How to PACE YOUR STORY (Write Description Like a MASTER)
Summary
TLDRDans cette édition de 'Writers Life Wednesdays', l'animateur Abbi partage des astuces pour un rythme parfait dans l'écriture, expliquant la différence entre le rythme à grande et petite échelle. Elle insiste sur l'importance de la structure narrative, notamment la structure en trois actes, pour un rythme large échelle efficace. Pour le rythme à petite échelle, elle recommande de se concentrer sur la description et la narration, en utilisant la lecture de scénarios de films pour améliorer la visualisation de l'histoire. L'orateur souligne que moins est souvent plus, et que la compréhension du lecteur est guidée par la vitesse à laquelle il lit, suggérant de manipuler la vitesse de lecture pour contrôler le rythme de l'histoire.
Takeaways
- 📚 L'épisode traite de l'importance de la cadence dans l'écriture et des techniques pour obtenir une cadence parfaite.
- 🎯 La cadence est définie comme le rythme ou la vitesse à laquelle les choses changent ou se développent dans une histoire.
- 🧩 La cadence peut être vue en deux catégories : la cadence à grande échelle, liée à la structure globale de l'histoire, et la cadence à petite échelle, liée aux scènes individuelles.
- 🏛 Pour la cadence à grande échelle, l'utilisation de structures de récit telles que la structure en trois actes peut aider à éviter des moments clés trop espacés ou trop rapprochés.
- 🎨 La cadence à petite échelle se concentre sur la description et le récit, qui peignent la scène et donnent la perception des personnages.
- 🤔 La description doit être pertinente et ne pas ralentir inutilement l'histoire avec des détails superflus.
- 🎬 L'auteur suggère d'étudier les scénarios de films pour comprendre comment utiliser peu de mots pour créer une expérience visuelle riche.
- 📖 L'exemple du scénario du film 'Dunkirk' illustre comment une description concise peut être puissante et efficace.
- ⏱️ La vitesse de lecture influence la cadence percée par le lecteur, avec moins de mots et de phrases courtes pour des actions rapides, et plus de mots et de phrases longues pour des actions lentes.
- 💭 Le récit, c'est-à-dire les pensées internes et le processus de prise de décision des personnages, peut également affecter la cadence de l'histoire.
- 📚 Il est recommandé d'étudier la manière dont d'autres auteurs équilibrent la description et le récit dans leurs œuvres pour améliorer la cadence de son propre écriture.
- 🌟 Enfin, l'auteur encourage les spectateurs à partager des exemples de bonnes cadences dans les livres ou les films et à s'inscrire à la chaîne pour plus de conseils d'écriture.
Q & A
Qu'est-ce que la cadence narrative et pourquoi est-elle importante dans l'écriture?
-La cadence narrative est le rythme ou la vitesse à laquelle se déroulent les changements ou le développement dans une histoire. Elle est importante car elle détermine si les scènes de l'histoire se déroulent trop rapidement ou trop lentement, influençant ainsi l'expérience de lecture du lecteur.
Quels sont les deux types de cadence narrative mentionnés dans le script?
-Les deux types de cadence narrative mentionnés sont la cadence narrative à grande échelle, qui regarde la structure globale de l'histoire lors de la planification, et la cadence narrative à petite échelle, qui se concentre sur le rythme des scènes individuelles.
Pourquoi l'auteur utilise-t-il souvent la structure de l'histoire en trois actes?
-L'auteur utilise souvent la structure de l'histoire en trois actes car elle est éprouvée et utilisée dans de nombreux récits qu'elle admire. Cette structure fournit une base solide pour l'écriture, permettant d'éviter de se douter constamment de soi-même et de se concentrer sur la création d'une histoire unique et brillante.
Quelle est la 'règle secrète' de la cadence narrative mentionnée dans le script?
-La 'règle secrète' de la cadence narrative est que tout se passe au rythme à laquelle on lit. L'auteur peut manipuler la vitesse à laquelle le lecteur suit les événements en jouant sur la longueur des descriptions et la complexité de la narration.
Comment la description peut-elle influencer la cadence narrative d'une scène?
-La description influence la cadence narrative en peignant une image de ce qui se passe. Plus il y a de détails, plus la cadence peut sembler lente, car le lecteur doit prendre du temps pour assimiler les informations et former une image mentale.
Pourquoi est-il recommandé d'étudier les scénarios de films pour améliorer la cadence narrative de son écriture?
-Étudier les scénarios permet de comprendre comment les scénaristes utilisent peu de mots pour créer des images fortes et évocatrices, ce qui est essentiel pour maintenir une bonne cadence narrative dans un livre.
