Comments on: My New Favorite Storytelling Analogy http://storyfix.com/my-new-favorite-storytelling-analogy Novel Writing, Screenwriting and Storytelling Tips & Fundamentals Sun, 20 May 2012 23:50:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: In Progress « 2 Kids and a Dog http://storyfix.com/my-new-favorite-storytelling-analogy/comment-page-1#comment-3256 In Progress « 2 Kids and a Dog Sun, 02 May 2010 01:27:40 +0000 http://storyfix.com/?p=2470#comment-3256 [...] demystified the structure of publishable, and published, books and screenplays.  He has a great analogy for story telling, equating it to a flight of stairs in a four story building.  A full description [...] [...] demystified the structure of publishable, and published, books and screenplays.  He has a great analogy for story telling, equating it to a flight of stairs in a four story building.  A full description [...]

]]> By: Mark P http://storyfix.com/my-new-favorite-storytelling-analogy/comment-page-1#comment-3238 Mark P Fri, 30 Apr 2010 16:05:00 +0000 http://storyfix.com/?p=2470#comment-3238 Hey! Reader from Problogger here...this is an excellent post! I have been reading all of your posts about shutter island, and am fully enjoying all of them, but this post wraps up everything you're talking about in a neat little package. It's not often i comment on blogs (which is strange because i love getting comments on my own blog..) but this moved me to comment. Well written, well thought out, beautifully executed. Nice job. Thanks! Hey!
Reader from Problogger here…this is an excellent post! I have been reading all of your posts about shutter island, and am fully enjoying all of them, but this post wraps up everything you’re talking about in a neat little package. It’s not often i comment on blogs (which is strange because i love getting comments on my own blog..) but this moved me to comment. Well written, well thought out, beautifully executed. Nice job. Thanks!

]]> By: FredInChina http://storyfix.com/my-new-favorite-storytelling-analogy/comment-page-1#comment-3147 FredInChina Thu, 22 Apr 2010 08:24:55 +0000 http://storyfix.com/?p=2470#comment-3147 I admire you guys that saw it made sense right away! At first I found this stairs analogy meaningless, a little bit like Larry has nothing to say today & needed some filler. I must confess I was wrong - D@mn wrong! The whole thing grew on me and as I was going up and down in my own staircase (I literally do a lot of "stair work", climbing several times the 25 floors of my building as part of my regular workout...), I started to understand: one flight, one landing, a twist to the next flight but heaving in the same direction... Each step leading to the next, not one the same... I physically had to experience it to understand it. Larry, sorry for my lack of faith. I admire you guys that saw it made sense right away!
At first I found this stairs analogy meaningless, a little bit like Larry has nothing to say today & needed some filler.

I must confess I was wrong – D@mn wrong!

The whole thing grew on me and as I was going up and down in my own staircase (I literally do a lot of “stair work”, climbing several times the 25 floors of my building as part of my regular workout…), I started to understand:

one flight, one landing, a twist to the next flight but heaving in the same direction… Each step leading to the next, not one the same…

I physically had to experience it to understand it.
Larry, sorry for my lack of faith.

]]> By: Martha Miller http://storyfix.com/my-new-favorite-storytelling-analogy/comment-page-1#comment-3129 Martha Miller Tue, 20 Apr 2010 15:41:53 +0000 http://storyfix.com/?p=2470#comment-3129 Very eager for the deconstruction of "Shutter Island". I've seen it, then read it to try to figure out the structure. I'm waiting for this one with great pleasure! Very eager for the deconstruction of “Shutter Island”. I’ve seen it, then read it to try to figure out the structure. I’m waiting for this one with great pleasure!

]]> By: Kelly http://storyfix.com/my-new-favorite-storytelling-analogy/comment-page-1#comment-3123 Kelly Tue, 20 Apr 2010 00:05:57 +0000 http://storyfix.com/?p=2470#comment-3123 What a great analogy! It really makes sense! I'm looking forward to reading the deconstruction of Shutter Island. I just watched that the other day. Now I am inclined to read the book also. What a great analogy! It really makes sense!
I’m looking forward to reading the deconstruction of Shutter Island. I just watched that the other day. Now I am inclined to read the book also.

