefore, good storytelling. Nice video.
@fayrelux61083 жыл бұрын
I can’t tell you how much I’m grateful to have found your channel!! I don’t even get bored while you explain!!! Thank you so much! 💜
@AnaPaula-vk3bs4 жыл бұрын
What a powerful intro! Loved the change. I'm happy you're back 💕
@AbbieEmmons4 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much for watching!
@ryanmackdirector2 жыл бұрын
So happy I found your channel! I've read many script writing books, but your approach to explaining how to write compelling three act stories has been so incredibly clear and easy to understand. Also your passion is motivating me to keep writing even on the toughest days, thank you for that. Can't wait to watch all your stuff!
@theres_no_guarantees4 жыл бұрын
I’d say that Before We Go Extinct is pretty character-driven. It’s one of my all-time favorite books. I’m rereading it right now and I’ve already cried like twice. (It’s not that sad; I’m just over-emotional)
@mallorycarpinski1160 Жыл бұрын
I haven't seen Ready Player One but this talk about it is reminding me of the Transformer movies with Shia LaBoeuf. Now, I was into those movies largely because of the action but also I think because Shia LaBoeuf managed to still make his character compelling even though the filmmakers didn't give him much to work with.
@brenbail20004 жыл бұрын
4:34 The way you described success was very inspiring. Holy crap your content is awesome! Very helpful for a new author
@barbershopbible4 жыл бұрын
You made me want to watch Amazing Spiderman again. Good on you
@idkanymore7902 жыл бұрын
there are no words to describe how many of my stories abbie has saved.
@sophiaredwood58254 жыл бұрын
Character development is my favorite thing to do. I’m obsessed with it. I literally have a huuuuge love for getting to know personalities, mindsets, instincts, reactions, internal fears or conflicts... in real people, and in my own characters. But plot? Eheheh... get back to me on that. 😂 Plot always takes me a longgg while to master. And then writing everything out without moving on to a new idea, or spending (totallyyyy hypothetically) over two years trying to perfect a set of characters in their settings and perspectives? ...yeahhhhh um I need to work on a bit 😅
@NomisArchives3 жыл бұрын
Okay so finally a person who sees why amazing Spider-Man is great. Never thought I would see that day
@Yic17Gaming6 ай бұрын
The first Amazing Spider-man is my favorite one out of all the Spidey movies. My favorite character driven story - I'd have to say either The Witcher 3 or Persona 4. I know, these are videogames not movies or TV so maybe you aren't familiar with them. But just thinking about the characters makes me feel nostalgic as if they are my real friends.
@jacobkendrick7841 Жыл бұрын
This girl has taken the feelings i have always had but not known how to articulate and expressed it perfectly. Now i know what makes a great story!
@nevaehpinkney50533 жыл бұрын
I needed this! My character was starting to become a bit passive (he has an addiction and the whole story is him reacting to it and not doing much about it) now I know how to fix him and have him drive the plot (his addiction causes him to do things that mess up other peoples lives and therefore come back to affect him in the inciting incident)
@adventureaudio12732 жыл бұрын
You teach STORY better than any pricy curriculum. And we couldn't ask for a better personality. Or face, smile, or video quality.............
@thatgirlrandi7274 жыл бұрын
I love this new space! I honestly found myself looking at your backgrounds a lot during your past videos. This minimal set-up makes it easier to focus on you
@AbbieEmmons4 жыл бұрын
Thanks so much!!
@BreeEvans2 жыл бұрын
Rise of the guardians. It closely follows the three act story structure. I know it's a kids film but it's so good that adults also love it
@MildlyPerturbed2 ай бұрын
I absolutely love Rise of the Guardians!
@thekingofyeet41102 жыл бұрын
I think one of my favorite character-driven stories is actually Joker
@Griwhoolda4 жыл бұрын
Lovely space! (I miss the organized-by-color-bookshelves, though!)
@tayannelson37044 жыл бұрын
This is so on point. Thank you, Abbie! 👏🏻✨
@jeremiahwesley8372 жыл бұрын
Arcane on Netflix is incredible. It’s a character driven masterpiece.
@ixir527526 күн бұрын
I might be obsessed with this movie too much but I have to say Dune: Pt 2: Because Paul himself is stuck between these two goals: either he chooses Chani (love), not lead the fremen into war and put them in even more danger or he can choose to be the so-called Lisan-al Gaib which basically means that the relationship between him and Chani will be stressed, he leads a holy war across the galaxy, killing billions of people while avenging House Atreides. It's what he struggles with most throughout the film, many times he gets emotional about these decisions. To give examples, he literally yells at his mother, Lady Jessica because she keeps spreading the false prophecy about the Lisan-al Gaib (Paul Atreides) telling her that doing that is not giving hope to the fremen. He also gets emotional when Sietch Tabr is attacked by Feyd-Rautha and he starts having visions that if he goes South, his future visions of the holy war and people dying will become true so he desperately attempts to try not go South. Bro says he'd rather cut off his own hand than take Stilgar's place and he cries when he talks with Chani and she says "You'll never lose me as long as you stay who you are" (before he takes the water of life).