Quel exemple de description efficace a été donné dans le script pour illustrer la scène d'ouverture de 'Dunkirk'?
-L'exemple donné est la description de la scène d'ouverture de 'Dunkirk' où 'paper falling like snow' (des papiers tombant comme de la neige) est utilisé pour créer une image puissante avec peu de mots.
Comment la narration peut-elle affecter la cadence narrative et comment gérer cette partie de l'écriture?
-La narration, en donnant les pensées intérieures et les processus de décision des personnages, peut ralentir la cadence en appuyant sur les 'pauses'. Pour gérer cela, il est important de toujours se rappeler la règle de cadence et de ne pas surcharger le lecteur avec des informations irrelevants.
Quels sont les deux éléments clés d'une scène que l'auteur doit considérer pour maintenir une bonne cadence narrative?
-Les deux éléments clés d'une scène sont la description, qui peint l'image de ce qui se passe, et la narration, qui nous montre comment les personnages perçoivent les événements.
Quel conseil l'auteur donne-t-elle pour équilibrer la description et la narration dans son écriture?
-L'auteur suggère d'utiliser des marqueurs de couleurs pour mettre en évidence la description et la narration dans un livre préféré, afin d'étudier l'équilibre que cet auteur a trouvé entre les deux, ou de simplement faire cette exercice mentalement pendant la lecture.
Outlines
📚 Introduction à la rythmique de l'écriture
Dans ce premier paragraphe, l'animateur, Abbi, introduit l'épisode de 'Writer's Life Wednesdays' centré sur la rythmique dans l'écriture. Elle explique que le but de l'épisode est de partager des techniques pour atteindre une rythmique parfaite dans l'histoire, ni trop rapide ni trop lente. Elle mentionne son passé d'incertitude quant à la rythmique de ses écrits et souligne comment la découverte du secret de la rythmique parfaite a transformé son approche de l'écriture. Elle définit la rythmique comme le rythme ou la vitesse à laquelle les choses changent ou se développent dans une histoire, en distinguant entre la rythmique à grande échelle liée à la structure globale de l'histoire et la rythmique à petite échelle liée aux scènes individuelles. Elle insiste sur l'importance de la structure narrative pour une bonne rythmique à grande échelle et introduit le concept de 'three-act story structure' comme fondation pour une histoire solide.
🖌️ L'importance de la description dans la rythmique
Dans ce paragraphe, Abbi discute de la description comme un élément clé de la rythmique à petite échelle. Elle souligne que la description sert à peindre une image de ce qui se passe dans l'histoire et doit être pertinent pour l'intrigue ou les personnages. Abbi propose de se concentrer sur l'importance de chaque élément descriptif, en utilisant la question 'why does this matter?' pour évaluer sa pertinence. Elle compare la lecture à un film mental où l'esprit du lecteur traduit les mots en images, ce qui signifie que la vitesse à laquelle les événements sont vus dépend de la vitesse de lecture et de compréhension du lecteur. Elle recommande d'étudier les scénarios de films pour apprendre à créer des descriptions visuelles efficaces avec peu de mots, en citant des exemples de films comme 'Dunkirk' et 'The Matrix'.
🎬 Utiliser les scénarios pour améliorer la rythmique
Abbi poursuit avec l'idée d'étudier les scénarios de films pour comprendre comment les auteurs créent des expériences visuelles immersives avec peu de mots. Elle donne des exemples de scènes de films comme 'Dunkirk' et 'The Matrix', où l'on voit comment les descriptions courtes et précises peuvent être tout aussi efficaces pour transmettre une image claire et dynamique. Elle insiste sur le fait que moins de mots et de phrases courtes accélèrent la lecture et la perception des événements, tandis que plus de mots et de phrases longues ralentissent l'expérience. Elle suggère que les écrivains peuvent maîtriser la vitesse à laquelle les lecteurs perçoivent les événements en ajustant la longueur et la complexité de leurs descriptions.
📖 La narrativa et son impact sur la rythmique
Dans le dernier paragraphe, Abbi aborde la narrativa, qui est la perception interne des personnages de ce qui se passe et leurs processus de prise de décision. Elle met en garde contre l'excès de narration intérieure qui pourrait ralentir la rythmique de l'histoire. Elle propose d'utiliser des marqueurs de couleurs pour étudier la façon dont les auteurs équilibrent la description et la narrativa dans leurs livres préférés, ce qui aide à comprendre comment gérer la rythmique. Elle conclut en résumant les conseils donnés sur la rythmique, en soulignant que la clé est de voir tout se dérouler à la vitesse à laquelle on lit, et en recommandant aux écrivains d'observer des films et des livres qu'ils apprécient pour extraire des leçons sur la rythmique. Elle invite les téléspectateurs à partager leurs exemples préférés de rythmique efficace et à s'engager avec la communauté en commentant et en s'abonnant au canal.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Rythme narratif
💡Échelle de rythme
💡Structure de l'histoire
💡Description
💡Narratif
💡Psychologie de la lecture
💡Scénario
💡Visualisation
💡Écriture efficace
💡Exemples de films
💡Communauté d'écriture
Highlights
Introduction to the concept of pacing in storytelling and its importance for the narrative flow.
