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My problem is I flipflop from thinking I'm trash to the best author who ever lived

Today I’m stopping at a Dunkin Donuts on the way home from work to work on my writing because for the last two days I’ve come straight home and got on the TikTok. I don’t need to be on the TikTok. I need to write. I’m putting myself in a public place to work, so I won’t get on TikTok. 😂

I always appreciate how supportive and positive and encouraging you are with yourself and other writers. Too many of us take up writing with dollar signs and movie contracts clouding our vision. That's the Hollywood-ized version of what a writer's life should be like, but it's 100% NOT reality. When reality finally does sink in, we think we failed, and we get discouraged. Media makes it it hard for us to shatter that initial disillusionment, but we MUST do it!

I used to write every day for years, but inner critic kinda kicked my butt. This really helped me write again. Thank you so much!!!

Time’s gonna pass anyway is the greatest advice, especially for creative endeavors. I’ve heard that years ago and started writing. I don’t feel daunted nor pressured whenever I’m writing after that.

The timing of this video is insane. Just when I was thinking of giving up the idea of writing a story before I could even start, thinking I was too incompetent. I'm actually impressed with the dialogue I wrote in those exercises. All what I had to do is break the ice and put my ideas on paper regardless. This video allowed me to do that. Thank yo so much ✨It was really helpful.

I followed the 3 exercises. The third one is the hardest.. After these exercises, I wrote a short story with 1510 words. So I was able to write a total of close to 2000 words today. The last time I wrote a short story was 3 weeks ago. Thank you. You are very inspiring and motivating.

Absolutely love your videos. You are the only writing advice channel I have come across that seems to be rooted in truth. There are no strict rules, just suggestions. Keep it up, you deserve whatever success comes your way.

I like how you incorporated the timings into the video. I think the hardest thing is when you start and have a blank page and unlimited time to write anything, it's just too easy to get distracted. But when you have only 3 min and a clear instruction, you start to think it's not so hard after all! Will definitely use this video to practice some writing 😊

The algorithm blessed me today! This wasn’t a video that I was searching for however, I’ve been recently clicking on a lot of ambient music playlists for writing so it makes sense that the algorithm sent me this direction. Immediate sub! I love the positivity and the encouragement

The first thing you write will be garbage. But write that garbage story, finish it & then you will be a step further down the line than you were before you started it. I've gone back & read things I wrote 30 years ago, & thought--Oh, what was I doing there? Read more, & expand your reading horizon. Step by step you will learn the craft. Start with just writing one good sentence. Then, expand that to a paragraph. You're on your way.

Reading plays helps with dialogue patterns and pacing. I acted and directed for many years, which is why I prefer to write dialogue rather than setting descriptions! :)

Thank you for this. I've published three novels, but haven't written with any consistency or even dedication for a good number of years. I've been trying to slowly get back on the horse this year, mostly with essays and the like, but honestly, I want to get back to fiction. This was a perfect exercise to loosen a few of those muscles. I'll keep it handy for days where the words, the self-talk, and the motivation are all in battle with one another.

I don't like routine writing. I write down ideas, scenes and concepts anytime. As long as I have something to write. It's a hobby so i want no obligations.

I've been in the doldrums for a while now, so it's refreshing to hear some positivity for a change. Great presentation, Kieren. Nice one.

I have to tell you - I have watched A LOT of these writing advice videos. You're one of the best, hands down. Thank you.

I love how you answer comment Thanks, it feels like i have a teacher right here

Thank you for this. I've wanted to write a book since I was a kid. My favorite genres and fantasy and military science fiction. I wrote a lot when I was younger, but stopped when I started a family and later, a career. Now, at 46, I think I'm ready to pick up the pen (or keyboard) and try again. I did all three exercises, and that is the first creative writing I've done in a long time. It felt really good to write again. I have a lot of self help books on how to write, but this is the first time I've actually put free writing into practice. I am going to try and make it a daily habit, and see what happens.

Awesome video!!! A bright lighthouse for new and old writers alike

Was kind of looking and very much hoping for some outer element to help walk me out of my head, which is in a very tough place at the moment, and you showed up in my internet rambling’s. Your approach is lovely and has actually got me writing. Thanks!!

warmed up with a daydream of being at the coast,all the feels of wind and water!

