This video is brought to you by Campfire Wow look at the audience sitting all comfortable
there, thinking they know how the story is going to go. It would be shame if the author suddenlyā¦
pulled the rug from under them! Iām not just talking about a sudden plot
twist, though a good plot twist will certainly help in this regard. No. Iām talking about a mid series shakeup to
the established story that changes everything. Nothing will be the same anymore after I cover
mid series shakeups in this video! Now what exactly is a mid series shakeup? A mid series shakeup occurs when a story has
a set plot or pattern that each entry or chapter in the story follows that establishes a routine
or certain set of audience expectations that is then upended by a dramatic turn of events. For example, a story can structure itself
as a monster of the week story with each chapter featuring a new monstrous foe for the protagonists
to defeat. This establishes a familiar pattern that the
audience grows accustom to. Then the mid series shakeup occurs when instead
of a new monster for the protagonistās to face, the protagonists are instead betrayed
by the fellow monster hunters, their fortress destroyed, and are suddenly wanted fugitives
by the very people who were formally their patrons. This changes the story from a monster of the
week plot to a cat and mouse game as the protagonists are forced to evade their former allies and
escape. A mid series shake up can re-contextualize
the plot and dramatically shift the narrativeās direction to keep a story fresh. But the real reason to use it is so I can
feel as though I pulled one over on the audience and completely trash the fun story they were
enjoying just because I got bored with it. It also can be a great tool for writers that
need a story to have a high rate of audience retention, but donāt have the skill to pull
this off without burning down the entire story every 10 chapters with the vague promise that
the next 10 will be better. So how can a writer pull off a mid series
shakeup? Rather than one specific method, there are
in fact a massive number of ways this can be accomplished so I will instead be covering
some of the more common and useful tools when it comes to shaking up a story. Letās begin with one of the most dramatic! Brutally murdering one or more important characters! Killing one or more important characters can
mark clear and decisive point of transition for the story. There are two kinds of characters that are
typically killed this way. The first is the sacrificial lion. This is a character that is a major part of
the story and is usually integral to the cast and plot. Often they are the pillar that supports the
protagonists and their allies and are featured often in the story. This makes their death extra shocking which
is why Iām going to undermine it by foreshadowing it way too much! The noble flawless character who is always
kind to the protagonist, can solve all of their problems for them, and can have their
death act as an emotional fulcrum to further the protagonistās character development? Yeah no one will see that characterās death
coming. Extra points if theyāre a mentor and/or
parental figure. Does the story build up to the sacrificial
lionās death by making it the natural result of the decisions of one or more characters? I donāt know, I canāt see because of all
these neon colored death signs blocking my view. Now if building up to a big character death
is hard then maybe just downgrade to a sacrificial lamb instead of a lion. Now sacrificial lambs donāt nearly have
the weight of lion as they tend to be side characters or secondary characters that appear
only so often the in story, but if set up well then they can add a decent enough tonal
shift to shakeup the story, especially if no other characters have died yet. Even with this lesser status the death of
a sacrificial lamb can be amplified by making them foils to the protagonist or even making
them far more skilled in order to show just how dangerous the threats they face are. But there is no way Iām going to put in
that kind of legwork so instead Iāll just make the lamb a pure innocent character that
can be killed only for shock value. Will cynical audiences see through this? Of course, but thatās their problem. Besides if that doesnāt work then just go
for quantity by killing off a bunch of characters without worrying about the principle of diminishing
returns. Because everything changed after whatās
his name died. If killing a character suddenly isnāt your
style, then an even more dramatic solution is to instead reveal that a character is dying
of some probably unspecified so I donāt have to research it illness. You know itās fatal because they cough up
blood and have no other symptoms. As the character is dying at the speed of
the plot, this leaves the writer lots of time to make it as agonizing for the audience as
it is for the character. This can be a turning point of the story as
it adds a sense of urgency that previously wasnāt there to either find a cure or for
the dying character to complete their task before their symptoms become terminal, but
Iām going to milk this for all itās worth and drag it out so long that the audience
will be wishing for the sweet release of death long before the ill character ever does. Good thing the characterās illness doesnāt
seem to bother them during the action scenes. Even better, just forget the entire illness
thing completely after I get bored with that plot or just chicken out and find a cure at
the last minute off screen. So weāve murdered some characters to shift
the tone into darker territory, but a mid series shakeup often requires a bit more to
give that little push forward. And one way to push our protagonistās forward
is to smoke them out of their comfort zone by burning down the setting! Now a major change-up in the setting can sometimes
really open up a story to a wide array of new possibilities. Is the post burn setting well thought out
