Writing Book Of The Day: Making Story Models: Tools for Visualizing Your Story by Martin L. Shoemaker

 

 

Making Story Models: Tools for Visualizing Your Story

 

by Martin L. Shoemaker

 

Writing Book Of The Day

 

FOREWORD BY OLIVIA SALTER

In the vast expanse of literary creation, where the blank page is the canvas and words are the brush, Martin L. Shoemaker's "Making Story Models: Tools for Visualizing Your Story" emerges as a beacon of innovation and practicality for writers navigating the intricate dance of storytelling.

With the precision of an engineer and the insight of a seasoned storyteller, Shoemaker bridges the gap between the structural rigidity of software modeling and the fluid artistry of fiction writing. His book is not merely a guide; it is a transformative tool that empowers writers to visualize their narratives, dissect complex story elements, and construct compelling tales with the finesse of an architect crafting blueprints for the mind's eye.

Shoemaker's approach is both a compass and a companion for the journey of story creation. Whether you are a meticulous plotter charting every course or a spontaneous pantser discovering the path as you tread, this book offers a treasure trove of techniques to enhance your craft. It teaches you to analyze the bones of existing stories, to understand their anatomy of success, and to diagnose the ailments of those that falter.

For the novice, "Making Story Models" is a light in the fog, a guide through the labyrinth of narrative complexity. For the veteran, it is a lens to refocus their vision and a catalyst for renewed creativity. Shoemaker's work is a testament to the power of interdisciplinary thought and a reminder that the tools we use to shape our stories are as boundless as the stories themselves.

As you turn the pages and embark on this journey of discovery, may you find in Shoemaker's wisdom a new dimension to your writing, a fresh perspective on the stories you wish to tell, and the courage to model worlds that captivate and resonate with readers across the globe.

Welcome to a new chapter in storytelling, where every model you create is a step towards mastering the art of fiction.

Martin L. Shoemaker's "Making Story Models: Tools for Visualizing Your Story" is a must-read for any writer looking to elevate their storytelling to new heights.

 

Olivia Salter

05/19/2024

The Anatomy of Genres: How Story Forms Explain the Way the World Works by John Truby | Writing Book of the Day

Writing Book of the Day 

Get your copy of The Anatomy of Genres: How Story Forms Explain the Way the World Works

 

The Anatomy of Genres: How Story Forms Explain the Way the World Works

is finally in stores and I couldn’t be more excited about it. 

 

Genres have more to do with how your story works than any other element — any other idea, plot device, character archetype, beat sheet, methodology, or prescribed structure — by far.

 

Whether you're writing for movies, TV, or novels, the game is won or lost in genres.

 

This book tells you exactly how to write the 14 major genres from which 99% of stories are made. 

 

They are: Horror, Action, Myth, Memoir and Coming-of-Age, Science Fiction, Crime, Comedy, Western, Gangster, Fantasy, Detective, Thriller, and Love Story.  

 

The first half of each chapter tells you how to execute the 15-20 specialized genre plot beats that must be in your story if you are to compete successfully with everyone else writing in your form. 

 

The second half tells you how to transcend your form and really separate yourself from the crowd by expressing the deep life philosophy found in that genre’s theme. 

 

Here’s what advanced readers are saying:

 

“Essential storytelling guidance... we're given the tools and techniques to make certain that our own specific stories can include the depth and beats necessary to illuminate advanced themes and complex plot in the most effective (but not formulaic) ways.” Christine Toy Johnson

 

“During my first pass, I stopped several times to capture thoughts and notes for my current work. This is perhaps the highest compliment I can offer - when a book prompts you to act immediately, the author has achieved something remarkable.” Michael Maloof

 

Get your copy of The Anatomy of Genres: How Story Forms Explain the Way the World Works

 

 

About the Author 

John Truby (born 1952) is an American screenwriter, director, screenwriting teacher and author. He has served as a consultant on over 1,000 film scripts over the past three decades, and is also known for the screenwriting software program Blockbuster (originally "Storyline Pro"). He is the author of Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller, a book about screenwriting skills. Wikipedia

John Truby Books at Amazon

 

THE CONFLICT THESAURUS, Volume 2: A Writer’s Guide to Obstacles, Adversaries, and Inner Struggles by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi | Writing Book of the Day

THE CONFLICT THESAURUS, Volume 2: A Writer’s Guide to Obstacles, Adversaries, and Inner Struggles

by Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi

 

Writing Book of the Day

Meet your new best friend: The Conflict Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Obstacles, Adversaries, and Inner Struggles, SILVER Edition.

Activate the power of conflict--challenge characters, write fresh plots & add tension to each scene.

 

A story where the character gets exactly what they want doesn’t make for good reading. But add villainous clashes, lost advantages, power struggles, and menacing threats…well, now we have the makings of a page-turner. Conflict is the golden thread that binds plot to arc, providing the complications, setbacks, and derailments that make the character’s inner and outer journeys dynamic.

FORTIFY YOUR STORY BY ADDING MEANINGFUL CONFLICT AT DIFFERENT LEVELS

Inside Volume 2 of The Conflict Thesaurus, you’ll find:

• A myriad of conflict options in the form of power struggles, ego-related stressors, dangers and threats, advantage and control losses, and other miscellaneous challenges
• Information on how each scenario should hinder the character on the path to their goal so they’ll learn valuable life lessons and gain insight into what’s holding them back internally
• Instruction about using the multiple levels of conflict to add pressure through immediate, scene-level challenges and looming problems that take time to solve
• Guidance on keeping a story’s central conflict in the spotlight and utilizing subplots effectively so they work with—not against—the main plot line
• An exploration of the climax and how to make this pinnacle event highly satisfying for readers
• Ways to use conflict to deepen your story, facilitate epic adversarial showdowns, give your characters agency, infuse every scene with tension, and more

Meaningful conflict can be so much more than a series of roadblocks. Challenge your characters inside and out with over 100 tension-inducing scenarios in this second volume of The Conflict Thesaurus.

Buy THE CONFLICT THESAURUS Volume 2 at Amazon

  Writing the Breakout Novel: Insider Advice for Taking Your Fiction to the Next Level by Donald Maass | Writing Book of The Day

 

Take your fiction to the next level!

Maybe you're a first-time novelist looking for practical guidance. Maybe you've already been published, but your latest effort is stuck in mid-list limbo. Whatever the case may be, author and literary agent Donald Maass can show you how to take your prose to the next level and write a breakout novel - one that rises out of obscurity and hits the best-seller lists.

Maass details the elements that all breakout novels share - regardless of genre - then shows you writing techniques that can make your own books stand out and succeed in a crowded marketplace.

You'll learn to:

- establish a powerful and sweeping sense of time and place
- weave subplots into the main action for a complex, engrossing story
- create larger-than-life characters that step right off the page
- explore universal themes that will interest a broad audience of readers
- sustain a high degree of narrative tension from start to finish
- develop an inspired premise that sets your novel apart from the competition

Then, using examples from the recent works of several best-selling authors - including novelist Anne Perry - Maass illustrates methods for upping the ante in every aspect of your novel writing. You'll capture the eye of an agent, generate publisher interest and lay the foundation for a promising career.

 

 "Writing the Breakout Novel": A breakout novel is one that rises out of its category--such as literary fiction, mystery, romance, or thriller--and hits the bestseller lists.

 

 

 

 

"Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook": This powerful book builds on the success of it predecessor and takes readers to the next level: improving their work with practical, hands-on lessons and exercises.