Story Engineering

by Larry Brooks

Overview

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!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781582979984
Publisher:	Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date:	02/24/2011
Pages:	288
Sales rank:	302,425
Product dimensions:	8.24(w) x 5.50(h) x 0.76(d)

About the Author

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 1

Part 1 What Are the Six Core Competencies ... and Why Should I Care?

1 The Power of a Fresh Storytelling Model 10

2 The Six Core Competencies-A 10,000-Foot View 15

3 Defining the Six Core Competencies 20

4 Launching the Storytelling Process 24

Part 2 The First Core Competency-Concept

5 Concept-Defined 30

6 The Criteria for Concept 35

7 How Do You Know If Your Concept Is Good Enough? 45

Part 3 The Second Core Competency-Character

8 The Fundamental Essence of Character 54

9 The Three Dimensions of Character 61

10 Character Unmasked 75

11 The Human Nature of Character 80

12 Creating Backstory 86

13 Interior vs. Exterior Conflict 92

14 Crafting a Character Arc 97

15 Character-The Sum of the Parts 106

Part 4 The Third Core Competency-Theme

16 Defining Theme 117

17 Implementing Theme 121

18 Theme and Character Arc 126

Part 5 The Fourth Core Competency-Story Structure

19 The Need for Structure 131

20 Story Structure vs. Story Structure 137

21 The Big Picture of Story Structure 139

22 The First Box: Part 1-The Set-Up 146

23 The Second Box: Part 2-The Response 151

24 The Third Box: Part 3-The Attack 154

25 The Fourth Box: Part 4-The Resolution 156

26 The Role of Story Milestones 158

27 Writing to Publish: The Most Important Aspect of Your Story 163

28 Five Missions for the Set Up of Your Story 165

29 A Deeper Look at Foreshadowing 170

30 The Most Important Moment in Your Story: The First Plot Point 173

31 A Kinder, Gentler First Plot Point 179

32 Shades of Gray: A Somewhat Liberating Spin on Story Structure 182

33 Expanding Your Grasp of the Part 2 Response 187

34 Wrapping Your Head Around the Mid-Point 192

35 Commencing the Part 3 Attack 196

36 Pinch Points 199

37 The Second Plot Point 204

38 The Final Act 209

39 The Single Most Powerful Writing Tool You'll Ever See That Fits on One Page 217

40 The Six Most Important Words in Storytelling 220

41 Outlining vs. Organic Storytelling 224

Part 6 The Fifth Core Competency-Scene Execution

42 The Essential Nature of Scenes 227

43 The Function of Scenes 232

44 A Checklist for Your Scenes 242

Part 7 The Sixth Core Competency-Writing Voice

45 Finding Your Voice 246

46 The Best Writing Analogy I Know 253

47 More Musings on Voice 256

Part 8 The Story Development Process

48 Getting It Written 260

49 The Pantser's Guide to Story Planning 269

50 From How We Do This to Why We Do This 275

Index 279