with the consequences of the changes fully realized and accounted for? No I just got bored and wanted to shift genres
on a whim. Will this traumatic transition actually add
story possibilities without loosing the audience more invested in the older setting and tone? I mean the old setting was about as solid
as a wet tissue so I donāt really see what the loss is anyway, but um Iām sure the
jaded audience will. Now if a writer doesnāt want to completely
burn down the setting then they can instead opt to merely shift the balance of power. This can be something like allies and enemies
suddenly changing allegiances in relation to the protagonists forcing them to fight
alongside former foes against former friends. It can also be something as major as the bad
guys winning and taking control and thus forcing the protagonists to continue the fight underground
or from the shadows. Wow. Both of those sound like really interesting
and engaging ideas that require a lot of forethought and good narrative instincts to pull off. But I can improve them! Now I could have the protagonists carry on
the battle against the now ascendant villains from the shadows, desperately scraping whatever
resources they can get their hands on while staying only a few steps ahead of their foes
with just their wits. But a far better use of this arc would be
to just have the heroes spend all of their time in their hidden base arguing about how
bad things are and pointing fingers at one other. Is this internal strife caused by being put
under constant stress? Well actually itās mostly a result of the
authorās lack of imagination which is why your going to get more of those scenes for
like way too long. Dealing with the actual details of a major
shift in the balance of power in a setting requires that the setting actually develop
with power dynamics often becoming more complex and difficult for the protagonist to adapt
to which is why I would rather spend time on shallow melodrama because I can just churn
that tripe out on the cheap. Now if a power dynamic shift is too difficult
for a writer, then there are still easier ways to build up to a mid series shake up. Like a sudden plot twist! Now Iāve touched on plot twists before and
just to reiterate, the best plot twists come out of nowhere and are mostly there for a
writer to feel as though theyāve pulled one over on their audience. Springing a plot twist around the same time
as another major turning point in the story can have a multiplcative effect by compounding
the complexity and weight of the situation for the protagonists. But donāt worry, thereās no way to fumble
that with a plot twist that face-plants into the ground. The best way to execute a plot twist at a
key moment is to never bother to like plan it out and instead choose plot twists solely
on the basis of desperately recapturing a waning audienceās attention rather than
something as silly as a plot twist that actually makes sense and that has a causal chain that
can be traced back to the storyās beginning foundation with enough red herrings and decoys
to keep most of the audience guessing until the last moment. And if that doesnāt work then just use the
spray and pray approach and saturate the story with an increasing absurd number of plot twists
and sudden reveals one after another in the vain hopes that at least one of these will
get the ratings up. This is also a great time to pull a true villain
reveal. Finally having the real man behind the man
step out of the shadows and challenge the protagonists directly can also be a good way
to let the audience know that something big is going down. Boy itās a good thing I didnāt forget
to build up to the reveal, adding tension, foreshadowing, and menace to make the grand
villainās debut have its maximum impact. Oh wait. I did forget. Oh well no one will notice when this new big
bad just comes out of nowhere nor will they care when the villain returns to nowhere and
is never mentioned again in spite of the storyās sudden instance that this guy is āvery important
and very badā even as the writers chuck him into recycle bin in the very next season. Maybe I can turn a previously established
joke villain into a serious threat that forces the unprepared heroes on the back foot thanks
to the villainās sudden competence? Where does this new found competence come
from? Character development? A villainous training arc? Nah. The villain just suddenly becomes a real threat
after entire chapters of being nothing more than slapstick comedy fodder. Does this sudden streak of competence make
the villain difficult to write as the villain is so competent that I simply canāt figure
out how the heroes will defeat them? Then donāt worry. Just have all of their menace and scheming
suddenly vanish into the same void that YouTube threw the dislike ratio into. Now that I've covered the small scale tactics
that can be used to create a mid series shakeup, itās time I cover the overall strategies
that can be employed to tie all of these tactics together. Pansters AKA discovery writers AKA writers
who donāt really follow an outline might especially struggle with this as shake-ups
usually require at least some ability to plan in order to not completely destroy an audience's
willing suspension of disbelief. And even planners with detailed outlines might
struggle to execute something as complex as a mid series shift. But thatās all a misconception. Pivoting a story, especially in a long series,
is like making a sharp maneuver with a large unwieldy vehicle in that it can be made on
a whim and without worry that it will shear the entire thing in half. What about sprinkling in smaller details that
build up gradually to the storyās shakeup by having said details planted early as possible? Foreshadowing small details wonāt work because
all of those scenes will get cut so I can shove in more banal, snarky dialog to distract
the audience from the makeshift patchwork of incoherent scenes I call a āplotā. Will this undercut any major story shifts
down the road by making them appear as though the writers were grasping at straws rather