The speaker's personal journey with pacing, moving from uncertainty to mastery with the help of a secret technique.
Definition of pacing as the rate or speed at which the story's scenes develop.
Differentiation between large-scale and small-scale pacing in the context of story structure and individual scenes.
The significance of the three-act story structure in achieving large-scale pacing.
How to avoid pacing issues by not having pivotal moments too close or too far apart in the narrative.
The psychological principle behind pacing and how the reader's brain processes the story.
The analogy of reading as watching a movie in the mind and the role of pacing in this experience.
The importance of relevance in description to maintain pacing and avoid reader frustration.
Techniques for creating visual experiences with minimal description to enhance pacing.
Studying screenplays as a method for learning to write more visually and dynamically.
Examples from 'Dunkirk' and 'The Matrix' screenplays demonstrating effective minimal description.
The impact of sentence length and word count on the reader's perception of time and action in a scene.
The role of narrative in pacing and how it can influence the reader's engagement with the story.
Strategies for balancing description and narrative to achieve the desired pacing effect.
The value of studying favorite books to understand how authors balance pacing through description and narrative.
Recap of the golden rule of pacing and its implications for writing compelling stories.
Invitation for audience engagement by sharing examples of excellent pacing in literature and film.
Closing remarks and call to action for subscribing and supporting the channel for more writing insights.
Transcripts
what's up my friend Abbi here and
welcome back to writers life wednesdays
where we come together to help you make
your story matter today we are talking
about pacing more specifically the
secret to perfect pacing in this episode
I'm going to share with you the
techniques that I always use to make
sure that my pacing isn't too fast isn't
too slow but just right it's actually a
really simple principle that you can
apply to any style of writing in any
genre see I used to question my pacing a
lot I would constantly be asking my beta
readers how was the pacing was the two
fastest just how was the pacing I don't
know how the pacing was help me please
not that I don't ask my beta readers
about pacing anymore of course I do it's
a great question to ask your beta
readers but knowing the secret to
perfect pacing has totally changed the
way I write okay so before we get
started I just have to establish what
pacing even means by definition it means
the rate or speed at which something
changes or develops basically how fast
or slow the scenes in your story flow I
did not mean to rhyme just then I like
to think about it in two different
categories large-scale pacing and
small-scale pacing large-scale pacing is
looking at the big picture this happens
in your outlining process when you're
figuring out your story structure and
that's why I use the three action story
structures so much because it has story
pacing large-scale pacing built into it
the large-scale pacing in a story can
feel off if a plot point happens to
suddenly are too close to other pivotal
moments in your story for instance if
your inciting incident happens like
thirty percent into your story the
pacing will feel too slow because it
just takes too long for something
important to have or let's say your plot
twist happens right after the inciting
incident in that case your pacing will
feel too fast because you have these two
pivotal moments
back-to-back so for a large-scale pacing
you can do one of two things you can
either cross your fingers and really
hope that it just turns out right or you
can use story structure guys there's a
reason why I'm always talking about the
three-act story structure because it is
tried and true all of my favorite
stories use this story structure and
none of them feel boring predictable or
like a knockoff of somebody else's story
and that's because story structure does
not make your story predictable instead
it gives your story a foundation it
gives you a strong template to use so
that you don't have to constantly be
second-guessing yourself you can just go
about crafting your brilliant unique
story and feel confident about it that's
what I mean when I talk about
large-scale pacing it's all in the
three-act story structure which has
personally changed the way I write and
also so many other people in this
community so if you want to learn more
about the three-act story structure I
made a whole in depth video series about
it you can check that out right here so
let's say you used the three-act story
structure to structure your story and
you're not concerned about the large
scale pacing but you're more concerned
about the in-between moments between
your pivotal plot points this is what I
call small-scale pacing which is the
pacing of individual scenes and this is
really all about description and
narrative description paints the picture
of what's happening narrative tells you
how the characters perceive what's
happening so Before we jump into these
two really important elements of story I
just want to share with you the secret
to perfect pacing that I mentioned
before the intro it's not really like a
secret it's more like just a basic rule
of psychology and your brain while
reading you see everything happening at
the pace at which you read you're like
well duh a B isn't that common sense
yes it's common sense but when's the
last time you thought about your pacing
like this as you're reading a story your
brain is
translating words on a page into the
language of your imagination which is
imagery you see everything happening
like a movie playing in your mind which
means this movie can only play as fast
as your brain can read and piece
