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?
How I Self-Edit My Novels: 15 Steps From First Draft to Publication E. B. White declared, “The best writing is rewriting.” In other words, the best writing is editing. And yet we all know the analytic editing process is totally different from the creative writing process. Step #1: The Outline Okay, I admit, at first glance, that header probably makes no sense. Step #2: The Daily Edit Before I dive into my daily writing sessions, I always take the time to run through a little warm-up. If I know something I wrote the previous day created an inconsistency within the earlier story, I also take this opportunity to go back and correct it. Step #3: The 50-Page Edit One of my favorite editing tricks is what I call the “50-Page Edit” (James Scott Bell calls it the “20,000-Word Step Back”). As I read through the manuscript, I’ll stop and correct anything that jumps out me—mostly just rough prose. Step #4: The “Final” 3 Edits Once I’ve finished the first draft, I immediately print it off and start editing. Step #5: The Beta Readers Round One Step #6: The Rest
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.
20 Great Writers on the Art of Revision It’s a new year, and hopeful souls around the world are working diligently on their plans to revise — their health, their attitudes, their lives. But who knows more about the art of revision than great writers? Sure, they mostly know about rewriting their own work, and they may not always have applied the principles to their daily habits, but that doesn’t mean we can’t try. “If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.” — Elmore Leonard, Newsweek, 1985 “Whenever you feel an impulse to perpetrate a piece of exceptionally fine writing, obey it – wholeheartedly – and delete it before sending your manuscript to press. “I have rewritten — often several times — every word I have ever published. “Mostly when I think of pacing, I go back to Elmore Leonard, who explained it so perfectly by saying he just left out the boring parts. “Substitute ‘damn’ every time you’re inclined to write ‘very;’ your editor will delete it and the writing will be just as it should be.” — Mark Twain
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
Benefits of Writing a Fast First Draft One of the greatest predictors of successfully pre-plotting and writing a novel or memoir in a month is the ability to write in the zone. When you’re in the flow of your writing, words and ideas come to you effortlessly. You don’t second-guess yourself. You’re not timid and paranoid about your ability to persevere. You write. Writing fast triggers the zone. Martha Alderson, aka the Plot Whisperer, is the author of the Plot Whisperer series of writing resources for authors: The Plot Whisperer Book of Writing Prompts: Easy Exercises to Get You Writing , The Plot Whisperer Workbook: Step-by-Step Exercises to Help You Create Compelling Stories, companion workbook to The Plot Whisperer: Secrets of Story Structure Any Writer Can Master (Adams Media, a division of F+W Media), Blockbuster Plots Pure & Simple (Illusion Press) and several ebooks on plot. Being in the zone means your ego-driven mind is pushed to the background and your imagination is free to flow onto the page. 1) Regular exercise
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]
7 Strategies for Revising Your Novel You’ve done it: typed The End. Those two wonderful words mark your graduation from always-wanted-to-write-a-novel to someone-who-did. Congratulations. Other ideas might be cooking away in the back of your brain, making you eager to start a new project. Often, this is where the spirit wanes as new writers lose momentum for the old manuscript. Because, you didn’t finish, did you? Here’s the bad news (and there’s no good news): The rewrite is tougher than the draft. This guest post is by Lisa Preston. You know this task needs triage, so you won’t copyedit too soon. Boost your novel-polishing skills with these seven strategies. 1. Those murky feelings that cloud your mind when contemplating the massive task of revision? 2. Let’s say your plan for one brief session is a specific checkpoint. 3. It’s not too late. Off the top of your head, do you know how many chapters are in your book? Gleaning the structure is a terrific exercise in critical examination. 4. 5. 6. 7. Brian A.
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.