Author: Will Dunne
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022639364X
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 259
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Book Description
The author of The Dramatic Writer’s Companion offers forty-two new exercises to help playwrights and screenwriters explore, develop, and strengthen their work. Will Dunne first captured the workshop experience in The Dramatic Writer’s Companion, offering practical exercises to help playwrights and screenwriters work through the problems that arise in developing their scripts. Now writers looking to further enhance their storytelling process can turn to Character, Scene, and Story. Featuring forty-two new workshop-tested exercises, this volume allows writers to dig deeper into their scripts by fleshing out images, exploring characters from an emotional perspective, tapping the power of color and sense memory to trigger ideas, and trying other visceral techniques. The guide also includes a troubleshooting section to help tackle problem scenes, as well as hundreds of examples, many of which have been developed as both plays and films. Character, Scene, and Story is fully aligned with the new edition of The Dramatic Writer’s Companion, with cross-references between related exercises so that writers have the option to explore a given topic in more depth. While both guides can stand alone, together they give writers more than one hundred tools to develop more vivid characters and craft stronger scripts.
Author: Will Dunne
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022649411X
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 357
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Book Description
Spark your creativity, hone your writing, and improve your scripts with the self-contained character, scene, and story exercises found in this classic guide. Having spent decades working with dramatists to refine and expand their existing plays and screenplays, Dunne effortlessly blends condensed dramatic theory with specific action steps—over sixty workshop-tested exercises that can be adapted to virtually any individual writing process and dramatic script. Dunne’s in-depth method is both instinctual and intellectual, allowing writers to discover new actions for their characters and new directions for their stories. The exercises can be used by those just starting the writing process and by those who have scripts already in development. With each exercise rooted in real-life issues from Dunne’s workshops, readers of this companion will find the combined experiences of more than fifteen hundred workshops in a single guide. This second edition is fully aligned with a brand-new companion book, Character, Scene, and Story, which offers forty-two additional activities to help writers more fully develop their scripts. The two books include cross-references between related exercises, though each volume can also stand alone. No ordinary guide to plotting, this handbook centers on the principle that character is key. “The character is not something added to the scene or to the story,” writes Dunne. “Rather, the character is the scene. The character is the story.” With this new edition, Dunne’s remarkable creative method will continue to be the go-to source for anyone hoping to take their story to the stage. “Dunne mixes an artist’s imagination and intuition with a teacher’s knowledge of the craft of dramatic writing.” —May-Brit Akerholt, award-winning dramaturg
Author: Jordan Rosenfeld
Publisher: Writer's Digest Books
ISBN: 9781582974798
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 288
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Book Description
Write Scenes that Move Your Story Forward In Make a Scene, author Jordan E. Rosenfeld takes you through the fundamentals of strong scene construction and explains how other essential fiction-writing techniques, such as character, plot, and dramatic tension, must function within the framework of individual scenes in order to provide substance and structure to the overall story. You'll learn how to: Craft an opening scene that hooks readers and foreshadows supporting scenes Develop various scene types - from the suspenseful to the dramatic to the contemplative - that are distinct and layered Tailor character and plot around specific scene types to better convey the nuances of your storyline Create resonating climactic and final scenes that stay with readers long after they've finished your work
Author: Will Dunne
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 022618191X
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 226
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Book Description
This new book from the author of The Dramatic Writer's Companion approaches some of the same issues as its predecessor but from a slightly different angle. It offers playwrights, screenwriters, and other dramatic writers in-depth analysis of the dramatic architecture of three award-winning contemporary American plays: Doubt: A Parable by John Patrick Shanley, Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks, and The Clean House by Sarah Ruhl. Each relatively brief chapter is devoted to a specific story element--from "Characters" and "Main Event" to "Emotional Environment" and "Back Story"--with subsections that break down this element in each of the plays. Readers can choose to read across the chapters to follow the analysis of each play, but the structure gives primary emphasis to the story elements, comparing and contrasting how different writers have successfully handled them. Each chapter ends with a set of questions to help readers analyze and develop that element in their own work.
Author: Jordan Rosenfeld
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1440351414
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 273
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Book Description
The definitive guide to writing scenes--now revised and expanded! Scenes are the building blocks for any work of fiction--the DNA sequence that makes a novel un-put-downable and unforgettable. When writers are able to craft effective, engaging scenes, they can develop a complete, cohesive story--and a mesmerizing experience for readers. Make a Scene Revised and Expanded Edition takes you step-by-step through the elements of strong scene construction and demonstrates how the essential aspects of a compelling story--including character, plot and dramatic tension--function within the framework of individual scenes to give momentum to the whole narrative. You'll learn how to: • Craft an opening scene that hooks readers and foreshadows conflict. • Develop various scene types--from contemplative to suspenseful to flashback--that are distinct and purposeful. • Establish characters' intentions within a scene that drive the plot. • Transition into new scenes by clearly establishing details of setting, character, and point of view. • Create resonating climactic and final scenes that stay with readers long after they've finished your story. The revised and expanded edition includes brand-new examples, an increased focus on advancing plot and character development, and the same knowledge and clarity that writers have come to expect from Jordan Rosenfeld. Make a Scene is an essential part of any novelist's library--make sure it's in yours.