together the information to give you a
coherent image makes sense right well
that means you can manipulate the speed
at which your reader is watching these
events take place and that's essentially
what pacing is so let's circle back real
quick to that analogy I used about
seeing your book like a movie I'm pretty
sure this is like a universal thing at
least it always happens to me I see my
stories like a movie playing in my head
it looks real I'm watching it happen as
if it's in front of me that being said
just like a movie some scenes will be
slower some scenes will be quicker you
might see some moments in slow motion
you might see some moments flashing
lightning fast like a montage this is
how you experience your story in your
head before you write it all down it's
super dynamic and our job as writers is
to keep that pacing feeling the same
when we write it so that our reader has
the same imaginative experience the same
dynamic experience that we had dreaming
it all up but when you go to write it
down you're not sure how to do this I
get it I totally get it and that's why
we have to dig deep into those two
really important elements of a scene
description and narrative first let's
talk about description because that's
what paints the picture of what's
happening whenever someone asks me what
is too much description what is too
little description I have a better
question for them why does this
description matter just like we asked
ourselves with everything else about
story why does it matter if you go into
detail describing something that does
not matter to the story or the
characters you are essentially slowing
down your pacing for no reason
whatsoever always return to why it
matters you can see your brain can only
process so much information in fact our
subconscious is constantly weeding out
tons of irrelevant information that we
process all day long like millions of
pieces of information that your
conscious mind never sees because it
never went through the need-to-know door
in your mind that's just all the
information that we are surrounded by
living our everyday lives because if
your conscious mind had to think about
all of it you would not be able to get
anything done you probably wouldn't even
be able to function but when it comes to
reading a book everything is different
because now our conscious mind is
focusing on reading this book and we are
processing this information one word at
a time that means in the background your
brain is saying you need to know this
and that means when an author slows down
the pacing with irrelevant information
your brain is frustrated it's
frustrating because it doesn't matter we
have devoted our conscious attention to
this story and now you are giving me
irrelevant information how dare you
that's what the conscious says to the
subconscious than the subconscious it's
like I didn't do anything you said you
wanted to read this book that's one of
the biggest problems that writers run
into when writing description they see
this image in their head and they want
to make the reader see it the same way
but the common mistake that a lot of
writers fall into is going into too much
detail in order to deliver that image
see unlike an image your brain has to
translate words into a picture in your
mind so your readers attention zeroes in
on the one thing that you are currently
describing earlier I said that I see my
story like a movie in my mind but unlike
the medium of film where you can show a
lot more in a shorter period of time
when someone's reading a book it takes
longer for them to read it and piece
together the information to create that
image in their mind but that's the part
you have to remember they're piecing it
together in their mind word by word
that's why writers often use a lot of
words to describe a setting or location
in a book when in a movie you can just
flash an image on the screen and your
brain reads all that information like
that okay ABI so are you saying that
there's no hope and you just have to go
into these giant long descriptions for
everything no absolutely not
instead I would like to suggest that
less is more
and we can actually describe a lot in
very few words we can create a
scrumptious visual experience for our
reader without having to put them
through an exhausting information
overload we can make our readers see our
stories like a movie in their mind how
well first we have to study the art of
making a story visual the best way to do
this reading screenplay preferably
screenplays for movies that have
incredibly well done
natural feeling pacing that you love I'm
not gonna tell you what screenplays to
read it just pick your favorites study
them watch that scene in the movie then
read that scene in the script
how much description did the writer use
to show the director what was happening
now I know what you might be thinking
I'm not a screenwriter I know some of
you are but some of you aren't and you
might think that writing a novel is a
totally different thing and in a lot of
ways it is but you can learn from
screenwriters just like I use story
examples on this channel in a lot of my
videos featuring clips from some of my
favorite films that's how I learned to
make my stories more visual and
immersive how I see it a story as a
story as a story and the cool thing
about screenplays is that they were
written not for someone to read like a
book they were written for someone to
read like a movie they were written with
the intention of finding their way to
the desk of a director or producer
somewhere and with the intention of that
director or producer reading that
screenplay and having a visual immersive
experience so let me show you an example
of what I'm talking about when I say
that you can describe a lot in very few
words let's take for example the
screenplay for Dunkirk the opening shot
is described like this fade in paper
falling like snow six young filthy
Tommy's raised their heads along a
