Uploaded August 2023 | Updated September 2026, 4 minutes ago
Google Doc: docs.google.com/document/d/1e0NqMCOPJTI9OrssfK_9KnKXF_58GUwr/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=116668235133004419151&rtpof=true&sd=true
RELATED VIDEOS
→Why Telling is Actually Good: youtube.com/watch?v=8OQ3unyD0Eg
→How to Write a Scene: youtube.com/watch?v=QV_LNsEiJns
→Psychic Distance: youtube.com/watch?v=HUwgJY_1LjU&t=29s
→The Ultimate Guide to POV: youtube.com/watch?v=P87GYxwoQUE
→Specificity: youtube.com/watch?v=xgNW3EgtT1E
0:00 - intro
0:26 - scene vs summary
1:52 - when to use summary
3:50 - psychic distance/how to write thoughts
7:33 - use voice tone and emotion
8:06 - keep the psychic distance close
9:22 - be specific
10:09 - be generous with information
10:49 - access emotions and opinions
11:43 - conflict, goals, tension
12:24 - understand the relationship to time
13:38 - use showing and telling
14:37 - use dialogue
15:07 - unpack ideas set up in scene
16:00 - use sentence structure as pacing
16:30 - example #1
20:37 - example #2
22:11 - example #3
→All my published work: https://linktr.ee/shaelinbishop
→If you want to support my channel, you can tip me on ko-fi! ko-fi.com/shaelinbishop
MY SHORT STORIES:
☾Tabula Rasa - The Temz Review: thetemzreview.com/fiction-shaelin-bishop.html
☾How to Slaughter - The Common: thecommononline.org/how-to-slaughter
☾After Hours - Vagabond City Lit: vagabondcitylit.com/2022/04/18/after-hours-by-shaelin-bishop
☾Daughter of a King - Vagabond City Lit: vagabondcitylit.com/2022/03/21/daughter-of-a-king-by-shaelin-bishop
☾Cherry and Jane in the Garden of Eden - The Puritan: ex-puritan.ca/cherry-and-jane-in-the-garden-of-eden
☾Zugzwang - Plenitude: plenitudemagazine.ca/zugzwang
☾Elise Holding a Deer Mouse, 1829 - CAROUSEL: carouselmagazine.ca/c45-bishop
☾I Will Never Tell You This - The Puritan: ex-puritan.ca/never-tell-you-this
☾Solarium - Minola Review: minolareview.com/shaelin-bishop
☾Barefoot - The Fiddlehead [print only]: thefiddlehead.ca/issue/282
☾Wishbone - PRISM international [print only]: prismmagazine.ca/2020/04/19/prism-58-3-sprawl-is-live
☾Wishbone - video reading: vimeo.com/420052282
☾Hold Me Under Till I See the Light - The New Quarterly: tnq.ca/story/hold-me-under-till-i-see-the-light
☾Beautiful Animal - Room: roommagazine.com/issues/twine
☾How You'll Feel After the War - PRISM international: prismmagazine.ca/2021/10/20/prism-60-1-wonder
FAQS
→How old are you? - 26
→How long have you been writing? - Since I was 8
→Where do you live? - I keep that private for safety reasons, but I grew up in Vancouver.
→Where did you go to university and what did you study? - I keep my university information private, but I majored in writing with a concentration in fiction.
→What are your pronouns? - They/them or she/her
→Where can I read your books? - None of my books are published yet, but you can read my published short fiction in my linktree (linked above!)
→So when will your book be published? - I don’t know! I’m in the revision process right now, but I can’t predict exactly when I’ll have a book published. But I’m working on it!
→Do you plan to traditionally publish or self publish? - Traditionally publish
→Will you read my book/story/chapter/mentor me? - Unfortunately I cannot accommodate these requests because editing/critiquing is a labour intensive task that I can’t afford to do for free alongside my job, my own writing, and running this platform. If you would like to hire me for paid editing work, contact me privately on twitter or instagram.
