Product Description

Scott McCloud tore down the wall between high and low culture in 1993 with Understanding Comics, a massive comic book about comics, linking the medium to such diverse fields as media theory, movie criticism, and web design. In Reinventing Comics, McCloud took this to the next level, charting twelve different revolutions in how comics are generated, read, and perceived today. Now, in Making Comics, McCloud focuses his analysis on the art form itself, exploring the creation of comics, from the broadest principles to the sharpest details (like how to accentuate a character's facial muscles in order to form the emotion of disgust rather than the emotion of surprise.) And he does all of it in his inimitable voice and through his cartoon stand–in narrator, mixing dry humor and legitimate instruction. McCloud shows his reader how to master the human condition through word and image in a brilliantly minimalistic way. Comic book devotees as well as the most uninitiated will marvel at this journey into a once–underappreciated art form.

... Read more

Customer Reviews (45)

Very useful read
I found this book both helpful and fascinating as it shows the secrets to making comics stand out. I am considering being a comic book writer/artist (although the video game field is first priority for me), so this book can prove useful. Of course, I feel this book can be useful in other ways...

LOVE THIS BOOK!
I love this book.The illustrations are great and the information and instructions are valuable.It's fun to read and look at the cartoons.

This book is ESSENTIAL reading for anyone who wants to make comics
I'll keep it short and sweet...With Making Comics, Scott McCloud gives a quick overview of the large points of his seminal 'Understanding Comics' and then proceeds to teach the reader the language of comics. If you're here looking for a book to teach you the craft of making a comic, do it. Commit. This is your book.

Incredible Book and Great Fun!
If you are an aspiring comic book creator/writer/artist, this book is for you, it gives you the broad technical overview of comic book making that is just not available in most art books nowadays, including the DC Comics books on comic book writing (to be fair the DC comics series does have all the material it's just spread out over several different books and not nearly as well organized nor as concisely communicated).Making Comic Books is a fun read and is a worthy companion to its predecessor, Understanding Comics.Buy this book, and if you haven't bought Understanding Comics, buy that too, and read them in order (not that you have to, but you'll just enjoy it more that way).

a must if you wanna create comics/manga
this teaches you everything you need to know, from paneling, to creating believeable characters, to perspictive, and covers everything pretty much... ... Read more

Product Description
As the market for documentaries expands, so does the challenge to create memorable, compelling films. Story and structure are the most important (and least expensive) tools available. This guide shows how to make stronger, more compelling documentaries through improved storytelling techniques. It offers a writerly perspective to filmmakers at every stage of production, from concept and treatment to shooting and postproduction. It is intended for the novice as well as the experienced filmmaker and is applicable to a wide variety of documentary styles and forms.

Documentary Storytelling fills a critical void on the bookshelf, offering an in-depth guide to story and structure as they apply not to Hollywood screenplays but to documentary films. Story is what turns a subject or an idea into a film; it's what keeps an audience watching a topic they might never have thought would interest them. Written for anyone working in documentary, this book offers practical advice for all stages of production. It's filled with real-world examples drawn from the author's own career and from the experiences of some of today's top documentarians.

*Offers in-depth analysis and tools for applying concepts of story and structure to documentary material
*Interviews with well-known filmmakers give unique perspectives on nonfiction filmmaking
*Covers a wide range of documentary styles ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Worth owning
Reading technical books is hard for me, sometimes it makes my brain hurt.Documentary Storytelling I found informative and reasonable to read. I am glad I own it. I usually go to the library, it's cheaper.It gives excellent outlines for how to do outlines, treatments and scripts for different kinds of documentary films.Good overall informative book if your going through your documentary film stage.

extremely helpful for beginner like me
As I said...it's extremely helpful for beginner like me.
It contains ideas of documentary filmmaking, documentary narratives, examples.
I get the information and idea about documentary filmmaking as much as the beginner like me want.

Great resource for any doc-maker
In short, this book is a profoundly useful tool to help you develop your film's narrative structure (even if you don't think you need help in that department, you might be surprised by the useful tips and strategies offered here); it is worth it for that alone.The fact that it also offers in-depth advice on writing effective scripts, proposals, treatments, etc. make it impossible to resist.Clear, concise, and intelligent writing offering real-world examples from wildly diverse filmmaking approaches.

In response to the reader who says the author loves Michael Moore - I disagree.Moore is used a few times as an example but I'm guessing that's because she's guessing most people are familiar with his work.She uses him as a negative example, as well, describing how Roger & Me manipulated the chronology of events it "documented" in a way that was misleading and disingenuous.

Clear & Concise
This book was great for me as I am very new to documentary filmmaking.It was methodical but without being boring and Ms. Bernard has a very clear and deep understanding of what makes documentaries work and not work.Her experience shows throughout and having actual documentaries as reference points was tremendously helpful.I recommend this book.

Balanced and insightful - A must read!
Bernard's professional expertise shines through in this unique book. The book is balanced, insightful, and thorough. Bernard examines a wide range of filmmakers, bringing a critical and perceptive eye to their work. A must read for anyone interested in learning more about storytelling, structure and other essential aspects of documentary filmmaking. A practical and readable guide that is also the perfect text for upper-level college courses. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Product Description
Film, video games, television ads, corporate presentations-whatever medium you're working in, a visual story is the most compelling way to provide youraudience with information and, more important, with an emotional experience.Exploring Visual Storytelling analyzes the essential techniques of creating compelling visual stories.Based on the pioneering work of Minneapolis-based Visual Culture, this innovative book-DVD package examines and explains the fundamentals of the medium by covering the seven key concepts behind every visual story: context, character, conflict, plot, 2D space, 3D space, and time.Each topic is thoroughly explained in print and then applied in the companion DVD, fully demonstrating how these core concepts work together to create a cohesive, compelling story. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Its very good
I am surprised no one has reviewed this book because its actually very good. Although you can say it is pitched at the level of a first year university student, it covers all the protocols for visual storytelling in an easy to access way. An excellent resource for any storyteller, or a teacher of film or multimedia products. ... Read more

Product Description
Creative Storytelling ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

AWESOME
I already was considered the maverick teacher--never using the curriculum always doing my own thing .....THIS inspires people like me who are "drama queens" and people who think "I COULD NEVER DO THAT" to realize
YES, YOU CAN !!!! It is fun, exciting teaching of the most important subject in somany ways that will teach the kids so they will NEVER FORGET !!
EVERY church teacher should read this..it is a bastion of GREAT ideas to get and keep the kids coming and learning and REMEMBERING !!!!!
It is this kind of teaching that keeps the kids begging to NOT go up to the next class because they love your class so much !!

Storytelling Made Easier
I have greatly enjoyed the Creative Storytelling Guide.It is clear and easy to follow, even for a novice.I especially liked the hand-outs in the back.They were very helpful in teaching others some of the major points of the book.Read the book all the way through, or just the chapter that interests you.Either way, you'll find many suggestions that can improve your style and methods.This is a keeper for any Children's Ministry library.

possibly the best storytelling book on Bible--not just for kids
My storytelling prof recommended that I read Steven James book, but I was a bit put off by the cover--it looked a bit cheesy for me.
However, I decided to trust her advice and once I opened the book--I found that she was right.James breaks down fears, story structure, delivering the story, creating the right environment, telling stories to different age groups.In fact, at the end of the book you're provided with handouts if you want to teach on the chapters.

It was so refreshing to be able to look at the bible the way God intended, to see that he gave us this wonderful story, full of intrigue and mystery and redemption that we are apart of.I think this book is not limited to Children's Ministry, but can be applied to adults as well.If you want to know more about how to tell a story well--you should definitely get this book. ... Read more

Product Description
This book is the story of how four busy executives, from different backgrounds and different perspectives, were surprised to find themselves converging on the idea of narrative as an extraordinarily valuable lens for understanding and managing organizations in the twenty-first century. The idea that narrative and storytelling could be so powerful a tool in the world of organizations was initially counter-intuitive. But in their own words, John Seely Brown, Steve Denning, Katalina Groh, and Larry Prusak describe how they came to see the power of narrative and storytelling in their own experience working on knowledge management, change management, and innovation strategies in organizations such as Xerox, the World Bank, and IBM.

Storytelling in Organizations lays out for the first time why narrative and storytelling should be part of the mainstream of organizational and management thinking. This case has not been made before. The tone of the book is also unique. The engagingly personal and idiosyncratic tone comes from a set of presentations made at a Smithsonian symposium on storytelling in April 2001. Reading it is as stimulating as spending an evening with Larry Prusak or John Seely Brown. The prose is probing, playful, provocative, insightful and sometime profound. It combines the liveliness and freshness of spoken English with the legibility of a ready-friendly text. Interviews will all the authors done in 2004 add a new dimension to the material, allowing the authors to reflect on their ideas and clarify points or highlight ideas that may have changed or deepened over time.

