20 Master Plots and How to Build Them

20 Master Plots and How to Build Them

Author: Ronald Tobias

Publisher: Writers Digest Books

Published: 1993-09-15

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book shows the reader how to take timeless storytelling structures and make them immediate, now, for fiction that's universal in how it speaks to the reader's heart and contemporary in detail and impact.Each chapter includes brief excerpts and descriptions of fiction from many times, many genres - myth and fairy tale, genre and mainstream fiction, film plots of all types, short story and novel.Find 20 fundamental plots that recur through all fiction - with analysis and examples - that outline benefits and warnings, for writers to adapt and elaborate in their own fiction.Ronald B. Tobias has spent his career as a writer moving from genre to genre, first as a short story writer, then as an author of fiction and nonfiction books and finally as a writer and producer of documentaries for public television. He is currently a professor in the Department of Media and Theatre Arts at Montana State University and the author of the Insider's Guide to Writing for Screen and Television. He lives in Bozeman, Montana.


20 Master Plots and How to Build Them

20 Master Plots and How to Build Them

Author: Ronald B. Tobias

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 1993-09-15

Total Pages: 351

ISBN-13: 1599635631

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book shows you how to take timeless storytelling structures and make them immediate, now, for fiction that's universal in how it speaks to the reader's heart and contemporary in detail and impact. Each chapter includes brief excerpts and descriptions of fiction from many times, many genres - myth and fairy tale, genre and mainstream fiction, film plots of all types, short story and novel. Find 20 fundamental plots that recur through all fiction - with analysis and examples - that outline benefits and warnings, for writers to adapt and elaborate in their own fiction.


Story Structure Architect

Story Structure Architect

Author: Victoria Lynn Schmidt

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2005-07-12

Total Pages: 289

ISBN-13: 1582976996

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Build a Timeless, Original Story Using Hundreds of Classic Story Motifs! It's been said that there are no new ideas; but there are proven ideas that have worked again and again for all writers for hundreds of years. Story Structure Architect is your comprehensive reference to the classic recurring story structures used by every great author throughout the ages. You'll find master models for characters, plots, and complication motifs, along with guidelines for combining them to create unique short stories, novels, scripts, or plays. You'll also learn how to: • Build compelling stories that don't get bogged down in the middle • Select character journeys and create conflicts • Devise subplots and plan dramatic situations • Develop the supporting characters you need to make your story work Especially featured are the standard dramatic situations inspire by Georges Polti's well-known 19th century work, The Thirty-Six Dramatic Situations. But author Victoria Schmidt puts a 21st-century spin on these timeless classics and offers fifty-five situations to inspire your creativity and allow you even more writing freedom. Story Structure Architect will give you the mold and then help you break it. This browsable and interactive book offers everything you need to craft a complete, original, and satisfying story sure to keep readers hooked!


45 Master Characters

45 Master Characters

Author: Victoria Schmidt

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2007-08-01

Total Pages: 192

ISBN-13: 159963354X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Create unforgettable characters your readers will love! 45 Master Characters will make your characters and their stories more compelling, complex and original than ever before. You'll explore the most common male and female archetypes—the mythic, cross-cultural models from which all characters originate—and learn how to use them as foundations for your own unique characters. Examples culled from literature, television and film illustrate just how memorable and effective these archetypes can be—from "Gladiators" and "Kings" like Rocky Balboa and Captain Ahab to "Amazons" and "Maidens" like Xena and Guinevere. The mythic journeys of heroes and heroines—the progression of events upon which each archetype's character arc develops—are also examined. Building such a "journey" into your character's story will enable you to stop worrying about what happens next and get on with telling your tale. It's a power-packed method for creating characters that stand the test of time!


Building Better Plots

Building Better Plots

Author: Robert Kernen

Publisher:

Published: 1999

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780898799033

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"This interactive guide explores the principles that comprise a well-constructed plot and teaches you how to incorporate these principles into your own work."--Publisher description.


Plots Unlimited

Plots Unlimited

Author: Tom Sawyer

Publisher: Ashleywilde, Inc.

Published: 1995

Total Pages: 304

ISBN-13: 9780962747601

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This is a veritable thesaurus of exciting plot twists and story moves that work for any composition of any genre.


45 Master Characters

45 Master Characters

Author: Victoria Schmidt

Publisher: Writers Digest Books

Published: 2001

Total Pages: 312

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

"45 Master Characters" explores the most common male and female archetypes, provides instructions for using them to create original characters, and gives examples of how other authors have brought such archetypes to life in novels, film and television. Worksheets included for writers to develop their own characters. 45 illustrations.


Blockbuster Plots Pure and Simple

Blockbuster Plots Pure and Simple

Author: Martha Alderson

Publisher: Illusion Press

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 208

ISBN-13: 9781877809194

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Blockbuster Plots Pure and Simple presents step-by-step strategies that demystify the structure of story. Track the 7 most important elements of scene - pre-plot; cause and effect; conflict, tension, suspence; complex characters; compelling action; clarify theme; re-vision rewrites. You will be able to develop a multi-layered plotline for your story.


A Writer's Guide to Characterization

A Writer's Guide to Characterization

Author: Victoria Lynn Schmidt

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2012-07-30

Total Pages: 258

ISBN-13: 1599635593

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Develop compelling character arcs using the power of myth! In the best novels, characters undergo dramatic changes that keep readers turning pages. A Writer's Guide to Characterization shows you how to develop such meaningful character arcs in your own work--stories of transformation that will resonate with readers long after the story ends. In this comprehensive guide, author Victoria Lynn Schmidt examines cross-cultural archetypes to illustrate how they can make your work more powerful and compelling. Plus, you'll learn how to draw from Jungian psychology to add complexity and believability to your characters. Schmidt also provides: • 40 lessons on character development (with examples from well-known films and novels) that you can apply to your own work • Questionnaires and exercises to help you select male and female archetypes and adapt them to your story • 15 classic animal archetypes (including the coyote, snake, tiger, and butterfly) you can use to build convincing character profiles With A Writer's Guide to Characterization, you'll have the information you need to infuse the development of your characters with drama and authenticity.


3 AM Epiphany

3 AM Epiphany

Author: Brian Kiteley

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2005-08-05

Total Pages: 273

ISBN-13: 1582973512

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Discover Just How Good Your Writing Can Be If you write, you know what it's like. Insight and creativity - the desire to push the boundaries of your writing - strike when you least expect it. And you're often in no position to act: in the shower, driving the kids to school...in the middle of the night. The 3 A.M. Epiphany offers more than 200 intriguing writing exercises designed to help you think, write, and revise like never before - without having to wait for creative inspiration. Brian Kiteley, noted author and director of the University of Denver's creative writing program, has crafted and refined these exercises through 15 years of teaching experience. You'll learn how to: • Transform staid and stale writing patterns into exciting experiments in fiction • Shed the anxieties that keep you from reaching your full potential as a writer • Craft unique ideas by combining personal experience with unrestricted imagination • Examine and overcome all of your fiction writing concerns, from getting started to writer's block Open the book, select an exercise, and give it a try. It's just what you need to craft refreshing new fiction, discover bold new insights, and explore what it means to be a writer. It's never too early to start--not even 3 A.M.