@oj65393 жыл бұрын
Who is this lady and can someone tell me why I am only just now discovering her channel? Wonderful thought-provoking content.
@megancaudill6222 Жыл бұрын
I gotta say Abbie, I have been following you for like 7 years now, almost as long as I have been working on my novel. I don’t like ever comment on peoples channels lol but for you I had to make an exception. I am just finally getting to the revision process and have been having a tough time gauging if there is enough internal conflict in my two very different characters. And MAN watching this so well spoken and analytical video about how to make even action story’s matter is inspiring since that’s my goal. Just wanted to encourage you and remind you that there are others like you who have a passion for making stories matter. I’m out to prove that action books can still hit peoples hearts. Thanks for the awesome video as always! I know your probably super busy, but I was wondering, do you think internal conflict can be desire vs fear, even if the desire is a wrong one or maybe even wrong reasons for the desire… I have a character who desires to make the world better, to help people, but the only reason is because he wants to prove to others he can achieve what his father couldn’t. His desire is driven by pride and selfishness not altruism. I’m curious if you think that, that will still make the audience care even if the desire isn’t exactly an idealistic or pure desire (not like Disney where the characters desires are usually pure) Thank! Keep making awesome videos.
@harshjoshi014 Жыл бұрын
The Amazing SpiderMan actually impacted me.. you got taste
@cynthiawells73804 жыл бұрын
I have been trying to figure out what my character was missing, you nailed it. I love spending time with my characters, and while I was understanding their internal conflict and knew what was driving them, I realize now that I just haven't explained and explored it enough in my writing. Thanks so much!!
@AdamZollo4 ай бұрын
Arcane hits such a good balance between action/plot and character. All the most intense Action scenes are the most intense moments of internal conflict.
@marsmallowgus2 жыл бұрын
everything that I have learned from these videos is amazing but entirely goes against my stepdad's entire philosophy on stories (warning: tangent ahead) we were playing a video game together when I was five that had, you know, CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT (it was Little Big Planet btw) and when the second installment came out he said, "they went way too hardcore on the characters and the story." and I was just like, "number 1, that is a GOOD THING, and number 2, if you READ THE SPEECH BUBBLES in the first game, you'd know that THE FIRST GAME HAD A STORY TOO"
@DribbleFunk Жыл бұрын
I am a playwright and a teacher of theatre. I just stumbled onto your channel and I really like how you present these two concepts (plot and character) as interdependent. Definitely gonna check out some of your other vids. Good work.
@TheZeldaEnthusiast4 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much! Favorite character-driven story: ROCKY
@Bee-mb3db8 ай бұрын
The movie Ever After is one of my most favorite movies. It has character internal conflict, character development and interaction.
@CaptainSoftboy5012 жыл бұрын
I have a treatment to write for class and this is gonna help me out so much!! Thank you 🥺💕
@katerinachristodoulou98784 жыл бұрын
Thank you! I’m so grateful for your channel there’s not a lot of videos supporting upcoming writers so carry on doing what your doing your making such a big difference if you don’t know it already❤️
@jinxxedsofley9313 Жыл бұрын
omg!! I finally found this, the advices told frankly really make everyone realize how important the difference of Plot Driven and Character Driven... good job
@LuvGokunut2 жыл бұрын
I always knew The Amazing Spider-Man was the best one! No one believed me. Haha. But I knew I loved it for a reason. Now I know why.
@braethebrave15692 жыл бұрын
This video was super helpful for my story, thank you! I already had a lot of this from watching your other videos, but this one helped realign a couple things I had out of place. Can't wait for the next one!
@juliaherkel80514 жыл бұрын
I was disappointed last week when I didn't get to see a video from you, so I'm super happy to get one this week! I can think of a really great character driven story. It's an unpublished story my older sister wrote that I got to read for her; I'm still waiting for her to finish editing so she can do the next book and let me read it... 😂
@ThePalatineHill4 жыл бұрын
the only thing that i really dislike about this point of view is that some people may take this advice to push plot to the wayside. in my view both are equally important. character dev and plot, both are meant to fit together nicely like a glove and if one of them is off kiltered it will feel entirely wrong. you need good plot before character development even matters otherwise plot holes would simply ruin the setting/ circumstances that the character finds themselves in
@rahraht32424 жыл бұрын
When I was a little younger I really enjoyed the Michael Vey book series. It has not (YET, hopefully) become a movie series but there was a lot of action in the books, and I also normally prefer contemporary stories, but for this action-packed, sort of contemporary, half sci-fi story there was a lot of inner conflict for Michael and a few of the other main characters. Now as the series continued many other characters were introduced that I didn't care for as much because not much was revealed about them, but I love how the author still used these new characters to aid in Michael's character development since this was primarily Michael's story to begin with. By the end of the series, he changed a lot and I don;t even remember all the action that happened, it was the lessons learned and fears that he and other characters overcame that I remember the most!!