* Brings together well-known thought leaders on the importance of narrative and storytelling for organizational success
* The book's easy to read, engaging style of storytelling makes you feel part of the conversation
* Only book that includes personal stories and perspectives from Larry Prusak and John Seely Brown ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Stories for Business and for Life
The word storytelling evokes soft, touchy-feely emotions about family, friends, and yesteryear.What do any of these things have to do with organizations?If you allow yourself to get past the title you'll find that storytelling has a lot to do with how things get done in organizations, big and small.The authors will convince you that stories have been underutilized tools for organizational development and behavior change, but the growth and interest in storytelling is expanding dramatically, and the benefits can be quite dramatic.These are the types of people who know organizations and big business.Represented in the quartet of authors are former leaders at Xerox, The World Bank, IBM, and New World Entertainment.John Seely Brown, Stephen Denning, Katalina Groh, and Laurence Prusak are all heavyweights in their own spheres and perhaps the leading advocates on the storytelling in organizations.These are business leaders, not academics selling the idea of storytelling.The examples from and the relevance to business are what make "Storytelling in Organizations: Why Storytelling is Transforming 21st Century Organizations and Management" a book you're compelled to not only read, but use.While there are more than just business examples in the book, people will be most impressed how some of the largest enterprises run on something that seems so trivial: stories."Storytelling" describes the history, impediments, successes, and the very human nature of this art.The book is so wide in scope of information and has such a strong impact on both a cognitive and emotional level, it was difficult to find much negative in it.However, this is not a perfect read.For example, some of the ideas and concepts developed and associations made in the book are difficult to agree with.Yet, none of the imperfections diminish the overall message or success of the work.While it is certainly not a panacea, the book does offer a different perspective to gather and sustain knowledge and implement change.At a minimum, "Storytelling" is entertaining and thought provoking.Any of the great thinkers or other authors mentioned should stimulate you to do further reading.

Good book with some good thoughts but not earthshattering
I good book for those interested in hearing from these four people about their experiences with storyteling and narrative in an organiation. I found Stephen Denning and Larry Prusaks stuff interesting, although I had already heard the Denning story in other book, he did provide additional insight I found helpful. Found John Seely Browns stuff to be difficult to read with not a lot of value, although there were one or two nuggets. If you are doing a deep dive on storytelling in organizations, good book to get or if you want multiple viewpoints good too.

If it looks like a lemon and it tastes like a lemon ...
Sad to say, I to agree with the previous reviewer - this book is a real disappointment.

Of course the title is incredibly vague, and is in one sense entirely true even if the authors merely mention both storytelling and organizations in passing.They don't - in order to justify this title - have to tell us anything at all ABOUT storytelling or organizations.Though having said that, I suspect that the title will lead most people to EXPECT to learn something about the use of storytelling in organisations, the what, the when, the why and the how.

Unfortunately, as the previous reviewer comments, only one of the four authors comes anywhere near meeting these expectations.

The book, which comes in at just under 200 pages - just under 180 if you ignore the index, the potted biographies and the "Further Reading" list - is divided into just six chapters.

Chapter 1 consists of 4 descriptions of "How I came to Storytelling" - one by each author.
Chapters 2-5 inclusive are each allocated to a different author and consist, as far as I can tell, of (a) the transcript of the person's presentation at a conference on storytelling held in2001, followed by the author's "reflections" approximately four years later.
Chapter 6 is a "wrap up" chapter by Steve Denning on "The Role of Narrative in Organizations."

First problem - the way someone talks in a presentation should be quite different from the way they write the same information.Apart from anything else, repetition is useful and necessary in a presentation - it can be boring and frustrating in a written text.And that is certainly the case throughout most of this book.

Second problem - although the authors occasionally mention what one of their co-authors has said/written, the text doesn't link up particularly well.Indeed, there seems to be a remarkable lack of agreement as to what this book is about.Maybe the title wasn't dreamed up until after all the draft manuscripts were in?

In Chapter 2, Larry Prusak appears to be talking and writing about business communications in general - and Larry Prusak.He certainly mentions "story" from time to time, but only a couple of days after reading his chapter I couldn't for the life of me remember anything that struck me as being the least bit significant about it.

Chapter 3, by John Seely Brown, likewise deals with business communications, though he does get as close to storytelling as the proverbial exchanges of information around the water cooler and the mobile phone equivalent.Whilst this is certainly valid, to still be making it a key point in a chapter on storytelling in 2004 seems extremely "old hat."Again, the chapter made no lasting impression as far as I was concerned.

Chapter 4, Steve Denning's initial chapter, was the first to actually address "storytelling," as such, IMO.It certainly contains a few interesting pieces of information and some helpful examples, and if it had been supported by chapters of a similar calibre from Denning's co-authors then I'd be giving the book a 4 star rating at least.
By itself, however, even when taken in conjunction with the wrap up chapter, Denning's contributions aren't enough to save the book, as a whole, from being thoroughly mediocre.

Just for completeness, Chapter 5, by Katalina Groh, seems to be primarily a major excercise in blowing a trumpet for her own film company.Although she does make two or three important comments on storytelling, there is just so much repetition and waffle in this chapter that the good stuff is quickly buried by the dross.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of the book is how little any of the authors - including Denning - seemed to understand about "how" to tell stories - which is maybe why that topic receives such scant coverage.
For example, at one point Denning comments on his idea as to why storytelling is more effective as a way of conveying information compared with a simple presentation of facts and figures.The crux of the matter, he tells us, on page 170, is that:

"We remember what is in a story because our feelings are reached and because the listener becomes personally involved with the story."

Well, that's open to discussion.Not all stories automatically inspire a particularly emotional response, yet even then stories tend to be more easily remembered than plain facts and figures.

Why?

Because information is more easily remembered when it has a clear framework which makes it a coherent whole.
In storytelling the story itself is the framework.A list of facts and figures only becomes a whole if (a) a framework is provided along with the information, or (b) the listener already knows the context in detail, and/or (c) the listener is in any case used to receiving and dealing with information presented in this format.

Overall, a very underpowered and unsatifactory book.

Asleep at the Campfire
I read with keen interest and anticipation "Storytelling in Organizations", by Brown, et. al.By profession, I coach an organization in a fortune 100 firm in how to create and deliver stories.I concur that telling stories in the organization is extremely effective in educating and persuading teams to improve products and services, and for my company, that has translated to literally millions of dollars in savings, improved product usability and service delivery, margin preservation, and increased market share.

Though the book is written by professionals and academicians, they only do a fair job of telling the story and describing "what" storytelling is and to some extent "why" it works. It is ineffectual in teaching the most important lesson--the "how" to tell a story.

Regretfully, only one author's work is effective, and it is a shame his strength is watered down by the mediocrity of the others.The result is that this book represents a lost opportunity to impart meaningful, actionable knowledge sharing.

Two reasons account for the failure.First, no clear-cut model is presented.This hinders the would-be story teller in that there is no repeatable roadmap to follow in structuring a story, thereby making storytelling practice and critique difficult.Second, the book itself is a poor example of story telling.

The reader is severely distracted by the disparate writing styles and sometimes overlapping content of the authors, the not-so-occasional editorializing and a peppering of poorly written case studies that lack the very punch that the authors are suggesting is the power of the story.I found myself asking, "what's the point" a number of times.

Had I not been holding out hope that some useful nugget of wisdom might be forthcoming, I would have set it aside after the first chapter.Now, after finishing the book I wish I had.A trip to the library for recent articles on the subject might better serve the would-be story teller.

Why organizational storytelling is more than a fad
The book offers two different timeframes -- the authors' speeches from the Smithsonian symposium on storytelling in April 2001 and their thoughts today, in 2004 -- and the book's value resides in showing what's changed and what hasn't in those three years.

I found the 2004 "reflection" sections particularly valuable, since they make clear that storytelling turned out to be far more than the fad many feared it would become in 2001.Especially useful are John Seely Brown's reflections -- including his discussions of "knowledge ecologies."The bibliography and the endnotes to each chapter also help map the landscape of a field that is, in Stephen Denning's words, "widening and deepening." ... Read more

Product Description

An exciting new treasury of Jewish stories and storytellers, from ancient tales and classics re-imagined to contemporary family stories, parables, and humor

"Why were human beings created?" goes a traditional Jewish saying. "Because God loves stories." Storytelling has been part of Jewish religion and custom from earliest times and it remains a defining aspect of Jewish life. In Because God Loves Stories, folklorist Steve Zeitlin assembles the work of thirty-six Jewish storytellers, each of whom spins tales that express his or her own distinctive visions of Jewish culture. Contemporary storytellers re-interpret stories from the Talmud for modern sensibilities, the Grand Rabbi of Bluzhov tells tales of the Holocaust, beloved comedian Sam Levenson regales readers with hilarious vignettes of Jewish life in America, and much more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Excellent folktales collection-- non-Jewish reviewer.
Any folktale fan can enjoy this. You don't need an extensive background in Judaism to enjoy the stories.
It is all quite readable, & not a bit dry.
The stories are lively, & range from the funny to the chilling, most told from a very intimate, personal point of view.

