How Stories Change the Brain Ben’s dying. That’s what Ben’s father says to the camera as we see Ben play in the background. Ben is two years old and doesn’t know that a brain tumor will take his life in a matter of months. Ben’s father tells us how difficult it is to be joyful around Ben because the father knows what is coming. But in the end he resolves to find the strength to be genuinely happy for Ben’s sake, right up to Ben’s last breath. Everyone can relate to this story. A recent analysis identifies this “hero’s journey” story as the foundation for more than half of the movies that come out of Hollywood, and countless books of fiction and nonfiction. Why are we so attracted to stories? Why the brain loves stories The first part of the answer is that as social creatures who regularly affiliate with strangers, stories are an effective way to transmit important information and values from one individual or community to the next. Think of this as the “car accident effect.” What makes a story effective?
8 Classic storytelling techniques for engaging presentations A good public speaker takes their audience on a journey, leaving them feeling inspired and motivated. But structuring your speech to get your ideas across and keep your audience engaged all the way through is tricky. Try these eight storytelling techniques for a presentation that wows. You’re doing a presentation, so you start with the facts you want to get across. Wrong! Deliver a presentation that captures the hearts and heads of your audience by stealing one of these classic storytelling techniques. 1. The monomyth (also called the hero’s journey), is a story structure that is found in many folk tales, myths and religious writings from around the world. In a monomyth, the hero is called to leave their home and sets out on a difficult journey. After overcoming a great trial, they return home with a reward or newfound wisdom – something which will help their community. Good for: See also: The Hero’s Journey by Joseph Campbell 2. 3. 4. See also: Resonate by Nancy Duarte 5. 6. 7. 8.
WRITING TOOLS Character Pyramid Tool (PDF) Visualize your character’s FLAWS & associated behaviors (for a deeper understanding of this tool, please reference The Negative Trait Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Flaws) Character Target Tool (PDF) Organize and group your character’s POSITIVE ATTRIBUTES by category: moral, achievement, interactive or identity (for a greater understanding of this tool, please reference The Positive Trait Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Attributes) Character Profile Questionnaire (PDF) Not your average character questionnaire! Reverse Backstory Tool (PDF) Work backwards to find your character’s wound, needs & lie (for a deeper understanding of this tool, please reference The Negative Trait Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Flaws) Weak Verb Converter Tool (PDF) Transform all those generic, boring verbs into power verbs Scene Revision/Critique Tool Level 1 & Level 2 (PDF) A ‘light’ and ‘in-depth’ revision checklist for creating compelling characters and scenes
60 Awesome Search Engines for Serious Writers June 20th, 2010 Finding the information you need as a writer shouldn’t be a chore. Luckily, there are plenty of search engines out there that are designed to help you at any stage of the process, from coming up with great ideas to finding a publisher to get your work into print. Both writers still in college and those on their way to professional success will appreciate this list of useful search applications that are great from making writing a little easier and more efficient. Professional Find other writers, publishers and ways to market your work through these searchable databases and search engines. Writing These helpful tools will help you along in the writing process. Research Try out these tools to get your writing research done in a snap. Google Scholar: With this specialized search engine from Google, you’ll only get reliable, academic results for your searches.WorldCat: If you need a book from the library, try out this tool. Reference Need to look up a quote or a fact? Niche Writers
School of Education at Johns Hopkins University-In A Single Bound: A Short Primer on Comics for Educators by Drego Little There is a long and well-documented history of prejudice against comics and what educators think they might represent. Despite this history, comics have a strong following among writers and other serious artists. Sadly, this admiration for comics and their creators has not been widespread among educators. There are many reasons for this, but the most prominent of them is that most teachers either don't know what comics do, or aren't familiar enough with the medium to make good choices. The Nuts and Bolts of Comics Comics are still not considered "reading" by too many educators; an attitude that persists even though when a student is reading a comic (especially a good one) he or she is actually reading on three different levels. Closure provides most of the action in comics. Narrative density enables an artist to say a tremendous amount with a single panel. Comics present complex stories and information in a format that often has on-board scaffolding for readers.