than actually telling a competent story? Eh donāt worry about that! By the time cynical YouTube video essayists
and reviewers point this out it will be far too late for everyone else. In fact, this means that I can even ignore
one of the most important facets of shaking up a storyās status-quo! By simply not having one! Then when the big story shakeup occurs the
audience will be totally duped by me simply saying that āeverything is different nowā
in spite of the story being nothing more than an over budget clip show with a depth measured
in nanometers. Much like a successful YouTube thumbnail the
key is ābait and switchā. Just keep promising that a major story shift
is coming, but then simply deliver what is basically a stale preview for the next episode
promising the same thing. Or do what comic books do and have massive
change in the entire universe and promise that āthis time everything wonāt be resetā
only to then reset everything back to its default state anyways because no one breaks
their own money printer. I mean, you know, intentionally. See its all about what a story promises in
the very beginning. If the story starts out a light hearted romantic
comedy before changing into grimdark cosmic horror then donāt worry because Iām sure
it wonāt need a solid fulcrum to pivot on or the whole thing will go flying into pieces. When the story suddenly wreaks everything
the audience liked about the early parts, that will just increase the impact of the
mid series shakeup and not the impact of the story as itās thrown back at the authorās
face by a disgruntled audience mad that the thing they liked about the story was suddenly
ruined so the author could brag about being a smartypants. This is why its far more important to write
for audience retention rather than actually put in the foundational work to earn the audience's
trust. Desperately trying to retain an audience's
fleeting attention even if the story crumbles under the weight of excessive story shakeups
is far more sustainable than laying down the groundwork for a mid series turning point
that leaves the audience in awe and encourages them to go back and see all of the little
details they missed that set everything into motion. Itās a mistake to leave the audience pleasantly
surprised and wondering how the heroes are going to pull it together in the next installment
rather than hopelessly confused and wondering how the writers are going to pull it together
in the next installment. SOLDIER: Alert! Alert! Imperial forces are approaching. All Megamercs prepare a Megadefense. This battle is brought to you by Megacorp! KNIGHT COMMANDER: Alright. Clear. Knights! Itās time. The inner vault is ahead. All we have to do isā¦ SIR POPUP CRUSHER: Lookout! An AD! MYSTERIOUS VOICE: This video is brought to
you by Campfire. Over a hundred thousand writers use Campfire,
which is a series of tools to help organize, improve, and showcase your writing. Utilize character sheets, timelines, detail
relationship webs, and a full manuscript editors that references notes in Campfire Write. Or home your craft in Campfire Learn as a
central hub of education resources. KNIGHT COMMANDER: Wow! Nice work, Sir Popup Crusher. SIR POPUP CRUSHER: The trick is the hit the
false X and have that attack flow into striking the true x next. Pop ups are tricky that way. KNIGHT COMMANDER: We must be wary. There will be more ads as we get closer to
the source. You can even see that its making the sponsors
more powerful and upgrading them! CONSPIRACY GUY: Look at all this junk. Megacorp are pack-rats. KNIGHT COMMANDER: There is no end to their
greed andā¦ MYSTERIOUS VOICE: Campfire Explore lets your
share your work with a live community and build a following. Select what parts to share and craft a homepage
to present your story. SIR ADNNIHILATOR: I kills the ad, Yeah. KNIGHT COMMANDER: That was close. CONSPIRACY GUY: Hey. Anyone else notice a tone shift? Like things seem a little more serious than
usual. KNIGHT COMMANDER: Eh, not really? I mean if we fail to stop the source of the
ADs then the entire TWA expanded universe will be destroyed. But other than that. SIR ADBLOCK: Look out! MYSTERIOUS VOICE: Creating a Campfire account
is free and only pay for the features you need with a flexible pricing structure ranging
from monthly subscriptions as low as a few cents a month to affordable lifetime purchases. SIR ADBLOCK: Ugh. We need to destroy the source quickly. I barely blocked that ad! And there are more of them coming in! KNIGHT COMMANDER: Look! The source! Weāre close! SIR BREAKER: Go! Iāll hold them off! KNIGHT COMMANDER: But Sir Commercial Breaker,
you might not survive Ads that powerful! SIR BREAKER: If thereās anyone able to break
this commercial, its me! Go! CONSPIRACY GUY: And now is my chance! TWA fans can write better stories faster with
Campfire at bit.ly/TWA4-21. Donāt forget to use the Code TWA21 to get
20% off all lifetime purchases of Campire modules. Link is in the description below. CONSPIRACY GUY: Hey! Why did the next to last chain break? KNIGHT COMMANDER: Oh noā¦
Remember!
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LMAO all the videos this guy does apply to RWBY. Every time I watch them Iām like āš¬ā
MOOD KINDRED I HAVE FINALLY FOUND YOU!
Seriously man when I first saw this video a few hours back I was thinking the exact same thing. If I didn't knew any better I would have thought the video guy was talking about RWBY but he was talking about s***** story writing in general. Actually started to look up a few of his other videos and found that many of s***** writing he highlights are exactly the things RWBY has done. It's honestly starting to feel like rooster teeth takes his sarcastic writing advice and takes it very literally and sticks to it to the letter which I know isn't what's happening but it feels like that's what's being done right now
I saw this and immediately thought about the Fall of Beacon. You go from a "kids at magic school" story to a "heroes traveling the world" story.