MORE WRITING TIPS: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8-jsG6NG3oJsJ6LTZRtYtCHWi-5pjhQJ
WRITING VLOGS: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8-jsG6NG3oK35m9jtz_aR2t8Dssl6eqJ
WRITING CHATS & DISCUSSIONS: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8-jsG6NG3oLHy-zpu_yk7CfbJvrNc1O7
BOOK REVIEWS: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8-jsG6NG3oKlrHVFgs9UZCxJjB0Azqco
Check out more writing and publishing videos from me over @Reedsy!: youtube.com/channel/UCpo0MkTAyEl73PmIVs8CQvQ
OUTRO MUSIC: "l u v t e a [acoustic]" by Autumn Keys
SOCIAL
Twitter: twitter.com/shaelinbishop
Instagram: instagram.com/shaelinbishop
Goodreads: goodreads.com/user/show/5803057-shaelin-bishop
Google Doc: docs.google.com/document/d/1e0NqMCOPJTI9OrssfK_9KnKXF_58GUwr/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=116668235133004419151&rtpof=true&sd=true
RELATED VIDEOS
→Why Telling is Actually Good: youtube.com/watch?v=8OQ3unyD0Eg
→How to Write a Scene: youtube.com/watch?v=QV_LNsEiJns
→Psychic Distance: youtube.com/watch?v=HUwgJY_1LjU&t=29s
→The Ultimate Guide to POV: youtube.com/watch?v=P87GYxwoQUE
→Specificity: youtube.com/watch?v=xgNW3EgtT1E
0:00 - intro
0:26 - scene vs summary
1:52 - when to use summary
3:50 - psychic distance/how to write thoughts
7:33 - use voice tone and emotion
8:06 - keep the psychic distance close
9:22 - be specific
10:09 - be generous with information
10:49 - access emotions and opinions
11:43 - conflict, goals, tension
12:24 - understand the relationship to time
13:38 - use showing and telling
14:37 - use dialogue
15:07 - unpack ideas set up in scene
16:00 - use sentence structure as pacing
16:30 - example #1
20:37 - example #2
22:11 - example #3
→All my published work: https://linktr.ee/shaelinbishop
→If you want to support my channel, you can tip me on ko-fi! ko-fi.com/shaelinbishop
MY SHORT STORIES:
☾Tabula Rasa - The Temz Review: thetemzreview.com/fiction-shaelin-bishop.html
☾How to Slaughter - The Common: thecommononline.org/how-to-slaughter
☾After Hours - Vagabond City Lit: vagabondcitylit.com/2022/04/18/after-hours-by-shaelin-bishop
☾Daughter of a King - Vagabond City Lit: vagabondcitylit.com/2022/03/21/daughter-of-a-king-by-shaelin-bishop
☾Cherry and Jane in the Garden of Eden - The Puritan: ex-puritan.ca/cherry-and-jane-in-the-garden-of-eden
☾Zugzwang - Plenitude: plenitudemagazine.ca/zugzwang
☾Elise Holding a Deer Mouse, 1829 - CAROUSEL: carouselmagazine.ca/c45-bishop
☾I Will Never Tell You This - The Puritan: ex-puritan.ca/never-tell-you-this
☾Solarium - Minola Review: minolareview.com/shaelin-bishop
☾Barefoot - The Fiddlehead [print only]: thefiddlehead.ca/issue/282
☾Wishbone - PRISM international [print only]: prismmagazine.ca/2020/04/19/prism-58-3-sprawl-is-live
☾Wishbone - video reading: vimeo.com/420052282
☾Hold Me Under Till I See the Light - The New Quarterly: tnq.ca/story/hold-me-under-till-i-see-the-light
☾Beautiful Animal - Room: roommagazine.com/issues/twine
☾How You'll Feel After the War - PRISM international: prismmagazine.ca/2021/10/20/prism-60-1-wonder
FAQS
→How old are you? - 26
→How long have you been writing? - Since I was 8
→Where do you live? - I keep that private for safety reasons, but I grew up in Vancouver.
→Where did you go to university and what did you study? - I keep my university information private, but I majored in writing with a concentration in fiction.
→What are your pronouns? - They/them or she/her
→Where can I read your books? - None of my books are published yet, but you can read my published short fiction in my linktree (linked above!)
→So when will your book be published? - I don’t know! I’m in the revision process right now, but I can’t predict exactly when I’ll have a book published. But I’m working on it!
→Do you plan to traditionally publish or self publish? - Traditionally publish
→Will you read my book/story/chapter/mentor me? - Unfortunately I cannot accommodate these requests because editing/critiquing is a labour intensive task that I can’t afford to do for free alongside my job, my own writing, and running this platform. If you would like to hire me for paid editing work, contact me privately on twitter or instagram.
