The power of a great introduction - Carolyn Mohr Writers come in all shapes and sizes, from every country in the world, and are practically every age. Some people write about history, some write science fiction, and some write about things that are happening in this very moment. Regardless of what kind of writer you are (or want to become), you should seek the advice of those that are already doing it (and you'll probably find some that say you shouldn't be a writer). Find some resources that can help you in your journey. An introduction is the first paragraph of a written research paper, the first thing you say in an oral presentation, or the first thing people see, hear, or experience about your project or book. Here is a guideline for writing a literary analysis.
8 Steps to Great Digital Storytelling Stories bring us together, encourage us to understand and empathize, and help us to communicate. Long before paper and books were common and affordable, information passed from generation to generation through this oral tradition of storytelling. Consider Digital Storytelling as the 21st Century version of the age-old art of storytelling with a twist: digital tools now make it possible for anyone to create a story and share it with the world. WHY Digital Storytelling? Digital stories push students to become creators of content, rather than just consumers. Weaving together images, music, text, and voice, digital stories can be created in all content areas and at all grade levels while incorporating the 21st century skills of creating, communicating, and collaborating. Movies, created over a century ago, represent the beginning of digital storytelling. 8 Steps to Great Digital Stories Great digital stories: 1. All stories begin with an idea, and digital stories are no different. Resources 2.
25 Things Every Writer Should Know An alternate title for this post might be, “Things I Think About Writing,” which is to say, these are random snidbits (snippets + tidbits) of beliefs I hold about what it takes to be a writer. I hesitate to say that any of this is exactly Zen (oh how often we as a culture misuse the term “Zen” — like, “Whoa, that tapestry is so cool, it’s really Zen“), but it certainly favors a sharper, shorter style than the blathering wordsplosions I tend to rely on in my day-to-day writing posts. Anyway. Feel free to disagree with any of these; these are not immutable laws. Buckle up. 1. The Internet is 55% porn, and 45% writers. 2. A lot of writers try to skip over the basics and leap fully-formed out of their own head-wombs. 3. Some writers do what they do and are who they are because they were born with some magical storytelling gland that they can flex like their pubococcygeus, ejaculating brilliant storytelling and powerful linguistic voodoo with but a twitch of their taint. 4. 5. Luck matters.
How to Tell a Story with Your Photographs Chase Guttman is an award-winning travel photographer, whose love for travel and adventure has allowed him to photograph his experiences in over 40 countries. You can reach him on his website. By Chase Guttman on in Shooting We all strive to sculpt a lasting image – a shot so powerful that it entrances viewers forcing them to have a close affinity with the photograph. But what makes a lasting photograph? No, a lasting image is holistic, it sends a strong message when it tells a thought-provoking, emotional story. Peter Guttman Talk to Yourself - Before you lift up your camera to shoot, ask yourself the following questions. Get Closer to Your Subject - Every face has the potential to tell a unique story and the power to reveal a person’s past or expose their deepest emotions. Chase Guttman Background can tell a story of its own - Often your photographic story needs context (why do you think writers include introductions?). Emotions engage - Emotions are powerful.
Breezy Home in Key Biscayne By Magaly • Jun 22, 2013 • Selected Work This breezy home is located in Key Biscayne, an island town near Miami, Florida, USA. The home is a perfect white against the constant blue Floridian skies and the lush palm trees that inhabit its surroundings. It is currently for sale for $13,800,000. Buy it now! Breezy Home in Key Biscayne: “This island estate offers serenity & privacy. High floor to ceiling windows with streaming natural light provide Zen-like views of beautifully landscaped grounds. Photos courtesy of Sotheby’s International Realty Click any photo to see a larger image - Use buttons or j/k/arrow keys to navigate through the articles Ten rules for writing fiction Elmore Leonard: Using adverbs is a mortal sin 1 Never open a book with weather. If it's only to create atmosphere, and not a character's reaction to the weather, you don't want to go on too long. 2 Avoid prologues: they can be annoying, especially a prologue following an introduction that comes after a foreword. 3 Never use a verb other than "said" to carry dialogue. 4 Never use an adverb to modify the verb "said" ... he admonished gravely. 5 Keep your exclamation points under control. 6 Never use the words "suddenly" or "all hell broke loose". 7 Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly. 8 Avoid detailed descriptions of characters, which Steinbeck covered. 9 Don't go into great detail describing places and things, unless you're Margaret Atwood and can paint scenes with language. 10 Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip. My most important rule is one that sums up the 10: if it sounds like writing, I rewrite it. Diana Athill Margaret Atwood 3 Take something to write on.