deserted street checking rubbish bins
windows I particularly love those four
words paper falling like snow that's
literally all you need to say and I see
it
okay let's do another example describing
something a little more complicated the
matrix neo reaches out to touch the
mirror and his fingers disappear beneath
the rippling surface quickly he tries to
pull his fingers out but the mirror
stretches and long rubbery strands like
mirrored taffy stuck to his fingertips
Morpheus have you ever had a dream neo
that you were so sure was real the
strands thin like rubber cement as he
pulls away until the fragile wisps of
mirror thread break Morpheus what if you
were unable to wake from that dream neo
how would you know the difference
between the dream world and the real
world neo looks at his hand fingers
distended into mirrored icicles that
begin to melt rapidly dripping running
like wax on his fingers spreading across
his palm where he sees his face
reflected neo this can't be Morpheus he
what
be real the mirror gel seems to come to
life racing crawling up his arms like
hundreds of insects what did you just
see probably something like this have
you ever had a dream neo that you were
so sure was real what if you were able
to wake from that dream how would you
know the difference between the dream
world and the real
this can be won
be real
that was a pretty imaginative
complicated element to describe yet the
writer kept the pacing of the scene
short and sharp so that the description
didn't slow it down and you saw in the
script before you even watch that clip
that you needed very little description
to relay the need-to-know information it
took me 35 seconds to read that excerpt
of the screenplay
it took you 32 seconds to watch that
clip of the movie that's what I mean by
seeing everything happening at the pace
at which you read I've talked about this
before with fight scenes if you want
your reader to see fast action then you
better write it so that your reader can
read it fast and see it happening fast
less words and shorter sentences equal
faster to read more words and longer
sentences equal slower to read simply
put you can play with the reading speed
by making events happen quicker or
slower and making your descriptions
shorter or longer now let's talk about
narrative the other thing that can
totally make or break your pacing when I
say narrative I'm talking about your
characters perception of what's
happening their internal thoughts and
decision-making process you might have a
different definition of this word but
I'm just letting you know what I mean
when I say it narrative is pretty unique
to the novel writing process if you want
to include internal thoughts and
decision-making processes in film
without the use of dialogue then usually
have to rely upon voice-over narration
unless you're disney then you create a
franchise friendly musical number to
unload all your characters deepest fears
and desires but neither option is a
guaranteed win some people love it some
people hate however when you're writing
a novel you have total creative freedom
you can launch into a piece of narrative
and go deep into your characters
internal thoughts and decision-making
process or you can just give us little
tastes and pieces of their internal
conflict as the story progresses however
you want to do it is totally up to you
this is your art to do your way but
always remember that rule of pacing you
see everything happening at the page
at which you read and every time you go
into an internal thought process you hit
the pause button on what's happening to
go deeper into why it matters but I'm
not going to tell you how to write
narrative there are many ways to write
narrative and that's part of your
writing style that's unique to you
there's no one-size-fits-all method the
more you write in practice and develop
your style the easier it will become to
write a compelling narrative it can also
be super helpful to study how your
favorite books balance the description
and the narrative go through a copy of
your favorite book with two different
colored highlighters and highlight first
the description the picture that's being
painted of what's happening and then
highlight the narrative which is how
your how the characters are perceiving
it this isn't a copy what another author
has done it's just a great exercise to
see how other writers a balanced
narrative and description which is
pacing or if you don't want to write all
over your favorite books I understand
you can just do this exercise in your
head while you're reading so let's recap
what we talked about today the golden
rule of pacing you see everything
happening at the pace at which you read
you can create visual experiences for
your reader by playing with pacing
longer descriptions equal slower reading
time and a slower experience shorter
descriptions equal faster reading time
and a faster experience study your
favorite films how did they turn a
description into a visual experience how
many words do you actually need to paint
a picture for your audience okay boom
that's it that's my best advice for
writing good pacing into your story now
it's time for you to talk to me comment
below and tell me what is one really
really good example of excellent pacing
in a book for a movie what can you learn
from that as a writer smash that like
button if you liked this video and be
sure to subscribe to this channel if you
haven't already because I post writing
videos every single Wednesday and I
would love to have you here in the
community also be sure to check out my
patreon because that's where we go
beyond videos and takes
retelling to the next level the patreon
community is not only the best way to
support what I'm doing here on YouTube
but also connect personally with me and
give better guidance on your story so go
to patreon.com/scishow
we can rock on
[Music]
Voir Plus de Vidéos Connexes
5.0 / 5 (0 votes)