God Loves Stories and So Do I
Because God Loves stories is a excellent collection of Jewish stories from ancient times, through the Holocaust to modern humor. Not knowing many Jewish people, I was delighted to learn about Jewish culture and history.

Following is a story which illustrates that every culture has its Mendels:

Another time Mendel was walking down the road when a stranger came up to him and said, "Take this Yankel." Then he punched Mendel. Mendel fell to the ground. As soon as he hit the ground he began laughing. The stranger said, "What are you laughing about? I just punched you. I knocked you to the ground."

Mendel looked up and said, "The jokes on you, I'm not Yankel."

I recommend this book to all those who love literature and those interested in learning about Jewish history and customs. It's a great gift for shut-ins.

disappointingly light
I was not impressed in the least by this collection, for several reasons. First, a great deal of introductory material is offered--discussing the context of the contributor's life and works--generally at the expense of the material per se. Second, the material is weighted toward anecdotes and away from folktales, myths, legends, and other traditional literary forms. Third, with so much coverage devoted to the modern period--where Judaism has all but unraveled into bits here and nits there--any sense of continuity of cultural momentum is sacrificed altogether. The author endeavors to give us a realistic taste of such crucial institutions as the American Yiddish theater but ultimately fails to do so in any cogent manner. Indeed, to any reader who is familiar with the corpus of Jewish fantastic literature, the material is as repetitive in places as it is lightweight in others. You should most definitely take a "pass" on this work and instead stock your library with important collections by Sadeh, Frankel, and Schwartz. For the more scholarly material that hearkens of the Hasidic era, stick to Patai: both Schwartz (in this particular context) and Buber are stand-out disappointments.

Stories from all walks of American- Jewish life
The idea of the anthology is a good one, though I wished it had included more stories about 'Eretz Yisrael' which is after all the center of Jewish yearning for generations. The work focuses on American- Jewish stories and storytellers, although of course many touch upon Old World experiences. The storytellers themselves come from a variety of walks of life, some being professional storytellers, some well- known Jewish cultural figures and some being ' everyman' . The stories often have a folk quality about them, and are often entertaining, and instructive.
However the stories also point up the difference between stories which are stories in the street, anecdotal stories, and stories which are more complex literary creations. In this I think stories of the folk kind cannot possibly have the kind of aesthetic value that for instance a written story of Bashevis Singer might have.

Because we love stories...
What a joy to read this anthology!In a world where the media is constantly on our nerves with the ever-going show of human misery, to read this set of stories is a therapy.It makes you laugh, it makes you wonder,it brings you closer to God and His creation, it revives a deep-rooted"jewishness" that we seldom are aware off or have simpleforgotten.It makes you feel like a child savoring his favorite ice cream:when it is finished, he cries out for more! ... Read more

Product Description

Tired of the dry rudimentary guidebooks that ignore the art of telling compelling video stories? Video Shooter takes you to a new level of competence and expertise by presenting the camera as a potent storytelling tool. Sure, you will learn the basics of HD formats, the fundamentals of compression and color space, but only so much as these technical areas serve your craft, which includes more fundamentally camera placement and eyeline, choice of lens focal length and the power of the triangle in creating powerful compositions. Throughout the book you will come to understand the master shooter's guiding principle, that story is the conduit through which all creative and technical decisions flow.

Customer Reviews (25)

Technical and human insights
This book is well written and informative. It includes not only a detailed description of the camera and how to use it correctly, but also techniques for creating a compelling story with your videography. I was very impressed with the depth of knowledge of human factors (perception, physiology, etc.) and how that is translated into creative effects. For example, a camera angle looking up conveys authority to the subject. Every page had something new on it for me. If you are looking to move up from hobbyist to semi-professional, this is a great place to start.

Well-rounded primer presented with many helpful figures and illustrations
If you are not already a seasoned digital video shooter, this book can be of help to you in different ways - as a learning guide, as a reference, or as a playbook on what you need to learn before you become seasoned.

The first two chapters are more general about shooting video and telling stories. Starting with chapter three, things get technical and technological. Lots and lots of terms are introduced. The book has plenty of information, but as always, one should not expect to learn everything about everything from just one book. There's plenty of information online on this subject these days, so you can dig into specific topics online.

One of the strong points of the book is that almost every page includes at least one picture, screengrab, figure or illustration to go with the text. This makes it a lot easier to follow and understand the subject at hand, without having the feel of a text-only engineering book.

The author interweaves his personal experience into the book and draws upon it in the text with actual examples, starting with a first-hand story from Cold-War era Poland.

If you are new to digital video, this is a book to keep close and cross-reference until you become familiar with things. Everybody has to start from somewhere!

Please note this book is not intended for consumer/home video, but one can obviously learn by reading it. The equipment presented is geared towards the documentary, pro-am and indie shooters. It does not cover consumer camcorders. However, technology moves fast these days, so capabilities once only available in $2000+ camcorders are slowly trickling down to more affordable units. Likewise, the computer power needed for video editing is a lot more attainable today.

EXCELLENT BOOK!!!!
Dankeschon, for writing this book, Herr Braverman.
Your no nonsense approach coupled with your extensive field experience hastranslated into a practical field guide thatis a MUST have...
The suggestions, pointers have already saved us time and money.
Thank you.

Indispensable Knowledge for the Visual Storyteller
Like the title states, storytelling is the thrust of this book.Barry's knowledge in this field is encyclopedic, but his experience and insights are the most valuable ingredients here.His books (both the first edition and this 2nd with its timely updates) are like Bibles to me, invaluable as references, pored over constantly, dog-eared and bent, comfortable old friends along for the shoot, just in case you need a second opinion on what will become instinctual skills.All you have to do is read, absorb, then go out and practice!Imagine having this sage in your back pocket whenever you have a question, whether it's something simple like how to frame a shot, or something more technical, like time code or color balance, camera operation or mixed-format editing.Those things and more are all here, and if you've ever priced a one-day course in production at a trade school, it's cheap at twice the price.

Short version - YOU HAVE FOUND IT.YOUR ADVENTURE BEGINS TODAY.

Honestly, this is the one you've been looking for.You will not be disappointed.Barry is 'the guy'.

Perfect Guide
This is a very practical book, no marketing baloney, just straightforward information. The material is very logical and thought out. If you are just starting out or a seasoned shooter, this book covers a large spectrum. I think its very helpful for anyone that has recently been experimenting with the new wave HD cameras by Nikon & Canon.

WORTH EVERY PENNY! ... Read more

Product Description
Telling stories awakens wonder and creates special occasions with children, whether it's bedtime, sitting around a campfire or merely a rainy day. Nancy Mellon shows how to tell stories to children using a variety of methods and techniques. The book offers tips and resources for: creating a listening space; using the day's events and rhythms to make stories; transforming old stories and making up new ones; bringing personal and family stories to life; learning stories by heart using pictures, inner theatre, walk-about, singing the story and other methods; and building a rich storycupboard. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Set Your Storytelling Free!
Perhaps you feel a bit...inhibited when it comes to telling stories to your children.Reading out loud, okay, that's doable.But actually making up a story?From scratch?Or putting into words family memories and memorable events on the spot?And saying them out loud?Perhaps this sounds a bit scary!I know that for myself, the written word seemed much less intimidating than the spoken word, and for some reason my wee daughters seemed like harsh critics.

This book will set your storytelling spirit free - even if you don't know you have one!My confidence was lifted by the encouraging tone of the author and the helpful strategies, techniques and tools that she presents.And once the stories start coming, they won't stop, they will flood out of you once you open the gates.Your children will thank you for the gift of stories in your own words, and will ask for them, again and again.

There is nothing to fear, storytelling with children is a delight!A Must for any parent who seeks to enrich and deepen communications with the wee ones in their life.

Storytelling with Children
This is an excellent introduction to the subject. It is simple and accessible and I would go so far as to say that it is inspired! It is a pleasure to read and will be a tremendous support to parents wanting to enrich their children's lives through story-telling. I was enriched by reading this book, and received many new and helpful ideas. Although not a "how-to" book, it is full of useful ideas that will get a novice started and sustain them in their efforts. Highly recommended!

party pooper in Brooklyn
I am sorry to rain on everyone's parade, but I did not like this book at all. I am interested in becoming a better weaver of stories for my young children. Instead of a how-to guide, I found a wispy, dreamy meditation on stories. It offered some suggestions for setting the mood and beginning the story, but then, when I really need help, on the development of a story, story-arc, what to do when you get stuck, etc -- nothing at all! Also, the art of storytelling can be taught without deprecating comments about the "coldness" of books. A real turnoff! I skimmed through the second half of the book and promptly deposited it in a give-away pile. I would send it back to amazon but the binding is broken.