Author: Shawn Coyne
Publisher: Black Irish Entertainment LLC
ISBN: 1936891360
Category : Reference
Languages : en
Pages : 459
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Book Description
WHAT IS THE STORY GRID? The Story Grid is a tool developed by editor Shawn Coyne to analyze stories and provide helpful editorial comments. It's like a CT Scan that takes a photo of the global story and tells the editor or writer what is working, what is not, and what must be done to make what works better and fix what's not. The Story Grid breaks down the component parts of stories to identify the problems. And finding the problems in a story is almost as difficult as the writing of the story itself (maybe even more difficult). The Story Grid is a tool with many applications: 1. It will tell a writer if a Story ?works? or ?doesn't work. 2. It pinpoints story problems but does not emotionally abuse the writer, revealing exactly where a Story (not the person creating the Story'the Story) has failed. 3. It will tell the writer the specific work necessary to fix that Story's problems. 4. It is a tool to re-envision and resuscitate a seemingly irredeemable pile of paper stuck in an attic drawer. 5. It is a tool that can inspire an original creation.
Author: Randy Ingermanson
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform
ISBN: 9781500574055
Category : Creative writing
Languages : en
Pages : 0
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Book Description
The Snowflake Method-ten battle-tested steps that jump-start your creativity and help you quickly map out your story.
Author: Deborah Chester
Publisher: Manchester University Press
ISBN: 178499605X
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 314
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Book Description
There's more to writing a successful fantasy story than building a unique world or inventing new magic. How exactly is a plot put together? How do you know if your idea will support an entire novel? How do you grab reader attention and keep it? How do you create dynamic, multi-dimensional characters? What is viewpoint and do you handle it differently in urban fantasy than in traditional epics? What should you do if you're lost in the middle? How do you make your plot end up where you intend it to go? From the writing of strong, action-packed scenes to the handling of emotions, let award-winning fantasy author Deborah Chester guide you through the process of putting a book together. Convinced there's no need to shroud the writing process under a veil of mystery, Chester supplies tips that are both practical and proven. They are exactly what she uses in writing her own novels and what she teaches in her writing courses at the University of Oklahoma. Along with explaining story construction step-by-step, Chester illustrates each technique with examples drawn from both traditional and urban fantasy. The technique chapters include exercises to assist novices in mastering the craft of writing fantasy as well as suggestions for avoiding or solving plot problems. More experienced writers will find tips for taking their work to the next level. With an introduction by author Jim Butcher, The fantasy fiction formula provides the information you need to gain skill and proficiency in writing fantasy like a pro.
Author: Jessica Brody
Publisher: Ten Speed Press
ISBN: 0399579753
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 322
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Book Description
The first novel-writing guide from the best-selling Save the Cat! story-structure series, which reveals the 15 essential plot points needed to make any novel a success. Novelist Jessica Brody presents a comprehensive story-structure guide for novelists that applies the famed Save the Cat! screenwriting methodology to the world of novel writing. Revealing the 15 "beats" (plot points) that comprise a successful story--from the opening image to the finale--this book lays out the Ten Story Genres (Monster in the House; Whydunit; Dude with a Problem) alongside quirky, original insights (Save the Cat; Shard of Glass) to help novelists craft a plot that will captivate--and a novel that will sell.
Author: Carla Hoch
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1440300739
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 240
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Book Description
Whether a side-street skirmish or an all-out war, fight scenes bring action to the pages of every kind of fiction. But a poorly done or unbelievable fight scene can ruin a great book in an instant. In Fight Write you'll learn practical tips, terminology, and the science behind crafting realistic fight scenes for your fiction. Broken up into "Rounds," trained fighter and writer Carla Hoch guides you through the many factors you'll need to consider when developing battles and brawls. • In Round 1, you will consider how the Who, When, Where, and Why questions affect what type of fight scene you want to craft. • Round 2 delves into the human factors of biology (think fight or flight and adrenaline) and psychology (aggression and response to injuring or killing another person). • Round 3 explores different fighting styles that are appropriate for different situations: How would a character fight from a prone position versus being attacked in the street? What is the vocabulary used to describe these styles? • Round 4 considers weaponry and will guide you to select the best weapon for your characters, including nontraditional weapons of opportunity, while also thinking about the nitty-gritty details of using them. • In Round 5, you'll learn how to accurately describe realistic injuries sustained from the fights and certain weapons, and what kind of injuries will kill a character or render them unable to fight further. By taking into account where your character is in the world, when in history the fight is happening, what the character's motivation for fighting is, and much more, you'll be able write fight scenes unique to your plot and characters, all while satisfying your reader's discerning eye.