@tashifsyed85743 жыл бұрын
Unrelated but the backdrop music at around 6:04 is amazing!!! Thnx for the tips btw..
@limxinmei19294 жыл бұрын
You’re amazing Abbie ❤️
@paparoxo36064 жыл бұрын
I think this is the best video explaining this topic, amazing explanation, thanks.
@henrybyrd8381 Жыл бұрын
I wrote a story where the plot was entirely driven by the actions of the protagonists. The inciting incident isn’t a new problem from outside, but the main character saying something so embarrassing to one of their friends that 2 people wind up dead.
@joshuastclairmusic3 жыл бұрын
Wow, this is seriously high quality content! I feel a lot more confident about the story I’m writing, and feel like I know exactly what I need to work on. Thanks heaps!
@LyGamezz4 жыл бұрын
I’ve been trying to figure out why movies ( and books) like pride and prejudice or sanditon keep grabbing my attention. Husband even ask what I like about it so much but now I know.. it’s the characters that make me reread or rewatch, thank you for that insight
@whatwhatwhatwhat39533 жыл бұрын
Attack on Titan is such a good example of a story with balanced plot and character drive.
@Vandalia19982 жыл бұрын
I thought I had a plot driven story but when I looked deeper found out the characters story was more important
@RPBSpeaks4 жыл бұрын
Outlander is my current favorite book. I love the entire series. Love for the characters make care about the plot. And a lot happens! Great story ❤️
@laurielong8277 Жыл бұрын
I like (The hunger games) for character driven Science fiction. You see at the very beginning Katnis' protectiveness over Prue.
@abdulazimnaushad2 жыл бұрын
The Amazing Spider-Man is underrated. Even though it was weird to incorporate his parents it still made sense and added to Peter's character which makes it unique and amazing.
@TheRealKingOfCringe Жыл бұрын
Wades desire is pure escapism and solving the Halliday puzzle, driven by moms drug OD and living in the stacks. He fears reality and to an extent other people. A naive character loosely based on Percival and the grail. His new love interest forces his character grow and the quest changes from just solving a puzzle/getting rich, to caring about other people and what solving it means for everyone in and out of the oasis.
@MisSPrittyFuckedUp Жыл бұрын
Thank you for the clarification Abbie! The comparisation between these 2 movies helped a lot and was in an instant very very clear. Okay here a bunch of action movies of which I think are Character-Driven: - Casino Royale - The Dark Knight - Deadpool - Gladiator - Treasure Planet - The Dark Crystal (not sure on this one, but it has impacted my childhood a lot and therefore still remember a lot of the movie). ^^
@rexibhazoboa70974 жыл бұрын
Snow White is plot driven cause she doesn't do anything at all. But people remember it???
@DAEDAEANT4 жыл бұрын
That's because it's the first of its kind and has that first time swag
@ZaxorVonSkyler4 жыл бұрын
First animated movie!
@rexibhazoboa70974 жыл бұрын
@@ZaxorVonSkyler I think its just the first Disney princess movie
@jessicajordan6804 жыл бұрын
In this case it was more the secondary characters that make it memorable. The dwarves and villain support the character Snow White and make her interesting by virtue of their obsession with her.
@j.f.fisher53183 жыл бұрын
Snow White is driven by the character Snow White, and the audience's identification with the character, feeling the feelings they imagine the character feeling. The plot is only what is needed to get the character, and by extension the audience those feelings. Since Snow White is utterly stripped of agency throughout the entire film, yet the film is able to generate such compelling feelings that it is one of the most damaging pieces of media ever created.
@jessicajordan6804 жыл бұрын
1. The movie "The Italian Job" is one of my favorite character/plot driven story lines. 2. As a rule, the book is (almost) always better than the movie. The Ready Player One book is slightly better and VERY different. (I totally see your point about it though.) 3. Your new space needs some soft elements to minimize the echo. Rugs, curtains, pillows...something. And color. It's so WHITE and Abbie is so COLORFUL!
@MissRuthina4 жыл бұрын
I love ready player one! My husband thinks it's trash. I might be the only person on the planet that adores it. I think the main character remind me SO MUCH of my brother that I kind of just... replace Wade. I mean, I love Pride and Prejudice, and Sense and Sensibility and Amelie and other great films/ miniseries!!! But I won't lie. There's a tonne of "bad" films that I just can't help myself and love? It's quite humiliating. But that won't stop me from watching ready player one for the 8th time!! Tobey Maguire is the true spiderman... He's fantastic!
@mybeansarecooler4 жыл бұрын
Bridge To Terabithia and the original Spider-Man. Ooh! And Spirited Away. Those three are my all-time favorites. Pretty much every Studio Ghibli film does really well, in my opinion, with the characters. edit: This is an example of 3 different genres that all develop characters and give you an engaging story.
@jacindaellison33633 жыл бұрын
Agreed! Bridge to Teribithia's hook would mean nothing without Jess's internal conflict of wanting to earn his father's love and attention at the beginning of the chapter. We get a little but effective backstory to why it matters to Jess to train hard to become the fastest fifth grader in his school.