Invitation to Inspiration
Storytelling with Children is an inspiration - with a very practical outlook. As a teacher, therapist and workshop leader, Nancy Mellon shows you how to pull stories from your own experience or a child's, using small anecdotes, memories or observations. She helps you overcome fear and doubt, and discover the wellsprings of your creativity. With a lighthearted touch yet a deep respect for children and the adults who love them, she acts as a guide to one of the oldest and greatest acts of communication and sharing - that of spinning a tale out of shared experience or sometimes (it can seem) out of nowhere.

Parents, grandparents, teachers and anyone with a child in his/her life will discover how to make up stories for birthdays, and for important events such as birth, death, or moving house.They'll learn how to incorporate a child's fears and difficulties - or simply the ups and downs of everyday life - into a story that will help to resolve them. For those who worry that their kids are spending too much time with the TV and computer, this is the perfect antidote. For those who love reading aloud to children, the magic of creative storytelling offers something even more nourishing. Adults who start off feeling tired or uncertain find themselves "enlivened and cared for" as much as the children do. They feel closer to their child and more in touch with themselves. For children, the gift of a story made especially for them, is priceless.

Diana Reynolds Roome...

Can bring parents and children closer together!
Storytelling with Children is a "how to go about storytelling with your children" book.It does NOT provide instruction on how to create a story.It does offer much information about why adults should be telling stories to their children.It also offers much about when we could tell stories.Included is a lot of anecdotal information about how people are actually going about storytelling with their children.

In reading, I found this book to be gentle and encouraging, with a spiritual (not necessarily religious) touch that seems badly needed these days.Children suffer from a real lack of connection with their parents.Parents suffer from a real lack of connection with their children.Although this book won't cure it ALL, it certainly discusses a large piece of the puzzle.

In closing her book, Nancy Mellon comments, "I like to imagine a world in the new millennium in which wise and playful storytelling surrounds all little children..."She goes on to describe this vision as a regular time for the gathering of family and special friends for an evening of storytelling and music.This would be time WELL SPENT! ... Read more

Product Description
Grantwriters often have little or no training in the practical task of grantseeking. Many feel intimidated by the act of writing, and some don't enjoy writing. In Storytelling for Grantseekers, Second Edition, Cheryl Clarke presents an organic approach to grantseeking, one that views the process through the lens of the pleasures and rewards of crafting a good story. Grantseekers who approach the process as one in which they are connecting with an audience (grantmakers) and writing a narrative (complete with settings, characters, antagonists and resolutions) find greater success with funders. The writing process becomes a rewarding way to tell the organization's tale, rather than a chore, and their passion and creativity lead to winning proposals.

This book walks readers through all the main phases of the proposal, highlighting the creative elements that link components to each other and unify the entire proposal. The book contains resources on crafting an effective synopsis, overcoming grantwriter's block, packaging the story, and the best ways to approach the "short stories" (inquiry and cover letters) that support the larger proposal.

Clarke also stresses the need to see proposal-writing as part of a larger grantseeking effort, one that emphasizes preparation, working with the entire development staff, and maintaining good relations with funders. In Storytelling for Grantseekers, new and experienced grantseekers alike will discover how to write and support successful proposals with humor and passion.

New edition features:

• Overall updates as well as both refreshed and new examples
• Workshop exercises for using the storytelling approach
• New chapters on the application of the storytelling method to other fundraising communications like appeal letters and case statements, as well as the importance of site visits
• Example of a full narrative proposal

Customer Reviews (5)

Storytelling for Grantseekers: A Guide to Creative Nonprofit Fundraising
I have never done any grantwriting and this book, Storytelling for Grantseekers: A Guide to Creative Nonprofit Fundraising, gave valuable information as how to stand out from the general run of the mill grant writers.Very helpful.

Grantwriting book for more creativity
I just started grant writing and this is one of my top favorite books because it helps with developing more creative letters and proposals.I would have liked to have seen more examples of Letters of Inquiries.There are also other grant writing books out there too.One of my other favorites is "The only grant writing book you'll ever need".

A must-read for nonprofit staff/board folks new to grantwriting
This book is an excellent primer on grantwriting and the process overall. Clarke outlines clear, easy to follow steps for developing a compelling story, using budgets, and maintaining a thoughtful approach to grantseeking overall. She addresses both the creative writing aspects and the process of it all clearly and helpfully, lacing short examples throughout. She talks about letters of intent, evaluations, how to handle rejection, and other key elements any grantwriter should master. It's a must read for those new to grantwriting who need to get up to speed fast.

A well written grant-proposal guide (that won't put you to sleep)
Storytelling for Grantseekers: A Guide to Creative Nonprofit Fundraising

Grantwriting books are, unfortunately, often as confusing and tedious as the process itself. Clarke's book, "Storytelling for Grantseekers" is a welcome reprieve from the jargon-laden books that have been the standard-bearers for the past 20 years or so. From the conversational tone to the organization of the book, she's made it easy to follow, with real examples that clearly illustrate her points.

Most metaphors only go so far, but in storytelling Clarke has found perhaps the best way of explaining in comprehensive terms the process of writing a proposal. She doesn't take the idea too far; instead, she relates it in concrete, reasonable terms without oversimplifying the process. Clarke's storytelling model would also work well in a grantwriting course or workshop. She takes a common-sense approach to explaining some of the more arcane aspects of grantwriting, and brings humor into the process without sounding trite or condescending.

Especially important and unique to Clarke's approach are the budget and cash-flow sections. Instead of presenting a budget as a 'necessary evil' that is secondary to writing the proposal, she argues that the budget is essentially a translation of the proposal into numbers, and is equally important in telling a nonprofit's story. She offers clear explanations and provides effective tools and examples to follow. Most nonprofits do not take the important step of creating a cashflow chart for their organization. In these lean times, cashflow is critical to ensure a program or project's success.It's also important for managing and monitoring a nonprofit's operating funds throught the year. Clarke thoroughly discusses these issues and again provides examples.

One casualty of the proliferation of websites is that many nonprofits incorrectly assume that grantmakers will get all the information they need from a nonprofit's site. Clarke explains how much foundations rely on the information provided in the proposal itself. Websites can change overnight; proposals are still the cornerstone for getting in the door at a foundation. Of course, it's important that the story is consistent between the site and the proposal, but one is not a substitute for the other.

Clarke's book offers reassurance that the process doesn't have to be as daunting as it appears. As more nonprofits compete for fewer dollars, it's helpful to have a step-by-step guide through the maze of grantseeking.

Storytelling is so important in so many things - including grant writing!

I kinda liked this book. Until now I have made it a point to avoid writing a book review for any nonprofit fundraising books on grant writing. I guess I am breaking with tradition for this book because I see some redeeming value to it. The first edition for this book came out in 2001 and had two less chapters and no appendix. Also, chapters 2, 3 and 6 of the original edition have been reworked for the new edition.

I suspect Amazon will be posting a Search Inside feature for this book in the next month or so. As a result, I won't be listing the chapter titles here. However, if they are not listed then I encourage you to examine the Search Inside feature at Amazon for the first edition. See ISBN: 9780787956301. The new or updated chapters are:

2. Research & relationships: Finding & cultivating your audience
3. The short story: Writing letters of inquiry
6. Goals, objectives, & methods: Making changes by addressing the problem
11. Site visits & beyond: Interacting with funders
12. Beyond grants: Applying the storytelling method
A. The final manuscript: Two letter proposal samples

The book includes numerous examples of inquiry letters, introductions, location descriptions, cases for support (needs), goals-objectives-desired outcomes, and executive summaries. I found them all to be well done.

This book is all about how to make a grant proposal readable. And I wish it had stuck to that topic alone, because when it moved into the realm of research and packaging the grant proposal that is where I had problems. Two books that might be of interest to the reader of this book are: "What's Your Story?" (ISBN: 9780132277426), and "Developing Your Case for Support" (ISBN: 9780787952457). I think both of these books will complement "Storytelling for Grantseekers" which seems to be a kind of short little book at less than 180 pages.

Let's face it, a nonprofit that has a chance of winning grants almost always has to be an established one. And nonprofits like that typically have a sound written Business Plan, a well-written Case for Support, an Annual Financial Report, a functioning Annual Giving Program, and some major donors. Hopefully there is also an awesome tricked out Web site that helps spread the word about the nonprofit and solicits donations, too. If the nonprofit has all of this BEFORE it attempts to apply for grants, then there really is no need to do special research in order to create a grant proposal. Hence, I did not see the need for Chapter 2 (research & relationships) in the book being reviewed.

