I’ve been role-playing all my life and I’ve run a lot of well-received campaigns. My players asked me what made my games work and this book is the result. This isn’t a rulebook for any gaming system, but it’s a how-to for my style of creating memorable NPCs, planning games, and engaging with your players. - Foreword, by Erica Lindquist - On Storytelling - Before the Game - Building Your Story - Running Your Game - Players & Player Characters - Problems - Rules & Mechanics - Setting & NPCs
My players asked me how I ran my games and what made them work, so I wrote a book. Then they asked for specific examples and ideas, so I wrote another one. This companion to My Guide to RPG Storytelling goes deeper into creating in-game crises, with lists of example scenarios and twists. The second half covers using voices, mannerisms, and archetypes to create NPCs, including some of the most memorable NPCs from my own games and what made them work.
- My Guide to RPG Storytelling - I've been role-playing all my life and I've run a lot of well-received campaigns. My players asked me what made my games work and this book is the result. This isn't a rulebook for any gaming system, but it's a how-to for my style of creating memorable NPCs, planning games, and engaging with your players. - Foreword, by Erica Lindquist - On Storytelling - Before the Game - Building Your Story - Running Your Game - Players & Player Characters - Problems - Rules & Mechanics - Setting & NPCs - My Storytelling Guide Companion - My players asked me how I ran my games and what made them work, so I wrote a book. Then they asked for specific examples and ideas, so I wrote another one. This companion to My Guide to RPG Storytelling goes deeper into creating in-game crises, with lists of example scenarios and twists. The second half covers using voices, mannerisms, and archetypes to create NPCs, including some of the most memorable NPCs from my own games and what made them work. - From Dream to Dice - I've written two other books (so far) on my tricks and tools for running table-top role-playing games. But now it's time to put those tools to the test – making an actual RPG campaign. Right here, right now, on the page. So let's do this! I'll start with the seed of a story idea, go through world-building and character creation, then expanding that basic plot out into scenes, combats and crises. This is an up-close, behind the scenes look at how I make a game. Then I'll run the campaign for my group. The second half of this book details what went right, what went wrong, how I kept the game moving and my friends entertained. From the dream that inspired me to the dice hitting the table, this is how I run an RPG.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The definitive guide to telling an unforgettable story in any setting, drawing on twenty-five years of experience from the storytelling experts at The Moth “From toasts to eulogies, from job interviews to social events, this book will help you with ideas, structure, delivery and more.”—CNN LONGLISTED FOR THE PORCHLIGHT BUSINESS BOOK AWARD Over the past twenty-five years, the directors of The Moth have worked with people from all walks of life—including astronauts, hairdressers, rock stars, a retired pickpocket, high school students, and Nobel Prize winners—to develop true personal stories that have moved and delighted live audiences and listeners of The Moth’s Peabody Award–winning radio hour and podcast. A leader in the modern storytelling movement, The Moth inspires thousands of people around the globe to share their stories each year. Now, with How to Tell a Story, The Moth will help you learn how to uncover and craft your own unique stories, like Moth storytellers Mike Birbiglia, Rosanne Cash, Neil Gaiman, Elizabeth Gilbert, Padma Lakshmi, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Tig Notaro, Boots Riley, Betty Reid Soskin, John Turturro, and more. Whether your goal is to make it to the Moth stage, deliver the perfect wedding toast, wow clients at a business dinner, give a moving eulogy, ace a job interview, be a hit at parties, change the world, or simply connect more deeply to those around you, stories are essential. Sharing secrets of The Moth’s time-honed process and using examples from beloved storytellers, a team of Moth directors will show you how to • mine your memories for your best stories • explore structures that will boost the impact of your story • deliver your stories with confidence • tailor your stories for any occasion Filled with empowering, easy-to-follow tips for crafting stories that forge lasting bonds with friends, family, and colleagues alike, this book will help you connect authentically with the world around you and unleash the power of story in your life.
