Bound With These Titles
On Order
Summary
Summary
What makes a good story or a screenplay great?
The vast majority of writers begin the storytelling process with only a partial understanding where to begin. Some labor their entire lives without ever learning that successful stories are as dependent upon good engineering as they are artistry. But the truth is, unless you are master of the form, function and criteria of successful storytelling, sitting down and pounding out a first draft without planning is an ineffective way to begin.
Story Engineering starts with the criteria and the architecture of storytelling, the engineering and design of a story--and uses it as the basis for narrative. The greatest potential of any story is found in the way six specific aspects of storytelling combine and empower each other on the page. When rendered artfully, they become a sum in excess of their parts.
You'll learn to wrap your head around the big pictures of storytelling at a professional level through a new approach that shows how to combine these six core competencies which include-
.Four elemental competencies of concept, character, theme, and story structure (plot)
.Two executional competencies of scene construction and writing voice
The true magic of storytelling happens when these six core competencies work together in perfect harmony. And the best part? Anyone can do it!
Author Notes
Larry Brooks is a critically acclaimed best-selling author of six psychological thrillers (including Darkness Bound , Pressure Points , Serpents Dance and others), in addition to his work as a freelance writer and writing instructor. He is the creator and editor of Storyfix.com, one of the leading instructional writing sites on the internet and is also the author of Great Stories Don't Write Themselves- Criteria-Driven Strategies for More Effective Fiction.
Table of Contents
| Introduction | p. 1 |
| Part 1 What Are the Six Core Competencies ... and Why Should I Care? | |
| 1 The Power of a Fresh Storytelling Model | p. 10 |
| 2 The Six Core Competencies-A 10,000-Foot View | p. 15 |
| 3 Defining the Six Core Competencies | p. 20 |
| 4 Launching the Storytelling Process | p. 24 |
| Part 2 The First Core Competency-Concept | |
| 5 Concept-Defined | p. 30 |
| 6 The Criteria for Concept | p. 35 |
| 7 How Do You Know If Your Concept Is Good Enough? | p. 45 |
| Part 3 The Second Core Competency-Character | |
| 8 The Fundamental Essence of Character | p. 54 |
| 9 The Three Dimensions of Character | p. 61 |
| 10 Character Unmasked | p. 75 |
| 11 The Human Nature of Character | p. 80 |
| 12 Creating Backstory | p. 86 |
| 13 Interior vs. Exterior Conflict | p. 92 |
| 14 Crafting a Character Arc | p. 97 |
| 15 Character-The Sum of the Parts | p. 106 |
| Part 4 The Third Core Competency-Theme | |
| 16 Defining Theme | p. 117 |
| 17 Implementing Theme | p. 121 |
| 18 Theme and Character Arc | p. 126 |
| Part 5 The Fourth Core Competency-Story Structure | |
| 19 The Need for Structure | p. 131 |
| 20 Story Structure vs. Story Structure | p. 137 |
| 21 The Big Picture of Story Structure | p. 139 |
| 22 The First Box: Part 1-The Set-Up | p. 146 |
| 23 The Second Box: Part 2-The Response | p. 151 |
| 24 The Third Box: Part 3-The Attack | p. 154 |
| 25 The Fourth Box: Part 4-The Resolution | p. 156 |
| 26 The Role of Story Milestones | p. 158 |
| 27 Writing to Publish: The Most Important Aspect of Your Story | p. 163 |
| 28 Five Missions for the Set Up of Your Story | p. 165 |
| 29 A Deeper Look at Foreshadowing | p. 170 |
| 30 The Most Important Moment in Your Story: The First Plot Point | p. 173 |
| 31 A Kinder, Gentler First Plot Point | p. 179 |
| 32 Shades of Gray: A Somewhat Liberating Spin on Story Structure | p. 182 |
| 33 Expanding Your Grasp of the Part 2 Response | p. 187 |
| 34 Wrapping Your Head Around the Mid-Point | p. 192 |
| 35 Commencing the Part 3 Attack | p. 196 |
| 36 Pinch Points | p. 199 |
| 37 The Second Plot Point | p. 204 |
| 38 The Final Act | p. 209 |
| 39 The Single Most Powerful Writing Tool You'll Ever See That Fits on One Page | p. 217 |
| 40 The Six Most Important Words in Storytelling | p. 220 |
| 41 Outlining vs. Organic Storytelling | p. 224 |
| Part 6 The Fifth Core Competency-Scene Execution | |
| 42 The Essential Nature of Scenes | p. 227 |
| 43 The Function of Scenes | p. 232 |
| 44 A Checklist for Your Scenes | p. 242 |
| Part 7 The Sixth Core Competency-Writing Voice | |
| 45 Finding Your Voice | p. 246 |
| 46 The Best Writing Analogy I Know | p. 253 |
| 47 More Musings on Voice | p. 256 |
| Part 8 The Story Development Process | |
| 48 Getting It Written | p. 260 |
| 49 The Pantser's Guide to Story Planning | p. 269 |
| 50 From How We Do This to Why We Do This | p. 275 |
| Index | p. 279 |