MORE WRITING TIPS: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8-jsG6NG3oJsJ6LTZRtYtCHWi-5pjhQJ
WRITING VLOGS: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8-jsG6NG3oK35m9jtz_aR2t8Dssl6eqJ
WRITING CHATS & DISCUSSIONS: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8-jsG6NG3oLHy-zpu_yk7CfbJvrNc1O7
BOOK REVIEWS: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8-jsG6NG3oKlrHVFgs9UZCxJjB0Azqco
Check out more writing and publishing videos from me over @Reedsy!: youtube.com/channel/UCpo0MkTAyEl73PmIVs8CQvQ
OUTRO MUSIC: "l u v t e a [acoustic]" by Autumn Keys
SOCIAL
Twitter: twitter.com/shaelinbishop
Instagram: instagram.com/shaelinbishop
Goodreads: goodreads.com/user/show/5803057-shaelin-bishop
![Analyzing an experimental short story! [+ sharing your responses] UNITY OF FORM AND CONCEPT](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/k4DfWTNRXlA/mqdefault.jpg "Analyzing an experimental short story! [+ sharing your responses] UNITY OF FORM AND CONCEPT
LINKS
→Unity of Form and Concept Video (watch first): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McJsYJ-TjKs
→Read the story (Ten Excerpts from an Annotated Bibliography of the Cannibal Women of Ratbanar Island by Nibedita Sen): https://www.nightmare-magazine.com/fiction/ten-excerpts-from-an-annotated-bibliography-on-the-cannibal-women-of-ratnabar-island/
→Interview with the Nibedita Sen: https://www.nightmare-magazine.com/nonfiction/author-spotlight-nibedita-sen-2/
→Your discussion responses!: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gP1ZFV4axwod2Aoyseq0O6c1cvm5jk2jmdEflpcFbrA/edit?usp=sharing
→READ MY SHORT FICTION: https://linktr.ee/shaelinbishop
→If you want to support my channel, you can tip me on ko-fi! https://ko-fi.com/shaelinbishop
FAQS
→How old are you? - 28
→How long have you been writing? - Since I was 8
→What did you study at university? - I got my BA in Writing with a concentration in fiction and am currently getting my MFA in Writing, with a thesis in fiction.
→What are your pronouns? - They/them or she/her
→Where can I read your books? - None of my books are published yet, but you can read my published short fiction in my linktree (linked above!)
→Do you plan to traditionally publish or self publish? - Traditionally publish
→Will you read my book/story/chapter/mentor me? - Unfortunately I cannot accommodate these requests because editing/critiquing is a labour intensive task that I can’t afford to do for free and currently dont have time for.
OUTRO MUSIC: l u v t e a [acoustic] by Autumn Keys
SOCIAL
Twitter: https://twitter.com/shaelinbishop
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaelinbishop/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5803057-shaelin-bishop")
![SPECIFICITY | a writers most powerful tool [theory, examples, & exercises]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ketYQv1tJLg/mqdefault.jpg "SPECIFICITY | a writers most powerful tool [theory, examples, & exercises]
Exercises Google Doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1IlY0_lUFbbJIP7VX9gtst5matgkbZK7rOtjDY3zkTU4/edit?usp=sharing
LEARN MORE:
→Character Development Techniques: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2 p1cCbF9s
→Tone and Reality: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s14EwGWmGAE
→Breaking Down Los Angeles by Ling Ma: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78V7u067z6w
→READ MY SHORT FICTION: https://linktr.ee/shaelinbishop
→If you want to support my channel, you can tip me on ko-fi! https://ko-fi.com/shaelinbishop
INTRO
Hi, Im Shaelin! Im a fiction writer and university writing instructor. Ive been writing since childhood and completed over a dozen manuscripts, and am currently pursuing traditional publishing. Ive also published over fifteen short stories, many of which you can read online. On this channel, I chronicle my writing journey, as well as chat about writing craft and technique! Everything I just chat about is just my personal writing philosophy, but I hope sharing it might inspire you!
0:00 - why specificity is such a critical concept for writers
2:26 - the powerful impacts of specificity on a story
4:37 - specificity is authentic
5:39 - specificity is realistic
6:22 - specificity is vivid
7:20 - specificity is interesting
8:55 - examples: specific vs vague details
10:53 - level one vs level two specifics
14:33 - the scale of specificity
18:33 - creating a convincing reality with thisness
20:24 - finding more compelling language
22:16: concretizing the abstract
24:40 - specifics as a characterizing tool
26:55 - revealing details
29:37 - hyperspecifics as satire
30:48 - defamiliarization
32:12 - creating atmosphere, tone, and reality
35:40 - specific sensory description
37:14 - jargon and the language of
39:28 - possible troubles with specificity
41:32 - exercise 1: filling in the blanks
43:00 - exercise 2: finding lived specifics
**I do not use or promote any AI writing tools or platforms - my writing process is 100% human and AI-free. Please do not contact me asking me to promote one.**
SOCIAL
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaelinbishop/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/5803057-shaelin-bishop")