I would have liked the book better if Chapter 12 were moved to the front of the book and replaced the existing Chapter 2. The new Chapter 2 could explain that the grant writer need not do research. But instead he or she can cut and paste the story that already exists (or should exist) in the nonprofit's business plan, case for support, Web site, etc. And if the Web site includes the story, then references can be made in the grant proposal to the nonprofit's Web site if the grant funder wants additional information that could not be included due to space limitations in the grant proposal requirements.

I loved Chapter 8 on budgets. But I thought chapters 10 and 11 could have used a little bit of work. Chapter 10 dated the author for me. She seems to be fixated on grant proposals that need to be sent to a printing press for distribution. I bet she believes in soliciation mailings via snail mail for Annual Giving Programs instead of email soliciations, too. I think the book would have been better if the author had explained the virtues of the software application called Adobe Acrobate Writer. Anything that can be printed on paper can be printed to an Acrobat file (PDF file). And it sure is easy to send a PDF file as an attachment in an email. No mention of this was made in the book.

As far a Chapter 11 goes, I found it to be either dated or incomplete. I'm sure there are some instances where a grant funder may want to make a site visit. However, in today's Internet Age it is so much more professional and economical to create a Web site that provides a "tour" of the nonprofit online. The funder can simply visit the Web site and get an eye full. Without such a Web site the organization will look a bit "less than" and probably not be up to snuff in the eyes of the grant funder. And that translates into "no donation." None of this was mentioned in the book. 4 stars! ... Read more

Product Description
Derided as simple, dismissed as inferior to film, famously characterized as a vast wasteland, television nonetheless exerts an undeniable, apparently inescapable power in our culture. The secret of television's success may well lie in the remarkable narrative complexities underlying its seeming simplicity, complexities Kristin Thompson unmasks in this engaging analysis of the narrative workings of television and film.

After first looking at the narrative techniques the two media share, Thompson focuses on the specific challenges that series television presents and the tactics writers have devised to meet them--tactics that sustain interest and maintain sense across multiple plots and subplots and in spite of frequent interruptions as well as weeklong and seasonal breaks. Beyond adapting the techniques of film, Thompson argues, television has wrought its own changes in traditional narrative form. Drawing on classics of film and television, as well as recent and current series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Sopranos, and The Simpsons, she shows how adaptations, sequels, series, and sagas have altered long-standing notions of closure and single authorship. And in a comparison of David Lynch's Blue Velvet and Twin Peaks, she asks whether there can be an "art television" comparable to the more familiar "art cinema." ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A fine book on the differences between film and television narrative strategies
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this study concerning some of the contrasts in the ways that the movies and television handles narrative, not least because for the past year or so this has been one of the topics of most interest to me.At least part of my enjoyment of the book came because Kristin Thompson confirmed many of the conclusions I have drawn in reflecting upon the changes that have taken place in television over the course of the past two decades, though in the end I believe she missed on an opportunity to recognize one of the major developments in television narrative in recent years.More of this in a second.

The four chapters in this book originated in a series of lectures that Ms. Thompson gave a few years ago at Oxford University.Her background is film, but unlike many film theorists she obviously takes television quite seriously.Quite unusually, her analysis treats individual shows as texts to be analyzed on their own, unlike many today who analyze television primarily in the role its plays in culture as a whole.I do not think that that approach is completely void of interest, but I also believe that what should be foundational-the careful reading of individual shows-has been neglected to the detriment to most television theory.Most television theory focuses on the forest to the exclusion of virtually all the individual trees.The first chapter deals with this precise issue, by analyzing the negative and limiting impact that Raymond Williams's famous concept of "flow" has had on television studies."Flow" refers to an imagined way that television functions, taking the viewer from show to commercial back to show to another commercial and finally to the next show and so forth throughout the evening.Under such a way of conceiving TV, an individual show is merely one element among others.But as Thompson very correctly points out, viewers are far more likely to recognize commercial breaks as opportunities to dash to the restroom, check to see if the water for dinner is boiling, or chance to run to the kitchen and grab a snack.Thompson argues for a focus on individual shows.Since the lectures were given in 2001, the role of DVDs has utterly altered the landscape.Videos were unable to do this simply because of their sheer bulk.A single season of STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION could fill an entire bookshelf, whereas now one could fit the entire STAR TREK franchise, movies include, on a shelf and a half.Viewing a show on DVD makes "flow" irrelevant, since no one in their right mind would argue that somehow the show has been diminished by eliminating the commercial breaks.Ironically, there is a new kind of flow, as I recently experienced when rewatching the first season of VERONICA MARS, this time on DVD.

The second chapter focuses on analyzing television narrative through examining writing strategies for the medium by reference to screenplay writing manuals.I had never considered looking at such books for guidance in understanding television or film, but this strikes me as a good idea.I plan on looking at a few of the books she mentions in her discussion.More than any of the other chapters, this one deals with the real nature of television narrative.Although I agree with much that she says, I also differ with her, and I believe it is here that she misses turning this book into a study of the first rank.She points out that in the history of the medium, television primarily consisted of series with stand alone episodes.Each week the main characters would undergo a series of experiences that would be completely resolved by show's end.Moreover, there was a timelessness to each week's action.As she points out, one could easily shuffle the order of the episodes and not lose a single thing thereby.It was only in the seventies (with comedies like THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW) and the eighties (with series such as HILL STREET BLUES) that plots began to become complicated and started spilling out over more than one episode.I agree completely with her and also strongly agree that she gets precisely correct the important shows in this transformation.But I fault her account on one important point:she fails to detect the development of a third kind of television narrative.Beginning with TWIN PEAKS (which ironically is the subject of her final chapter), continuing with THE X-FILES, and fully maturing with BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (and perhaps finding its most complete expression in LOST), a new genre of show began to appear that was not merely concerned with juggling a variety of arcs, but also with an overarching or master arc, a grand narrative that structured the show as a whole.THE X-FILES was a blend of stand alone episodes and episodes that continued the arc about the government's conspiracy to hide the truth about alien invasion.There is absolutely nothing comparable to this in HILL STREET BLUES or NYPD BLUE or CHINA BEACH or CAGNEY AND LACEY or NORTHERN EXPOSURE or ST. ELSEWHERE or the many other fine shows that develop their narrative by expanding multiple story arcs.BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER had a variety of smaller arcs, but each season featured one very big arc that more or less resolved that year.But BUFFY also contained very large arcs that extended for seasons, and one, Buffy's struggle with a destiny as slayer that robbed her of everything she most desired in life, continued from the first episode until the last few seconds of the last one.The number of shows driven by master narratives remains rather small-FARSCAPE, ANGEL, DARK ANGEL, WONDERFALLS, SMALLVILLE, LOST, and VERONICA MARS are a few examples-but their numbers are growing and often comprise many of the best shows on TV.Their presence also contradicts something else that Thompson assumes.She states that one of the challenges of TV lies in its shorter format.I understand what she means.An individual movie script can run to 90 to 180 minutes.A typical hour long script, adjusting for commercials, runs 47 (according to her-I find that most of my shows run 42-44).But ultimately I think she gets it wrong.Shows with master narratives extend over a large number of episodes and involve vastly more running time than any film.For instance, the first season of LOST was essentially one story (the show as a whole, when it runs its full length in four more seasons, will tell a single story).The total run time for the year was well in excess of a thousand minutes.Now, when even a very, very long movie is only 180 minutes, how can television be considered short format except in terms of each individual script.The fact is that a television show like BUFFY or LOST has a luxury of time that no movie can compete with.The differences between a show like LOST and a show like NYPD BLUE seems to be as significant as those between HILL STREET BLUES and any earlier series that employed the stand alone format exclusively.

The third chapter dealt with the differences between film and television narrative by discussing adaptations and spin offs.She chooses to write of a television series that was a spin off from a movie and a movie that an adaptation of a television series.Interestingly, in both instances the movies were vastly less successful than the television shows.The films/series were BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER and THE AVENGERS.Although these are two of my all time favorite series, as a whole I found this the least interesting chapter in the book.The points she makes here are completely valid, but they simply were not very substantive.

The final chapter raises the question of whether there can be art-television just as there are art movies.She discusses THE SINGING DETECTIVE as one candidate before going into detail into another, David Lynch's TWIN PEAKS.I thoroughly enjoyed this chapter, but I think the approach somewhat wrongheaded.I think it ultimately futile to attempt to characterize productions as "artistic" based on specific qualities that they possess.One of my favorite books is C. S. Lewis's AN EXPERIMENT IN CRITICISM, in which Lewis argues that we ought to focus on whether books promote and sustain good reading rather than whether a book is good or bad (one could easily substitute "art").I think both TWIN PEAKS and THE SINGING DETECTIVE can be experienced as serious television; PETTICOAT JUNCTION and HEE HAW and perhaps even LAW AND ORDER (which intentionally eliminates character development) cannot. I would hesitate to describe BUFFY as "art" television, but yet it has received vastly more academic attention than THE SINGING DETECTIVE and TWIN PEAKS combined.Perhaps I am wrong, but I am not sure that trying to locate an "art" television is a project that would ever be especially fruitful.

