<p/><br></br><p><b> About the Book </b></p></br></br>Includes a checklist to help you improve every aspect of your fiction writing.<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br>You've just boarded a plane. You've loaded your phone with your favorite podcasts, but before you can pop in your earbuds, disaster strikes: The guy in the next seat starts telling you all about something crazy that happened to him--in great detail. This is the unwelcome storyteller, trying to convince a reluctant audience to care about his story. <p/> We all hate that guy, right? But when you tell a story (any kind of story: a novel, a memoir, a screenplay, a stage play, a comic, or even a cover letter), you become the unwelcome storyteller. <p/> So how can you write a story that audiences will embrace? The answer is simple: Remember what it feels like to be that jaded audience. Tell the story that would win you over, even if you didn't want to hear it. <p/><i>The Secrets of Story</i> provides comprehensive, audience-focused strategies for becoming a master storyteller. Armed with the Ultimate Story Checklist, you can improve every aspect of your fiction writing with incisive questions like these: <p/> - <b>Concept: </b> Is the one-sentence description of your story uniquely appealing?<br> - <b>Character: </b> Can your audience identify with your hero?<br> - <b>Structure and Plot: </b> Is your story ruled by human nature?<br> - <b>Scene Work: </b> Does each scene advance the plot and reveal character through emotional reactions?<br> - <b>Dialogue: </b> Is your characters' dialogue infused with distinct personality traits and speech patterns based on their lives and backgrounds?<br> - <b>Tone: </b> Are you subtly setting, resetting, and upsetting expectations?<br> - <b>Theme: </b> Are you using multiple ironies throughout the story to create meaning?<br>To succeed in the world of fiction and film, you have to work on every aspect of your craft and satisfy your audience. Do both--and so much more--with <i>The Secrets of Story</i>.<p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br>Matt Bird is a certifiable writing-craft genius. --<b>Cheryl Klein</b>, Senior Editor at Arthur A. Levine Books <p/>What makes this book valuable is how practical Bird is with his advice--every chapter is full of craft tricks and little insights that help take a moment from 'good enough' to 'great!' Consider his 'one-touch rule, ' which can instantly add focus and shape to even the smallest scene. This book is full of real tools for real storytellers. --<b>Jonathan Auxier</b>, author of <i>The Night Gardener</i> <p/>The Ultimate Story Checklist is the clearest road map I've seen for helping writers get to what makes a compelling story. I've been sharing Matthew's guide with writers for years. --<b>Andrew Harwell</b>, author of <i>The Spider Ring</i> <p/>Matt Bird has cracked the code on how satisfying stories work. His insights will sharpen your plots, freshen your characters, and liberate your imagination. I always come away from reading Matt Bird feeling inspired and invigorated. --<b>James Kennedy</b>, author of <i>The Order of Odd Fish</i> <p/>Bird's advice raises the bar and encourages 'writing greatness.' It's rare to find such clear and insightful tips about working at the most advanced end of the craft. --<b>Elizabeth Fama</b>, author of <i>Monstrous Beauty</i> <p/>After I followed Matt Bird's writing advice, I received an offer of representation from an agent who called my manuscript 'masterfully structured.' It's a testament to how helpful Bird's advice has been--I've learned more from him than from any other book about writing, and certainly more than from taking any writing class. --<b>Parker Peevyhouse</b>, author of <i>Where Futures End</i> <p/>Matt Bird's blog is possibly my favorite resource on storytelling, maybe even more than Robert McKee's Story. It's really insightful on story structure--detailed without being too rigid, and with a keen appreciation for both big blockbusters and smaller stories. --<b>Emily Horner</b>, author of <i>A Love Story Starring My Dead Best Friend</i><br><p/><br></br><p><b> About the Author </b></p></br></br><b>Matt Bird</b> has an MFA in screenwriting from Columbia University. He developed these ideas on his popular blog, Cockeyed Caravan. He works as a screenwriter in Chicago, where he and his wife, Betsy, are raising two delightful little kids.
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