It's amazing how many images the world's photographers produce! Professional or not, images surround us in our everyday lives. What makes successful photographers stand out? What drives us to revisit the same images over and over? All images tell a story. Whether they're produced as works of art, on assignment for National Geographic, or as part of a family vacation, images say more than just a shutter speed, ISO, or aperture setting. We make images for a reason. Storytellers, by photographer/teacher Jerod Foster, focuses on visual storytelling and how a deep knowledge of your process and your personal vision can create stronger images. Storytelling often requires the use of certain lenses, apertures, or light modifiers, but the story is what holds everything together. To become a better storyteller you will explore: Composition, light, depth of field, and motion and how to properly use your camera technically to dig deeper. Visual themes and how they provide stories with interest and depth Types of shots and shooting styles and what they convey in your images Research and ways to conceptualize your story before shooting Strategies for developing your own effective storytelling workflow during and after the shoot. This beautifully written and illustrated guide will help you connect the how-tos of digital photography with the who, what, when, where and why of storytelling to bring your vision and your images to life!
A foreword by former soldier and memoirist Brian Turner, author of My Life as a Foreign Country, and an afterword by military wife and memoirist Angela Ricketts, author of No Man's War: Irreverent Confessions of an Infantry Wife, bookend the volume.
This innovative book helps pastors and teachers enhance their teaching with original, audience appropriate stories--the way Jesus did! Bruce Seymour explains how such stories work, when to use them, and how to create them.
Don't simply show your data—tell a story with it! Storytelling with Data teaches you the fundamentals of data visualization and how to communicate effectively with data. You'll discover the power of storytelling and the way to make data a pivotal point in your story. The lessons in this illuminative text are grounded in theory, but made accessible through numerous real-world examples—ready for immediate application to your next graph or presentation. Storytelling is not an inherent skill, especially when it comes to data visualization, and the tools at our disposal don't make it any easier. This book demonstrates how to go beyond conventional tools to reach the root of your data, and how to use your data to create an engaging, informative, compelling story. Specifically, you'll learn how to: Understand the importance of context and audience Determine the appropriate type of graph for your situation Recognize and eliminate the clutter clouding your information Direct your audience's attention to the most important parts of your data Think like a designer and utilize concepts of design in data visualization Leverage the power of storytelling to help your message resonate with your audience Together, the lessons in this book will help you turn your data into high impact visual stories that stick with your audience. Rid your world of ineffective graphs, one exploding 3D pie chart at a time. There is a story in your data—Storytelling with Data will give you the skills and power to tell it!
William Kilpatrick's recent book Why Johnny Can't Tell Right from Wrong convinced thousands that reading is one of the most effective ways to combat moral illiteracy and build a child's character. This follow-up book--featuring evaluations of more than 300 books for children--will help parents and teachers put his key ideas into practice.
A Moth storytelling champion shows you how to leave your audience spellbound in this bestselling, practical guide to powerful storytelling—through writing, public speaking, and more. Using a fun, irreverent, and infographic approach, Margot Leitman breaks storytelling into concrete components. Whether you want to write a great wedding toast, deliver a compelling keynote speech, or simply entertain friends and family, comedian and Moth 5-time champion storyeller Margot Leitman provides a clear and engaging roadmap to telling your own personal stories in this approachable storytelling guide. From content and structure to emotional impact and delivery, Leitman guides you through the entire storytelling process, providing personal anecdotes, relatable examples, and practical exercises along the way. Table of Contents Part 1: Getting Started Chapter 1. You Already Have Great Stories Chapter 2. Getting Past Fear Chapter 3. The Truth Chapter 4. The Universal Theme Chapter 5. The Thesis-Based Story Part 2: Elements of a Story Chapter 6. Passion Chapter 7. Layering a Story Chapter 8. Perspective Chapter 9. Character Chapter 10. Rooting for the Storyteller Chapter 11. The Full Circle Chapter 12. Someone Else’s Story Chapter 13. The Unexpected Chapter 14. The Benign Part 3: The Performance and Beyond Chapter 15. How to Memorize & Vocalize a Story Chapter 16. The Business of Storytelling "This book is essential—a reminder that the world would be a better place if everyone knew how to tell a good story." —Diana Spechler, author and seven-time Moth StorySLAM winner