Wall-E and Toy Story Screenwriter Reveals the Clues to a Great Story | Aerogramme Writers' Studio Warning: this video contains strong language Last week we posted Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling, a list of 22 golden tips first tweeted by Pixar Story Artist Emma Coats.The article received a tremendous response and since then a number of people have mentioned to us this TED talk by Andrew Stanton. Stanton was the writer for all three Toy Story movies, as well as being the writer/director for Wall-E, Finding Nemo and John Carter. In this captivating lecture Stanton talks about the early days of Pixar, storytelling without dialogue, and capturing a truth from your experiencing it. Stanton also describes being taken at age five to see the Disney’s animated classic Bambi.
Mapmaking for Fantasy Authors Monday, December 16, 2013 A good map is, I’d venture to say, just as vital to you as it is to your characters; you need a map to know the size of the world they occupy, the length of their journey, its difficulty, and distance. Furthermore, a good map serves as an important tool for your readers as well. It can give them perspective in a completely foreign world, offer subtle clues to the history and culture of your creation, and create mystery and the promise of adventure. But just as a good map can bring a novel to life, a bad map can highlight an author’s shortsightedness, reinforce weak conceptual links between the stages of a plot, and direct reader attention to lazy writing and worldbuilding. Maps as Writing Tools Making a good map is not as simple as purchasing good design tools or the appropriate number of ink pens. Tools: 3 x #2 pencils Colored pencils Micron ink pen (the smaller the better) A ruler Tracing paper A notebook (paper or digital) Stage 1: Location Stage 2: Size Stage 3: Shape
Write About This on the App Store How Visual Thinking Improves Writing Younger kids typically love to draw and aren’t too worried about the outcomes of their artwork — until they get older. By the time they’ve learned to read and write, art takes a back burner to academics, primarily because of what most schools prioritize. Over time it becomes harder for kids to think in pictures the way they once did. But what if students were encouraged to think in pictures alongside words? “There’s something about writing that is a link to your brain,” said Marissa Moss, author of the popular children’s book series Amelia’s Notebook. Taking a cue from Moss, teachers from Oak Knoll Elementary School in Menlo Park, Calif., decided to have their students keep notebooks in a similar style. “They’re not used to being given permission to write about whatever they want,” Clancy said. Moss says writing without fear of consequences is key to developing a writer’s voice. Now, the students write four to five times a week for 45 minutes at a time. Katrina Schwartz
Pixar’s 22 Rules of Storytelling | Aerogramme Writers' Studio These rules were originally tweeted by Emma Coats, Pixar’s Story Artist. Number 9 on the list – When you’re stuck, make a list of what wouldn’t happen next – is a great one and can apply to writers in all genres. You admire a character for trying more than for their successes.You gotta keep in mind what’s interesting to you as an audience, not what’s fun to do as a writer. Imagine: Created Reality - Fotografiska - Verkligheten jag porträtterar finns, men i en annan skala. Det har blivit mitt livsuppdrag att skapa dessa världar, att alla dessa idéer som vill komma ut från mig, faktiskt får bli till. Jag brinner för att inspirera andra att våga leva ut sina fantasier och att skapa något som inspirerar till att utmana ingångna tankebanor, att väcka frågor, säger Erik Johansson. Frågor som här gäller både fotografiets tillblivelse och syfte. - Jag vill vara för fotografin vad bob hund är för musikscenen. Johansson driver en helt egen form av iscensatt fotografi där han i stor utsträckning arbetar med att bygga modeller.
Story Wars Strategies in Visual Narrative Strategies in Visual Narrative ©Werner Hammerstingl 1998,1999 Narrative 1. That part of a deed or document which narrates the essential or relevant facts 2. An anccount or narration; a tale, recital (of facts etc.) 1566. We can distinguish between linear and non-linear narrative. Linear narrative: Is built on traditional notions of linearity and univocity, has a beginning, middle and end and is usually logically sequential in nature. Non-linear narrative: Contains elements such as : interruption, circular and unfinished references, chronological anarchy. In this lecture we are going to explore the dynamics and strategies involved in creating a narrative structure for still and time-based visual material. Take a single photograph - any photograph - and you have narrative. Because you have signification (the fact or property of being significant or expressive of something). Summary of Codes (1) 1 Perceptive codes: studied within the psychology of perception. (a) Figures. (b) Signs. [Back]
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