]]> By: Sandra S. Richardson http://storyfix.com/my-new-favorite-storytelling-analogy/comment-page-1#comment-3122 Sandra S. Richardson Mon, 19 Apr 2010 19:29:57 +0000 http://storyfix.com/?p=2470#comment-3122 I love the stairs analogy! This makes sense in a way none of the others have. It so clearly shows that one can change direction, even to the extreme of a 180, and yet still be heading toward the goal. Sutter Island is no longer in theaters where I am and I haven't been able to find a release date for the DVD. I'll see if the library has the book. :-) I love the stairs analogy! This makes sense in a way none of the others have. It so clearly shows that one can change direction, even to the extreme of a 180, and yet still be heading toward the goal.

Sutter Island is no longer in theaters where I am and I haven’t been able to find a release date for the DVD. I’ll see if the library has the book. :-)

]]> By: Bruce H. Johnson http://storyfix.com/my-new-favorite-storytelling-analogy/comment-page-1#comment-3120 Bruce H. Johnson Mon, 19 Apr 2010 17:23:00 +0000 http://storyfix.com/?p=2470#comment-3120 Re the landings: The analogy of the staircase in an office building really works. When you get to a landing, though, beware of entering the building and wandering around the floor and visiting "Simon Legree Management". That would be worth 6 months of pantser re-writing. The goal is to get to the top landing (perhaps it's the roof) so you/the reader can see all the glory. Re the landings: The analogy of the staircase in an office building really works. When you get to a landing, though, beware of entering the building and wandering around the floor and visiting “Simon Legree Management”. That would be worth 6 months of pantser re-writing.

The goal is to get to the top landing (perhaps it’s the roof) so you/the reader can see all the glory.

]]> By: Shane Arthur http://storyfix.com/my-new-favorite-storytelling-analogy/comment-page-1#comment-3119 Shane Arthur Mon, 19 Apr 2010 16:59:04 +0000 http://storyfix.com/?p=2470#comment-3119 Larry, sorry I meant an hour and a half. For me the FPP in Weird Science starts when Kelly LaBrock says "So, what would you little maniacs like to do first." And in Uncle Buck it's when Uncle Buck meets Tia (his teenaged antagonist) in the kitchen and realizes what he's up against. Am I wrong here? Larry, sorry I meant an hour and a half.

For me the FPP in Weird Science starts when Kelly LaBrock says “So, what would you little maniacs like to do first.”
And in Uncle Buck it’s when Uncle Buck meets Tia (his teenaged antagonist) in the kitchen and realizes what he’s up against.

Am I wrong here?

]]> By: jennifer blanchard http://storyfix.com/my-new-favorite-storytelling-analogy/comment-page-1#comment-3117 jennifer blanchard Mon, 19 Apr 2010 16:54:07 +0000 http://storyfix.com/?p=2470#comment-3117 This is a really great analogy! It really helps to illustrate the four parts of a story in a way that anyone can understand (b/c who hasn't seen stairs?). In fact, it even helped ME to understand it better, and I think I already have a pretty good understanding of it. You mention Shutter Island as a great movie for watching story structure unfold. I'd also like to suggest seeing the movie (an oldie) "Twister." I watched it three times over the weekend because the story structure in it is so good. It perfectly follows all of the four parts and I was even able to pick out the FPP, midpoint and the SPP, which I've never been able to do with other movies. This is a really great analogy! It really helps to illustrate the four parts of a story in a way that anyone can understand (b/c who hasn’t seen stairs?). In fact, it even helped ME to understand it better, and I think I already have a pretty good understanding of it.

You mention Shutter Island as a great movie for watching story structure unfold. I’d also like to suggest seeing the movie (an oldie) “Twister.” I watched it three times over the weekend because the story structure in it is so good. It perfectly follows all of the four parts and I was even able to pick out the FPP, midpoint and the SPP, which I’ve never been able to do with other movies.

]]> By: Larry http://storyfix.com/my-new-favorite-storytelling-analogy/comment-page-1#comment-3116 Larry Mon, 19 Apr 2010 16:10:07 +0000 http://storyfix.com/?p=2470#comment-3116 Glad you're all liking and getting this. I think the real value of it, for me, is that it reminds us that we are as much writing toward the next plot point as we are writing toward the end of the story. The latter is the pitfall of non-structure-driven writers, and pantsers (often the same), which results in a linear story without flowing changes in context and transitioning conflict. Glad you’re all liking and getting this. I think the real value of it, for me, is that it reminds us that we are as much writing toward the next plot point as we are writing toward the end of the story. The latter is the pitfall of non-structure-driven writers, and pantsers (often the same), which results in a linear story without flowing changes in context and transitioning conflict.

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