Despite my disagreements with the author at certain points, I regard this as a first rate book on television narrative.I urge anyone interested in the way that television narrative has evolved or in the fundamental differences between film and TV. ... Read more

Product Description
Tell Me About Yourself shows you how to use the incredible power of storytelling to advance your career, whether by moving up in your current organization or landing a job with a new employer. Echoing the most commonly asked job interview question, Tell Me About Yourself shows you how to answer the question-and all others- in a way that coveys a true sense of who you are and what you can do for the organization. Storytelling is also the key to excelling in other job search activities, such as writing resumes and cover letters, networking, creating portfolios, and developing you personal brand. This book takes the reader through the steps for executing each of these crucial tasks impressively and successfully. The book also focuses on on-the-job storytelling that enables you to capitalize on opportunities to advance throughout your career. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

A few useful tips (10%) padded with endless "resume-speak" stories
This book will be most useful to people new to the job market, to give them illustration upon illustration upon illustration that it's ok and even desirable to tell pithy stories as they represent themselves during the hiring process.

I've been at this for a while, but I did find the section on story structures useful, though overlong. In particular, tying the moral of the story - the lesson learned - to future action can be very powerful.

But there are too many stories, and too little analysis and structure, and too many of them are couched in a way that would make me either wince or guffaw if I were the hiring manager. E.g. "At the very instant I read your ad for a Merchandising Specialist, everything clicked. The description of the job became one with my passion, and I knew the match between me and this job was perfect." Please.

Never Delivered Bad Service
I never received this item and it's been a complete hassle trying to find out what happened.Needless to say, my interview was weeks ago.

Excellent information, advice, stories for job seekers
"So, tell me about yourself?"

Is that not the most obvious interview question? The one that every job seeker should anticipate and prepare to answer? Unfortunately, it may seem so obvious, many don't spend the time they should focusing on how to answer it.

In fact, most aspects of the job search rely on being able to tell your own story.

Networking (the all important elevator pitch)
Your resume - connecting your accomplishments with the employer's needs
Cover letter - another opportunity to sell your skills to a targeted employer
Portfolios - online opportunities to connect with people
Interviews - sealing the deal
On the job - to connect and advance
I highly recommend that job seekers take a look at Katharine Hansen's new book, Tell Me About Yourself: Storytelling to Get Jobs and Propel Your Career.

Her book is organized into several sections:

Part I - Career propelling story basics
Part II - Using storytelling in your job search
Part III - Continuous storytelling
Katharine explains how stories can help you get a job by demonstrating your personality, helping to make you memorable and establishing trust. People who know how to tell good stories can communicate their value proposition, which is key for job seekers and careerists.

This book helps you with every aspect of telling your story - from figuring out what the story should be through tips for how to recall stories stored in your brain! (For example, give your stories names.) It is full of samples of stories and many, many ideas that are critically useful for job seekers and all professionals.

If you're engaged in a job search - or maybe you should be - don't miss this great resource!

A surprisingly good book, despite the poor title
This book was surprisingly fun to read, mainly because it's full of true employee stories, which are always interesting. I think the book would have been more appropriately titled if it had something--anything--in the title about interviewing. Really, this book is about how to interview successfully and make yourself really memorable.

The book also has numerous examples of successful resumes, cover letters, bios, and other correspondence to help "sell" yourself to a prospective employer.

Here's my take:

1. The book is an excellent book on interviewing, and also how prospective employees should present/introduce themselves to employers

2. The book is more suited to people who are trying to obtain a management, supervisory, or white-collar job. The author already assumes that you know the basics, (like, don't show up in jeans and flip-flops).She assumes that you have some skills and education, so this isn't a book for someone trying to get a job waiting tables. It's geared towards working professionals.

3. The book's best points are the cover letter tips & examples, as well as the story examples, of which there are many. She also goes over how to handle a termination with dignity so you don't burn any bridges.

Overall, I think this is an excellent guide, especially for the price, which is quite reasonable for the material provided and the page count. I felt that the title was a poor choice, and maybe even a little misleading, but I don't feel that's enough of a reason to give this book less than 5 stars, considering the quality of the material.

Must read for job seekers
In her new book Tell Me About Yourself, Katharine Hansen provides actionable advice for incorporating storytelling in cover letters, resumes, job interviews, and conversations with the boss. As someone who is on the hiring end of the equation, I can vouch for the effectiveness of strategic storytelling (see my posts, What I look for in resumes and What I look for in cover letters).

Katharine, who writes my favorite blog on applied storytelling, interviewed job seekers and studied reams of resumes while earning her doctorate. She supplies step-by-step story construction tips and illustrates her points with actual resumes and cover letters gathered in her research.

She clearly did an exhaustive literature search to gather a wide range of expert opinion on the subject. My only criticism is that Katharine could have synthesized the academic literature a bit more and taken a few risks by providing her own opinion.

Katherine puts the issue well for all of us, whether we are in the job market or are building our careers where we are: We should carefully nurture our own personal brand. And we know the best brands are those that evoke intrigue and emotion through the story that they tell.

... Read more

Product Description
This book offers readers the tools to detect the story line in their own lives and write and tell it in a step-by-step way, opening up a hidden world of self-discovery and meaning. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Deep...and Well Worth the Journey
If you are willing to actually stop, and think through the action steps and ideas, you will be rewarded with far more insight into what makes you tick.

I Am a Hero:The Power of the Story
I have long been familiar with Joseph Campbell, but Sam Keen's name is new to me.It is a serendipitous internet event that took me to his book, Mythic Journey: Finding Meaning in Your Life through Writing and Storytelling, which is based on workshops he did with Campbell in the 70's. The value of this slim volume is in the sub-title.In these days of worshipping celebrities (apparently we have no heroes to idolize!), we are somehow lulled into thinking that our own journey is not made up of the same mythic journey as the hero.Somehow our sense of celebrity has warped our sense of self.As Keen succinctly says, "To be a person is to have a story."We are urged by Keen to tell our story and to discover our own mythic journey.This puts the value of your own life into perspective.From the easily accessible explanation of the power of myth and their place in our lives to the suggested writing prompts to the beautiful examples taken from the workshops themselves, we are encouraged to see that the fabric of our lives comes from the same fabric as the hero.

Take the time to explore your story.Take time to reflect, reveal, and record your uniqueness derived from the universal.To do so is not self-indulgent; in fact, Keen claims, to do so is to respond to "a call to revolution; seize the authority to create your story."From this journey comes real change because as Keen brilliantly reminds us: "Whoever authors your story authorizes your actions."

Telling one's stories
This book is a guide to self-discovery through crafting the stories that make up one's personal mythology.It was developed as a written version of some of the material that Sam Keen developed in workshops on personal mythology that he conducted for many years with Joseph Campbell.Each chapter contains a short set of readings around a philosophical theme, a set of questions and suggestions for writing, and some samples of other people's writing on these topics, all supplemented by quotations in the margins by well-known authors, especially Joseph Campbell.The reading material is organized chronologically, starting with the present, then looking back into the past, forward into the future, and out into "cosmic time".

This book could be used either for personal exploration, or as a guide for a writing group.It's not ideal for memoir writing, since the prompts tend to elicit individual stories rather than a long view that would encompass an entire life.On the other hand, some readers may find it quite useful for exploring the experiences that have played a large role in shaping the emotional aspects of their lives.One piece of advice the authors share with readers is, "The past is open to revision because memory is a function of present intention.History is always constructed to prove some point."Thus, the approach is not only to help readers develop their stories, but to become aware of why these stories have the personal import that they do.

didnt get the book yet!!!!
ordered the book 4 weeks ago, said it was planned for shipping the next day and still havent recieved it..... to bad i needed it 2 weeks ago!!!!!
--- disappointed

Your Song
I have read a few of Sam Keens books up to now and I am always amazed that he can write about philosophy, psychology or mythology with such compassion. "Your Mythic Journey", on the other hand, is not so much a book, rather a guided tour. Originally published in 1973 under a different title, "Telling Your Story: A Guide to Who You Are and Who You Can Be," was changed later when mythology became the buzzword for intellectuals. Sam Keen has worked closely with mythologist Joseph Campbell in his later years in which modern psychology was married with mythology.