I followed along all three exercises, and it was a lot of fun! I didn't even feel like I made any significant progress with anything I've been stuck on with my current novel, but I didn't care, I just had fun writing.

Thanks for this video. It's exactly what I needed. I've struggled with writing prompts and the advice to "Just write". Your exercises are great. I hope you give us more.

I was literally opening up Word to write as you began talking about pausing to free write. We’re in sync dude!

2nd exrcise interesting, but the third! I came out with a short horror story incident. Didn't expect that! thanks for the prompts.

14:47 well, that was a good meeting between Jon Snow and Naruto Uzumaki 😂

The dialogue that I came up with is between Andrew Medicine from a recent novel that I read and Severus Snape from Harry Potter. They had a weird conversation about the day when Snape was killed. The opening paragraph was also pretty weird. It was about two people, one named Daisy and the other Jase. They are brother and sister, and they had a conversation about their friends, revels. Thank you for this challenge! Best regards from an Ukrainian! Although this is not my first accomplished book, my third btw, I still had a lot of fun.

Thank you so much for this!!! It really helped. Until now, I didn't realize how much my expectations were interfering with my writing process (constant search for better words on Chatgpt, the mental analysis of balancing imagery and dialogue ). You probably know the rest. More of these videos, please (if possible).

My brain wanted me to stop. But I refused to stop until I finished.

Thank you, Kieren.

This was really helpful for improving my mindset. I get in my own head quite badly avoiding the start of the process, but these simole little exercises felt really good for just getting my mind to let go and just try. Thank you for this.

You're video editing skills are on fire, man! I love this channel, keep it up and keep writing!

A massive help! Thank you.

This was really helpful. Thank you!

I’ve been following your channel for a bit even though I don’t write but have wanted to for a long time. I’m 40 now and I feel like this video has finally given me permission to try. I’ve always wanted to attempt writing a story but have never had the confidence. I’m not interested in getting published I just like the idea of being able to articulate my thoughts and of seeing something through to the end. Taking the time to write with a pen and paper helps me slow my thoughts down and not be so anxious about everything. Thank you for the writing exercises. It was oddly comforting being able to keep the video running while you did them as well.

Thank you very much for these exercises, they are really helpful!

I loved this video. Thank you!

I needed this today. Cheers!

Thank you, this was such a beautiful video! The exercises are super fun to follow along, no matter the result :) And to anyone reading this, there is no need to criticize yourself. Love yourself, encourage yourself and treat yourself the best, not just while writing but in life. Embrace yourself for who you are, cherish what you created and there will be progress. Enjoy the journey :)

Your video on micro fiction was hugely helpful for me.

Thank you sir. Your videos are really helpful for teens.

This video is great. I did all three exercises and I was surprised with what I got down. I found the dialogue exercise the most challenging. Thanks for this.

Excellent video

Loved this, far from beginner but nice to just sit write and listen. Great job!

I just subscribed. This was great. I haven't started the exercises but I'd really like to carve out a little bit of time to write fiction sometimes and just let myself have fun with it and maybe I'll get somewhere eventually. :) one of my bucket list goals is to write a dream novel with certain representation in it.

Thanks so much, I just recently (like within the last week) decided to go all in with taking my writing seriously and this video helped me to tell my inner critic to shut up lol. Also, I loved the exercises and the part where you mentioned that you didn't need to know everything to get started, like grammar and how to develop a plot or characters, those were the main issues holding me back.

Great video. I wish I’d had a guide like this one when I first started out writing at 15. But I don’t regret it. 😊

1) get laptop 2) go to starbucks 3) sit at starbucks while writing so people can see you writing. Then you are an official novelist. :P

I feel good.

Thank you. I've been struggling with my inner critic and I just felt like I didn't knew enough to write a story. These exercises really helped me lower the stakes to something more reasonable.

