The Art And Craft Of Storytelling: A Comprehensive Guide To Classic Writing Techniques
Master the Power of Story

When you consider the thousands of years of storytelling that comprise our literary tradition, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the shadow of so many works. But there are common threads that link all stories—from Beowulf and Hamlet to Gone With the Wind and The Godfather to the story you're drafting right now in your head. These threads form the foundation that supports story—a foundation Nancy Lamb shows you how to access and master.

Whether you're writing a novel, a memoir, or a screenplay, The Art and Craft of Storytelling offers time-tested ways to translate a concrete idea into a polished work. In this book, you will find strategies for:

 • Creating a successful a beginning, middle, and end while moving smoothly from one stage to the next
 • Crafting memorable characters, choosing the best point of view for your story, and constructing authentic, compelling dialogue
 • Integrating and navigating the more subtle elements of story, such as voice, tone, premise, and theme
 • Understanding genres and subgenres and how they apply to your story
 • Structuring plots that transform a ho-hum story into a page-turning read


The Art and Craft of Storytelling gives you all the tools you need to contribute your own story to our great tradition, to open new worlds to your readers, and to introduce new ways of thinking. This is the power and purpose of story. And by your writing, this is the tradition you honor.
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The Art And Craft Of Storytelling: A Comprehensive Guide To Classic Writing Techniques
Master the Power of Story

When you consider the thousands of years of storytelling that comprise our literary tradition, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the shadow of so many works. But there are common threads that link all stories—from Beowulf and Hamlet to Gone With the Wind and The Godfather to the story you're drafting right now in your head. These threads form the foundation that supports story—a foundation Nancy Lamb shows you how to access and master.

Whether you're writing a novel, a memoir, or a screenplay, The Art and Craft of Storytelling offers time-tested ways to translate a concrete idea into a polished work. In this book, you will find strategies for:

 • Creating a successful a beginning, middle, and end while moving smoothly from one stage to the next
 • Crafting memorable characters, choosing the best point of view for your story, and constructing authentic, compelling dialogue
 • Integrating and navigating the more subtle elements of story, such as voice, tone, premise, and theme
 • Understanding genres and subgenres and how they apply to your story
 • Structuring plots that transform a ho-hum story into a page-turning read


The Art and Craft of Storytelling gives you all the tools you need to contribute your own story to our great tradition, to open new worlds to your readers, and to introduce new ways of thinking. This is the power and purpose of story. And by your writing, this is the tradition you honor.
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The Art And Craft Of Storytelling: A Comprehensive Guide To Classic Writing Techniques

The Art And Craft Of Storytelling: A Comprehensive Guide To Classic Writing Techniques

by Nancy Lamb
The Art And Craft Of Storytelling: A Comprehensive Guide To Classic Writing Techniques

The Art And Craft Of Storytelling: A Comprehensive Guide To Classic Writing Techniques

by Nancy Lamb

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Overview

Master the Power of Story

When you consider the thousands of years of storytelling that comprise our literary tradition, it's easy to feel overwhelmed by the shadow of so many works. But there are common threads that link all stories—from Beowulf and Hamlet to Gone With the Wind and The Godfather to the story you're drafting right now in your head. These threads form the foundation that supports story—a foundation Nancy Lamb shows you how to access and master.

Whether you're writing a novel, a memoir, or a screenplay, The Art and Craft of Storytelling offers time-tested ways to translate a concrete idea into a polished work. In this book, you will find strategies for:

 • Creating a successful a beginning, middle, and end while moving smoothly from one stage to the next
 • Crafting memorable characters, choosing the best point of view for your story, and constructing authentic, compelling dialogue
 • Integrating and navigating the more subtle elements of story, such as voice, tone, premise, and theme
 • Understanding genres and subgenres and how they apply to your story
 • Structuring plots that transform a ho-hum story into a page-turning read


The Art and Craft of Storytelling gives you all the tools you need to contribute your own story to our great tradition, to open new worlds to your readers, and to introduce new ways of thinking. This is the power and purpose of story. And by your writing, this is the tradition you honor.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9781582975597
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Publication date: 12/15/2008
Pages: 272
Product dimensions: 5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Nancy Lamb is the author of forty-three books of fiction and nonfiction for children and adults. She has taught writing at workshops in Singapore; Athens, Georgia; and Big Sur, California. She can be reached through her Web site, www.nancylamb.com.

Table of Contents

Part I Building Plans

1 Time Frames: Story, Past and Present 2

2 Discovering Your Story: The Evocation of the Muse 7

3 The Genre Wars: From Romance to Literary Fiction 12

Part II Foundation and Structure

4 Structural Design: Building What Works for You 31

5 Breaking Ground: How to Begin the Beginning 39

6 The Space-Time Continuum: Moving Forward (and Backward) Through Your Story 52

7 Enter the Bitch: The Power of Negative Voices 65

8 The Mid-Story Crisis: Rescuing Your Story From the Middle Muddle 70

9 Classical Drama: In the Age of the Page-Turner 77

10 The End: ... Or the End of the Beginning? 87

Part III Structural Supports

11 Scenes: How They're Structured and What Makes Them Work 100

12 The Dynamic Duos: Story and Quest, Plot and Subplot 119

13 The Cast of Characters: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly 137

14 Point of View: Who Tells the Story 155

15 Inner and Outer Dialogue: Authenticity and Credibility 180

Part IV Interior Designs

16 Keeping Your Promise: Premise, Theme, and Moral 191

17 The Promise Continued: Voice and Tone 198

18 Narrative Authority: Setting and Senses 212

19 The Write Way: The Finer Points of Good Writing 221

Part V Finishing Touches

20 Coming Unglued: Dealing With Writer's Block 236

21 The Creative Spirit: The Care and Feeding of Your Muse 240

Afterword 248

Appendix Genre Reading List 250

Index 260

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