Storytelling et tension narrative Dans le prolongement de la journée du 18 novembre 2011, « Du storytelling à la mise en récit des mondes sociaux : la révolution narrative a-t-elle eu lieu ? », les laboratoires I3M et LIRCES organisent le 23 novembre 2012 une journée d’études sur « Storytelling et tension narrative ». Reprenant le postulat de départ qui était que l'art de raconter des histoires (storytelling) s'étendait désormais aux domaines les plus variés et qu’aucune activité sociale ne semblait épargnée par cette mise en récit généralisée, cette seconde journée reste ouverte à toutes les disciplines. a. b. c. d. Les contributions proposées pourront s’organiser autour des deux axes suivants. 1. 2. Les propositions de contribution devront comprendre un résumé d’une page, un très bref CV (1 page) et être adressées aux deux responsables avant le 10 septembre 2012. Contacts : Marc MARTI (LIRCES) marti@unice.fr Nicolas PELLISSIER (I3M) pelissier06@gmail.com
25 Things You Should Know About Character Previous iterations of the “25 Things” series: 25 Things Every Writer Should Know 25 Things You Should Know About Storytelling And now… Here you’ll find the many things I believe — at this moment! 1. Without character, you have nothing. 2. A great character can be the line between narrative life and story death. 3. Don’t believe that all those other aspects are separate from the character. 4. The audience will do anything to spend time with a great character. 5. It is critical to know what a character wants from the start. 6. It doesn’t matter if we “like” your character, or in the parlance of junior high whether we even “like-like” your character. 7. It is critical to smack the audience in the crotchal region with an undeniable reason to give a fuck. 8. You must prove this thesis: “This character is worth the audience’s time.” 9. Don’t let the character be a dingleberry stuck to the ass of a toad as he floats downriver on a bumpy log. 10. 11. 12. 13. The law of threes. 15. 16. 17. 18.
Storytelling Gets an Upgrade: Reach Out and Touch It By J.C. Hutchins, Novelist and Transmedia Storyteller Last April, Apple Inc. released a product that jaded technogeeks derided as “a big iPod Touch,” but consumers saw as a brilliant new way to experience the web and multimedia. Fourteen months and 25 million units sold later (nearly 5 million sold in the last quarter alone), the iPad has single-handedly defined a new consumer electronics product category. Productivity apps, games, social network tools… these tablet apps are as diverse as the people who download them. I’m a writer of “transmedia” novels, screenplays, educational experiences, and online marketing campaigns — which is a fancy way of saying I design cohesive narratives that unfold across multiple media using many distribution platforms. The creative potential I envisioned for tablet-based storytelling last April is now coming to pass. This simple and largely predictable A-to-B “porting” of content from print novels to ebooks provides a present-day gold rush for publishers.
A Detailed Breakdown of a 30-second TV Spot (with diagrams) In this post I will provide a detailed breakdown of a 30-second Public Service Announcement (PSA) I made in 2005 for a competition. My apologies for the soaking wet message at the end of the spot — I was younger and considerably less wise back then. You can watch the spot below (QuickTime required) and I will then analyze specific aspects. Shooting conditions We shot the spot on a bitterly cold night in November 2005 in Oxford, UK. Equipment Camera The camera was the Canon XL1 — this was in the bad old days when independent filmmakers were forced to choose between the unaffordable expense of shooting on film and the barely acceptable quality of DV. Lights We used one large HMI lamp (4K if I remember correctly), a couple of blondes (essentially 2K incandescent lights) and one or two smaller lights. The HMI light was powered by a generator that we hired as part of the grip package. There were three tracking shots in the spot. Achieving the blue look Lighting set-ups Dappled light Later in the shot:
6 Ways to Hook Your Readers Although I consider myself an avid reader, I must admit I have a short attention span when it comes to getting into books. If you fail to grab my attention in the first few lines, I start spacing out. Most readers are like me. Most people don’t want to spend the first 50 pages trying to get into a book. Here are a few things I find annoying in the first lines of a story: Dialogue. The last thing you want to do as a writer is annoy or bore people. (N.B. 1. Put a question in your readers’ minds. “Those old cows knew trouble was coming before we did.” 2. By starting at an important moment in the story, your reader is more likely to want to continue so he or she can discover what will happen next. “It was dark where she was crouched but the little girl did as she’d been told.” 3. Description is good when it encourages people to paint a picture in their minds. “Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” 4. 5. “They had flown from England to Minneapolis to look at a toilet.” 6.