Appreciate this video, I’ve been wanting to try my hand at this for a while but never put a ton into, I’m early retired and have a lot of time for new things, so I’m going to at least try this. 3 min typing anything like “ all work & no play make jack a dull boy” ha ha just kidding…thx again very fun helpful video. 🤓💗✌🏼

Thanks Kieren. I recently found your channel and have been mining it for inspiration and information. I've found it to be one of the best of the crowd of writing channels out there. Anyhoo. Here are my efforts; I thoroughly enjoyed completing them. I hope others also share. Exercise 1. I don’t know why he always has to meet at these places. It's 3am and cold. I stamp my feet and rub my hands together to stop them from freezing. He said he’d be here at 2:30 but he’s already thirty minutes late. I pull out a cigarette and pause looking at the sky in a moment of stillness. “Fuck, look at those stars.” Then I feel very small in a very large universe. I guess me killing someone doesn’t amount to a hill of beans in the big scheme of things. Headlights crest the ridge of the road leading to the station platform, the light reflecting off frost on the road. Exercise 2. Gavin from the Lola Quartet by Emily St. John Mandel Case from Neuromancer by William Gibson “Have you ever lost anything?” said Gavin. “What do you mean?” 
“You know. lost something that you now miss, and wish you still had it.”
 “Yeah.” “Me too.” “Okay. What? You obviously want me to ask you what.” said Case, eyeballing Gavin. “Well, I lost a whole girl and her baby. I was a fucking idiot. But I let them go.” Case snorts. “What. That’s not tragic enough for you?” 
“No. Not really. I once lost a girl and humanity's future.”
 “Oh. Yeah. That’s probably a little worse. Sorry man. ”
“Shut the fuck up and buy me another drink.” “Two again thanks bartender.” said Gavin, raising a hand. “Oh and some dex as well.” Exercise 3. It’s like the island is sinking. They keep building the walls higher. With them, the sea also rises. I imagine that the city, and the island it’s built on is sinking. It’s easier to believe that it’s just this place that’s going to end up be sucked into an abyss, flooded by the unending sea beyond, than to accept that it is the whole world. Humanity, art, all the great things that mankind has achieved will be gone. No more rockets launching to worlds far above and way beyond, or someone's creative spark bringing into existence some great work of art

Thank you.

9:06......I'm pleased to see free writing is the first exercise you suggest. Its absolutely invaluable I find. I do however approach it a little differently. When I write whatever I want, I do so using my already established characters. I'll put them somewhere, it can be two of the senior members of the group, having a random conversation about a particular event in X country, or the intended plan to make a move to install a more favourable regime in Y region etc - all in the comfy surroundings of a private members club haha. It might be one of the analysts working on a particular assignment, and I'll use the opportunity to just dig into the characters mind and let them speak to me. Its undoubtedly one of the best ways I have found to flesh out my characters and create something much more real. Even my main antagonist to my novel, he's not a cardboard cutout. I've delved into him deeply, given him a legitimate grievance and fleshed him out - dare I say I might have put a bit more work into developing him than my actual main character. Free writing is one of the best things a writer can do, and for me it even works well to plant the seeds for future novels I intend to write with the same characters. At the risk of rambling further, I'll stop here :D

Thank you so much for these amazing videos. I have been writing for a little over 3 years, have finally completed my first manuscript and am working on a line edit before sending to beta readers. The sentence level edit is really hard and of late when I reread or edit my work, it feels like I’ve written a big pile of horse poop 💩 and it will never be good enough. But your words of encouragement have made me feel much better. Your videos give people hope, so thank you so much 😃

Thank you very much, dude! I've been thinking to start writing for years and I've been watching videos about writing and story every day these last few weeks, I've even read Stephen King's book On Writing during this time but I've never actually started putting words on the page untill this very video. The hardest part for me, I feel, is coming up with something to say, especially an idea 'worth' saying, that's what probably freezes me the most. Paradoxically on the last exercise I've encounter the least difficulty on that front.

Thank you for making this video! I tend to become very absorbed in trying to make what I'm writing about sound finalized, or close to it, so I end up spending too much time working out the minor details instead of just writing. This video has helped push me to just write down the ideas without worrying too much about how I want every moment to come across. Example: It's very easy for me to get caught up with writing things like "he inquired," or "she cried out in exasperation." If these things come to mind, great. But I have a nasty habit of actively trying to come up with those statements after a character's dialogue, which kills my progress. So I'm just going to start writing "he said" just so I can move on with the story. Also, subconsciously trying to make things overly wordy for a first draft. That's a thing with me too. 😅

For the second exercise, I wrote a conversation between Tyrion Lannister and Kaladin from the Stormlight Archive. I'd never have thought to write something like that without your prompt, but was pleasantly surprised by the amount of things they could talk about.

