The Narrative Breakdown - Story Craft in Creative Writing, Screenwriting,Young Adult Lit, TV shows and More show

The Narrative Breakdown - Story Craft in Creative Writing, Screenwriting,Young Adult Lit, TV shows and More

Summary: Cheryl Klein and James Monohan discuss storytelling tips and techniques of interest to any writer, student, or fan of quality creative writing, screenwriting, playwriting, fan fiction, English literature, etc. Each episode, Cheryl and James draw upon their respective experiences in publishing and filmmaking to analyze popular novels, movies, plays, television shows, short stories, and song lyrics. Featuring various co-hosts and writers, as well as material from Cheryl's book 'Second Sight' and James' app 'The Storyometer'.

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  • Artist: Cheryl Klein and James Monohan - Geeking out over great screenwriting, playwriting, children's books, literary fiction, and other creative writing
  • Copyright: Storyometer LLC, 2013

Podcasts:

 Brainstorming Episodic Concepts | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

We survey common episodic concept categories and then conquer the blank page with strategies for brainstorming the next big hit. Featuring screenwriter Jason Ginsburg. (Apologies if you were one of the early downloaders of this episode since it contained a few technical glitches and some repeated content since we had to re-record parts. But the […]

 Subtext | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

The topic is subtext: Why, when, and how you should use it. Cheryl and James, along with guest co-host Matt Bird, discuss several examples, including provocative theories about The Great Gatsby and The Hunger Games. Check out Matt’s excellent Cockeyed Caravan blog post about subtext. And check out Cheryl’s post on the same subject. As […]

 Revision Techniques 1 | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Cheryl Klein discusses some of her revision techniques, honed through years of editing award-winning work at Arthur Levine Books, including Harry Potter. This discussion will be useful to prose and script writers alike. We also reference Anita Nolan’s excellent essay on revision. For many more revision ideas, check out Cheryl’s book, Second Sight. As an […]

 Novelist and Screenwriter Chad Kultgen | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

James talks to novelist and screenwriter Chad Kultgen – it’s a discussion that should prove fascinating to all writers – about his ideas, work habits, and success in several mediums. Chad has sold as many as twenty TV shows, written four novels, penned several screenplays, and ventured into graphic novels and videogames. Chad’s novels include […]

 The Power of Irony | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Matt Bird and James Monohan discuss the various types of irony you can use in your writing to add depth, build empathy, earn laughs, create meaning, and ultimately hook your audience. We start with Matt’s general description of irony as being “a meaningful gap between expectation and outcome” and go from there, using examples from […]

 Crafting Subjectivity Within Objective Point of View | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

When writing prose from a third person (objective) point of view, what kind of techniques can you use to portray the subjective viewpoint of your characters? Cheryl and James explore this challenge, using Hugh Howey‘s hit thriller WOOL, along with HARRY POTTER, as fodder for the discussion. We’re glad to be back in action on […]

 1st Person POV in Film | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Filmmaker Jack Tomas joins James Monohan to discuss first person point of view techniques in screenwriting and film directing. Examples include Peep Show, the hit British comedy that employs only point of view perspectives. As an alternative to iTunes, you can listen right here: Direct Download Link for the episode More about this show, for […]

 1st Person Point of View | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

We talk about the pros and cons of writing from a first person point of view. Referenced writers include Woody Allen, Jonathan Ames, Jane Austen, Suzanne Collins, Larry David, Charlie Kaufman, Jaclyn Moriarty, Trent Reedy, David Sedaris, Francisco Stork, Lisa Yee, and more. Links: Cheryl Klein’s blog. James’ brainstorming app for writers, which just came […]

 Character Hooks | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

We discuss brainstorming Character Hooks – instantly intriguing character traits that are full of dramatic and/or comedic potential. When you read a book’s flap copy or see the trailer for a movie it’s not just the the plot conceit, world, tone, style, and the talent involved that makes you want pony up your hard-earned cash. […]

 Generating Characters for an Ensemble Cast | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Matt Bird joins us again for a look at stories that have an ensemble cast of characters. We brainstorm how to go about generating multiple main characters, focused vs. unfocused ensemble stories, and polarized traits vs. full dimensionality. Plus, a digression into a racially-related subtopic helps make this the most controversial episode yet. See you […]

 Character Development > Essence and Action Traits | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

Cheryl and James do an overview of character traits, introducing the distinction between Essence Traits (what a character “is”) and Action Traits (the traits that more directly lead to plot-related behavior). Examples include Indiana Jones, James Bond, The Big Chill, the work of Joan Bauer, Mad Men, The Hunger Games, Back to the Future, and […]

 Scene Construction 2 > Power Dynamics and Beats | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

In our sexiest episode yet, Cheryl and James break down the popular train scene from the James Bond film Casino Royale between Bond (Daniel Craig) and Vesper (Eva Green). Topics include scene construction, power dynamics, scene beats, character tactics, dialogue, sexual tension,and Cheryl’s unabashed weakness for quality banter and Daniel Craig’s perfectly formed…nevermind. Links: The […]

 Scene Construction 1 > Character Expectations and Tactics | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

In our first episode on Scene Construction, we talk about general scene structure, character expectations, beats, and character tactics. Screenwriter and story guru Matt Bird, from CockeyedCaravan.Blogspot.com, joins us for what may be our most ambitious episode yet. Links: The Twelve Angry Men scene that we reference. Matt Bird’s Cockeyed Caravan blog. Please Subscribe in […]

 Concept Sources > Science Fiction and Fantasy Ideas | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

We discuss how to generate Science Fiction and Fantasy story concepts and ideas. Screenwriter and sci-fi aficionado Jason Ginsburg lends his expertise and talks about the “Willy Wonka in Space” screenplay he’s writing. James gushes about the Storyometer – a brainstorming, outlining, and note-taking tool for writers – which has been officially approved by the […]

 Inciting Events Part 2 | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: Unknown

James and guest writer and filmmaker Jack Tomas continue with our discussion of Inciting Events, including lots of examples from novels, films and TV shows as well as several references to the Hero’s Journey and Joseph Campbell. While James teases the Inciting Events section of his upcoming iPhone / iPad app – a creative writing […]

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