Keen realized the power of storytelling, not just in a mythological approach, but also in telling the stories of our own lives how we are all living the lives of the great heroes. "Your Mythic Journey" helps you to discover the story in your own life and understand it mythologically as well as practically. The book is not one to be read, but to be written. This is done through a series of writing and drawing exercises facilitated through a series of deep probing questions. These questions are designed to challenge yourself, your beliefs, your values and your identity where you plunge the depths of your unconscious and swim the currents of time past, present and future. When you finally come to the shores of waking reality, you soon have a new understanding of yourself and the world you live in.

There are a number of ways to utilize this book. The first is you can do it by yourself, and go through and answer the questions. The second is to do it with a group of friends, family or your lover. The latter approach can also be done on a silent level, where one reads the questions for all to answer, or you can read each other your answers, which I found adds a whole new dimension to the process. It can become very emotional for some, shameful for others, enlightening to most, and discouraging to few. Regardless of your response, no doubt it will be revealing. The trick is to be honest with yourself and not hide behind that social mask thinking people will look down on your for having "other" thoughts. When you do this in a group session, you realize your "other" thoughts are not so different.

The aim of "Your Mythic Journey" is to be revealing about yourself, but also to know and tell the story of your life. What Mr. Keen has always expressed in his lectures and readings is that people tend to get stuck on various stories and end up repeating them over and over like a broken record. He remarks this with the example of recovering alcoholics who continue to tell their story of being addicted and how they went to AA meetings for recovery. They go on telling the story to everyone as if they are always at a meeting. This book challenges those that are repeating stories to begin to tell new stories of their lives and experiences. We all have them it's just a matter of beginning to share them with others. ... Read more

Product Description
This is a book of ideas and of choices. Knowing which choices to make is not teachable. It's part of that creative instinct we call talent whose secret voice guides us every time we sit down at the keyboard. All stories are not identical. They are shaped by all those unique facets of the human beings who write them. All any writer can do when he wants to share his knowledge with others is be as open and giving as possible; and hope others can learn from that. You hold in your hands most of what I know about writing for games and much of what I believe and practice no matter what kind of writing I'm doing. It is meant to inform, to instruct, and maybe even inspire. It is as much about game design as it is writing for games. The two are virtually inseparable. The book itself has been designed as a quest. We are all of us on a journey toward a destination for which there is no single road. --Lee Sheldon, Author ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Outstanding, but not what I expected
Cons: The book seemed slightly long for what it was, kept reusing the same semi-obscure examples from the writer's experience, and didn't always go in the directions I wanted it to go (for example more detail on world building, settings, or individual story scenes would have been appreciated).

Pros: It didn't matter that it didn't go where I wanted it because it was still very entertaining and unexpectedly beneficial to follow the writer on his path. The book is solid from start to finish and doesn't have a false air of superiority about it; everything is very practical and friendly. Definitely a good read that rewards the effort.

Excellent
This book is excellent. Sheldon is witty and insightful and his book is a joy to read. I can't really think of anything negative to say, although I should perhaps mention that this book is pretty focused on RPGs and adventure games, since these are the genres which have traditionally relied most on story. Anyone interested in developing their understanding of storytelling in games should definitely pick this book up.

Breaking through barriers
I am working on forming a game development studio, and our team is in the middle of producing our flagship title, an RPG entitled "Revolution's Dawn."I am the main writer of the script, and I just recently finished reading this book.Where I thought my duties as a writer were finished, I now see new openings to provide dialogue and sidequests to fill in the backstory, plot gaps, and other means of enrichment that I didn't see before.Because of having read this book, my team and I can now take this game and bring it into the realm of what we intended it to be-a vehicle for telling a story.

While the title of the book is "Character Development and Storytelling for Games," the book really focuses more heavily on the latter.I was expecting the former, but by no means am I complaining!I have been able to break through blocks in my own role as a writer for this project.

If you are looking for the "right" way to write your story, you won't find it here.What this book does instead is to open doors, and then let you decide whether to walk through them or not.And even then, you still have to choose for yourself what to do once you've walked through them.If you are looking for new openings in crafting your game _and_ writing your story(and synthesizing them both together), this is the book for you.

Very interesting, but could have been shorter
I really enjoyed this book, and I think it's definitely worth considering if you're interested in how stories can be told in video games.I've bought plenty of books about video game design and storytelling.(I'm a programmer who's been making video games professionally for about 10 years -- I wish more people would include their personalbackground in their book reviews...)Some books on game design are written by people who obviously have more "static media" backgrounds like books or movies, and don't understand the fundamental problem of making a story in a situation where the audience has freedom to do what they want.Another problem that a lot of people don't understand is that people playing a video game don't necessarily WANT a story, in the sense that they are playing a video game because of the interactivity, and not to watch a 10 minute cutscene to learn some back story.If they wanted to watch a movie they'd pop in a DVD.

I think the author really understands these difficulties.You want to make an emmersive worl, but you need to do it very quickly.So he talks about dialog, and how to convey as much information as possible in as few words as possible. He talks about how to get the player to sympathize with a chaacter, from the situation that characetr is in, to the design of the character art, to the words that the character says.All of the information is very practical, not like some books that leave you with a bunch of high-level nonsense that doesn't work in a real game.I really appreciated that he wasn't one of these "video games are mindless because they don't tell a story" type of guys.Or acting as if video games need to learn how to tell a story in order to "grow up" like movies or TV have.In a straight up action game or fighter, you don't need as much of a story as you do in a more adventure game.Playing a video game is a just a different experience, and the story has a different role, it's NOT the holy grail like some people think.Rather than trying to tell you how to convert video games into novels, he describe ways that you can inject story without taking away from the inetraction.I think he makes a good case that in almost any game, you can introduce just a bit of characetr depth and relationships, without stopping for a ten minute cutscene, and it adds value to the game.

This author's background was originally in TV, but he also has considerable experience in video games.I felt like he has a good background to be writing the book, and was speaking from experience.

The only negative comment about the book is that I found several of the chapters to be very similar.Like you'd be reading a chapter, and you'd think, "Hey, didn't I just read this exact same thing a few chapters ago?"Actually, you didn't, this chapter is covering a very slightly different topic.In other words, I think he could have consolidated a few chapters, which would have saved me some time.I suppose this makes it easier to jump around, since you don't rely on information from previous chapters.But I found it a little repetitive.

All in all, a really good book for anybody interested in video game design or storytelling in general.

An excellent book for all writers
I've known Lee Sheldon for several years. He is one of the most pleasant and knowledgeable people I've met in the game industry, so I was very much looking forward to this book. Suffice it to say that I wasn't disappointed.

Writing for games has a lot in common with writing for other media (e.g., character and theme) and a lot that is unique to itself. Lee does an excellent job of covering both aspects - so much so that I would recommend this book to writers with absolutely no interest in interactive media. (I've read my share of writing books over the years, and this one stands at the top of the heap.)

Of particular interest to me were chapters 3-6 on character and chapter 14 on modular storytelling, the most elegant way I've seen of organizing a linear experience into a non-linear structure. The book also does an excellent job of discussing storytelling in massively multiplayer games and provides extensive background material, much of which is intended to set up and justify Lee's modular storytelling model - rather more background than necessary, actually, since you should be sold on the need for something like modular storytelling long before he gets around to explaining it.

The book's does have a few faults. For example, a couple of the later chapters feel out of place, and the text is dusted with a handful of puzzling and sometimes repeated typos (Eowen? Kalishnakov?) But these are of little consequence and should not detract from your enjoyment.

Highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
Storytelling plays a central role in empowering educators and learners to synthesize and verbalize personal experiences, communicate feelings, and construct meaning, all of which are processes vital to effective learning. The opening chapters of The Power of Story address the question, "Why should I tell stories?" The next five chapters provide guidelines and ideas for how one actually tells a story. The final chapter provides dozens of useful storytelling activities for classroom use, all of which emphasize the fun of storytelling. Future educators can use these activities as a starting point for their own teaching; all can be easily adapted to specific grade levels and situations. The second edition includes profiles of storytellers of all ages, a chapter on the growing genre of family stories, and numerous print and nonprint resources. The richness of this practical guidebook comes from the authors’ own personal experience in storytelling, in teaching storytelling, and in using storytelling in their teaching. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Storytelling Must Read!!!
Collins and Cooper provide a unique approach to writing!! With this book you will gain activities, interviews and wonderfully writen works to use in a variety of ways. You will experience storytelling from those who tell it - GREAT BOOK, MUST READ!!!

learn from the master
Learn from Rives - the master storyteller who enchants young and old, taking each on their respective journeys of adventure through a whole gamut of emotions and thoughts in each of his stories - Pamela Cooper must be brilliant too otherwise Rives wouldn't work with her. This book helped me tremendously in my storytelling, especially in deepening my understanding of what it means to have a set of continuums to find yourself on in each story as a teller in general. Find your voice on the continuum, be it theatrical or conversational, understated or animated, fully memorized or improvised, first person narrative or third person narrative...
Each chapter ends with an interview with a storyteller, spanning in type from child to librarian to teacher...
This book also provides a wealth of teaching material - incorporating story into drama in the classroom, in the true spirit of Rives' grandteacher Winifred Ward!
A true celebration!

