Developing Story Ideas

By Michael Rabiger

Book Overview

Developing Story Ideas offers students and other young artists a spectrum of resources and a structure of writing practice so that anyone can quickly and reliably generate a wide variety of stories. It does so stressing the importance of understanding oneself and creating collaboratively. This book provides exercises and projects to help each person draw an artistic self-profile to summarize what he or she most needs to investigate in their creative work. It teaches narrative structure and critical language, and asserts that giving and taking criticism is an essential part of the creative process. It treats fiction and non-fiction as highly related - for fiction needs its roots in the real world, while documentary needs narrative drive and structure to impose meaning on its reality. All the assignments are illustrated with examples of student work and/or pieces drawn from classic works of literature and film, each followed by meaningful and sensitive commentary from the author. Throughout the book the author has placed boxed text to emphasize information that is critical to the success of a particular writing project or to the creative process generally. Readers will experience what education has come to recognize as particularly effective: hands-on creative projects, an emphasis on self-actualization, and working not as an embattled individual competing for recognition, but as part of a learning community. In this atmosphere people naturally form the friendships, creative partnerships, and teams that make filmmaking gratifying and productive.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0240803981
• ISBN13: 9780240803982
• Release Date: March 2000
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Group
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 6.3" x 0.5"

Customer Reviews

Amazing book!

Wonderful resource. Great read!

Gift for my son.

This was a gift for my son. He just graduated from film school and it was on his list of 'books I must read'! He said it is great!

To be fair I have to say...

You need to know what I'm going to tell you so that you have the right expectations when buying this book. The book is designed more to support a storytelling class. There are group excersies and specific drills to complete after each section. So if you are alone it feels rare to read about class exercises. So, you have to understand this book's main target are teachers and students in a class. The drills actually seem to be quite a promising activity. If I went to a fiction writing course I would like to be given this book. The author deals with the creative process, the artistic identity and how writers actually have to dig deep in their soul to find their stories and their subjects or themes. This part I liked. As for what the title promises "Developing story ideas". I'm not fully convinced with the material. In a certain way the basic theory is there (three act structure, scene cards, theme...) but you should be warned that there is much more that can be said about storytelling and how you actually create a great story. What does this mean? It means that if you want to write stories just to entertain yourself this is a good place to come. Now, if you want to become a professional writer the information in this book might be taken as the beginning of your education. Plenty of books await you. This book gives you the basics about how to develop story IDEAS. Once you have a story idea, then you have to develop the story itself. It wouldn't hurt if you consulted other books that have much more insight of how to build a story itself. As for me, why did I change my mind and came back and posted a better review? Well, to me one of the best ways to decide if a book is good or not is to see if you come back to it to remember some useful insight you know is between its covers. That happened to me. I'm deep in a sotry I'm writing and I remembered this book had something that would help me. I came back. Believe me if a book makes you come back it probably has something valuable and it might be considered a goood book. There you go, now it's time for you to decide if it is right for you or not.

Finally...

I have a shelf full of books on scriptwriting, directing, and other general movie making topics. However, the one thing that has held me back on my first short film was the lack of story. Rather - the lack of a GOOD story. I was very happy to stumble across this book. Finally someone has written not about putting your idea on paper, but GETTING the idea in the first place ("priming the pump", as the book says). You not only read the principles, but are encouraged to apply them with the many hands-on exercises presented throughout. I believe this book is definitely a worthwhile read for anyone experiencing writer's block.

...He can't POSSIBLY be an American!

Rabiger is too complex to be a regular American artist. We Americans tend to be kind of two-dimensional and short-sighted. In his books he explains his "stranger-in-a-strange-land" perspective--as a result, his books are brilliant and speak to the craftsman and the searching artist. He's about a solid foundation in one's work regarding concept and execution. He's from another era and not about "what's gonna sell!" or "be a hitmaker!"---instead his approach is about integrity and longevity as an artist. Metaphorical short-hand: like a marriage based on good stuff instead of marrying arm candy. (scattered writing like this above is why I love/need his books)

Simple, Deep and Insightful

At last, a short simple book which gets very quickly down to the basic ideas of how to write - based on your own personal experience. Michael Rabiger displays a deep wisdom of the human situation and he manages to cut through the gleeful padding, found so often in armchair "feel good, do good" books, written for the inexperienced by those who could not speak from their own experience.This book is different - there are no wasted words - however as is the case with all who have great experience (in any field) - the amased knowledge is crystallised down to just those words which are required to do the job...and not only that...he seems to be able to speak to you personally all through the book.Although this book is more suited to group work - the insights it contains are worth having a copy - as they apply directly to the individual.Well done Mr Rabiger - You have produced a great work - and have written it - YOURSELF.