your video did help alot, so thankyou for that. also this is what I wrote for the last exercise. mark sits in his chair, looking at the exam papers he was feeling down after the morniing roll call but he was not letting that get to him. A phone rings and the teacher in a condesending yet calm tone ask whos phone is that. Mark feels a pit in his stomach as he knows that it is his and that it will be confiscated. A whole lot of thoughs rushed into his head as he thinks of how to handle this situation. situation. there are typos there are grammar mistakes but it still feels good to be able to just write for once

I have an easier time writing out descriptions than dialogue since i mostly think in images. But it was kinda fun and surreal writing an interaction between Charlie Bucket and BSD Dazai Osamu😂 not my best work but its a start

This guy has the truth for you.

Writing the paragraph was pretty easy

I'm not an absolute beginner writer but a beginner none-the-less. I still followed along and did the exercises but I couldn't help adding inner thoughts and action to the dialogue.

I like to write too. My hero however is not an author, it's actually a song writer, Jon Bon Jovi. In my opinion, no one can put words together like him. I have written something that I have saved on my pc. My self-esteem is what kills me. It's so bad that I don't even call what I do "stories". Usually, I don't even call my stuff writing. When I talk to my gf about it, I call it creating a new project. Using words like "write, writing, story or stories" makes me feel like I'm insulting the writing community. My gf has so much schooling and reading for work that I don't like to ask her to read my projects. I'm also a very private person, I don't know where to find people that can read my stuff and give me their unfiltered opinions.

Several of the most famous writers just made stuff up. Their own grammar rules, their own concepts, their own play off of tropes.

3 minutes I got... 93 words of nonsense that was oddly deep at the same time 😂 2nd exercise - 122 words and omg, I want to turn that into something. I used the MC from jthe book i'm writing (my first novel) that i'm 40k of the way into and the creature from Frankenstein because Frankenstein is my favorite book. 🥺 3rd exercise - well I wrote a paragraph, and it's coherent.... It's weird though lol. It ended up turning into a one paragraph horror story. 104 words. It was a bit easier than I thought to get something out, even if it's weird and nonsensical. I could totally edit these into something using this as inspiration though. Something that makes a little more sense lol.

My obstacle, my only obstacle is having to write on a machine that goes online. I have an ongoing hacker problem and I've been hacked while reauthorizing Scrivener and Movie Magic and even Microsoft suite. Adobe hasn't had the chance but I'm expecting it. Security measures and hardware keys do not help. I detest having to use anything online.

wish i had help with writing mine

I have a hard time putting it in words...I have everything from the idea..the storyline.., the theme..plot.., and points for every chapter...but the reason I'm still stuck from the start of my book is to create the sentence of word.

How many things in story need to be included? I always don't know what to perticular thing need to be mark like dialogue, action. I got lot of confusion on it. Make a video on it, i think it'll help others people as well.

You look a lot like Jude Law!

Can I using this technique for something like scriptwriting? For video or youtube?

Turkce alt yazi ekleyebilir misiniz? Kanaliniz cok guzel

My biggest problem is not being able to stick to a subject in a coherrent way. Its tough for me to link subtopics in a way that it continouus.

5:33

Do you have any advice for how to break the ice as an author? I've written a series of children's books. Four of them have won in the Purple Dragonfly Book Awards, which is an international competition. But still no one really knows about my books beyond those who have heard by word of mouth. I've gotten some nice reviews on Reader's Favorite, but unfortunately even though reviewers really enjoyed my books, none of them have bought any.

I'm not seeing the "Chapters" or timestamps. Am I missing something?

Exercise 2 You were a pompous ass. Elizabeth accused. Mr. Darcy threw his hand in his hips- You giggled like a child during a ball with prominent guests, such as myself. You thought I could find that behavior attractive? With your upbringing, yes indeed I do. Elizabeth replied shifting her skirts. Then you are mistook. Mr Darcy kept his lips parted leaving a smile as an after-beat in Elizabeth’s heart. That was fun 👍 Edited to say, I’ve been writing for decades. My 4th manuscript just came back from my editor. All of your tips were refreshing. Learning never ends!

If you are offering FREE writing inspiration, then why is it asking people for their card information? that doesn't seem to me.

Dear Kieren I will contact you soon via E-mail thank you so much. regards