excellent guidance for storytellers by storytellers
This book both extols and maps the art of storytelling.As is evident from the storytelling CDs and cassettes of Rives Collins ("We All Have Songs We All Have Stories" on the Louisa May Alleycat Music label and"Let's Fill Up the House with Stories and Songs" on the SouthportRecords/Louisa May Alleycat Musiclabel--reachable at LMAMusic@aol.com),Rives is a masterful storyteller.He knows how to marshall the power ofstory and to share with his readers and students the craft skills requiredfor the oral tradition. Readers are both inspired to--and guided in howthey can--tell their own stories and create magic from thin air.PamCooper's special expertise as author, teacher and storyteller bringsspecial depth to the book. ... Read more

Product Description
Recounting the biblical stories through visual images was the most prestigious form of commission for a Renaissance artist. In this book, Jules Lubbock examines some of the most famous of these pictorial narratives by artists of the caliber of Giovanni Pisano, Duccio, Giotto, Ghiberti, Brunelleschi, Donatello and Masaccio. He explains how these artists portrayed the major biblical events, such as: the Sacrifice of Isaac, the Annunciation, the Feast of Herod and the Trial and Passion of Jesus, so as to be easily recognizable and, at the same time, to capture our attention and imagination for long enough to enable us to search for deeper meanings. He provides evidence showing that the Church favoured the production of images that lent themselves to being read and interpreted in this way, and he describes the works themselves to demonstrate how the pleasurable activity of deciphering these meanings can work in practice. This fascinating book is richly illustrated, and many of it's photographs have been specially taken to show how the paintings and relief sculptures appear in the settings, for which they were originally designed.Seen from these viewpoints, they become more readily intelligible. Likewise, the starting point and the originality of Lubbock's interpretations lies in his accepting that these works of art were primarily designed to help people to reflect upon the ethical and religious significance of the biblical stories. The early Renaissance artists developed their highly innovative techniques to further these objectives, not as ends in themselves. Thus, the book aims to appeal to students, scholars and the general public, who are interested in Renaissance art and to those with a religious interest in biblical imagery. ... Read more

Product Description

Through accessible language and candid discussions, Storytelling for Social Justice explores the stories we tell ourselves and each other about race and racism in our society. Making sense of the racial constructions expressed through the language and images we encounter every day, this book provides strategies for developing a more critical understanding of how racism operates culturally and institutionally in our society. Using the arts in general, and storytelling in particular, the book examines ways to teach and learn about race by creating counter-storytelling communities that can promote more critical and thoughtful dialogue about racism and the remedies necessary to dismantle it in our institutions and interactions. Illustrated throughout with examples drawn from high school classrooms, teacher education programs, and K-12 professional development programs, the book provides tools for examining racism as well as other issues of social justice. For every teacher who has struggled with how to get the "race discussion" going or who has suffered through silences and antagonism, the innovative model presented in this book offers a practical and critical framework for thinking about and acting on stories about racism and other forms of injustice.

Product Description
Anyone who has watched a master storyteller mesmerize an audience has wondered "how do they do that?" This book gives the answers. Here are 40 of America's most popular storytellers, each of them sharing a story guaranteed to work in front of the most demanding audience. In addition to the story, each teller gives tips for telling it in a performance. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Unusual and interesting stories
I share the story, "Strength" with my students every year.It is mostly funny, but the ending is a thought-provoking message of anti-violence.

Parent and Substitute Teacher Tested
Excellent book!I've used the stories in this book countless times to engage and hold the attention of my children as well as numerous students from kindergarten through fifth grade.Helped me enjoy being a substitute teacher for many years.

Stories are excellent, diverse in nature and contain tips on how to best present to a group.I highly recommend for parents and teachers!

How wonderfull!
The stories are very interesting and my children (5 and 8 old)
love them very much.

The "Panther and the Rabbit" is their lovely one.
I told them many times.

The "Fox's Sack" is very funny with songs. You know it's
the kind of stories you will remember all the time.

I think that with the "Magic Mortar" you will be delighted,
because you can't guessing the end. My children were
very surprised but got an answer to one of their many questions!

It's nice too to read tips to tell the story and to know
more about the teller.

Enjoy!
Myriam

Can't miss tales for beginners and seasoned tellers alike
This book is one of the first of many story collections I have bought in my journey as a teller.It remains one of my favorites, especially as a resource for the young tellers I have nurtured in my youth teller's guild.Some of the best tellers around have generously shared tales they have told, along with tips for the teller.At a time when the word "copyright" often rears its head among the storytelling world, this sharing of a favorite story, with permission to tell, is a rare gift.

The stories themselves range from tall tale, such as Chuck Larkin's "Electricity Elixer" to world folklore from David Novak in the story of "The Three Dolls," and everything in between. Each story has notes from the teller on the meaning of the story to them, the full text of the tale, followed by notes from the teller that will help beginning tellers understand better how to capture the mood of the story.

If you are looking for a collection of stories that are sure to please a wide range of audiences, look no further.This volume will be a great resource for the classroom, library or homeschool families. (Gwyn is a professional storyteller who has coached many middle school students in the telling of their first story).

divers american stories
This book is just full of stories from the best tellers!I enjoyed them all, but liked that many areas and cultureswere represented including the south and native american tellers.I would recommend this to anyone wholikes storytelling as a hobby, or as a teller! ... Read more

Product Description
The revised edition of this award-winning guidebook on storytelling in the classroom includes over 80% new material.The authors provide compelling rationales for the value of storytelling, links to state literacy learning standards, detailed storytelling unit tips, easy ideas for storytelling throughout the curriculum, and carefully selected and extensive bibliographies.Considered the classic in the field, Children Tell Stories is useful to both experienced and novice teachers and storytellers who work with students from preschool through college. Includes a multimedia DVD, "Children Telling Stories: A Storytelling Unit in Action" which contains interviews with parents, teachers, administrators, and students, demonstrations of storytelling by the authors, teachers, and students, and 25 printable stories. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

An accompanying DVD of helpful videos, web links, and stories to print out enhances this wonderful resource
Now in a new second edition, Children Tell Stories: Teaching and Using Storytelling in the Classroom is the award-winning creation of Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss, who have been telling stories as "Beauty and the Beast Storytellers" for twenty-five years (and they never say who is the beauty and who is the beast). Chapters reveal the educational benefits of storytelling, how to get started with storytelling in the classroom, helping students choose stories to tell, assessing student storytellers, and much more. An accompanying DVD of helpful videos, web links, and stories to print out enhances this wonderful resource especially for educators, but also useful to home schoolers and child care providers.

Excellent Book!
This book has a wealth of information and is a great value.The DVD is a treasure!I teach special education in an elementary school and I plan to use the stories from the DVD with my students.My students also love the authors' Noondlehead Stories and Scary Tales books which I have read aloud in class.

Useful information and practical ideas
The book is very helpful for the storytellers and teachers who feel that young people and students can become active storytellers as well and then they can enhance their lives and their society.

Telling Stories at Taipei American School
As an elementary teacher for almost ten years, I've recognized the importance of telling stories to children and have been telling stories for years.I was missing a piece of the literacy puzzle, the piece in which children tell stories themselves, but I didn't know how to approach it until I stumbled across Mitch and Martha at a storytelling conference and bought their book.It provides a practical, manageable approach to teaching children to tell stories.Our school has a high percentage of ESL students and the lessons and activities in this book are of particular relevance.Perhaps the most important part of the book is the companion DVD.It's truly an inspiring 20 minutes.I've shown it several times around our school and teachers who claimed they have no time for storytelling are now finding time.

A book you can buy by its cover!
This book is as good as its cover and its cover is t-e-r-r-i-f-i-c! From the cover, and most importantly when you dive into the wealth of information within the book, it is clear that storytellers Martha Hamilton and Mitch Weiss know storytelling
is fun in its appeal and a powerful tool for learning. They've improved on an award-winning book that explores methods and merits for teaching storytelling to children. Their generosity and intelligence make the second edition with its DVD even more inspiring.

The DVD alone is worth the price of the product with its unobtrusive camera work and delightful music. We are in the room, not watching from afar. The DVD also introduces us to the most engaging children and adults. Kids have clearly strengthened their public speaking skills and enhanced their self-esteem. In a world gone mad with teaching to the test, this project attests to value of humanizing learning, and building a learning community in the classroom and beyond. Turn off the sound, you can see the success of this work in the faces of kids and administrators alike.
Carol Birch
Storyteller ... Read more