The Seven Moments In Storytelling That Really Matter
Christian Blake
Amazon Digital Services
Nonfiction, Writing
**+ (Bad/Okay)
DESCRIPTION: What makes a person sit in a theater for ninety minutes, or sit with a book for nine hours? Why are some tales universally embraced while others are
instantly forgotten? After lengthy analysis of popular movies, author Christian Blake discovered seven recurring elements in every successful story.
A Kindle-exclusive title.
REVIEW: I give Blake credit for attempting a different approach. Rather than focusing on the three-act structure or other staples of writing books, he instead offers
seven elements that occur in well-crafted stories on screen or page. Unfortunately, I found these points too vague to guarantee interest; each one can be just as easily abused
as properly used, and they still don't answer the age-old questions of how to construct a good story arc. To illustrate his "moments," Blake includes a short story of his own
crafting - a story so cliche and unresolved that it distracts rather than elucidates. It might've been more interesting had he pointed out his seven moments in existing
popular works; many classics are in public domain, so rights shouldn't have been an issue.
On the plus side, Blake offers a different way to view plotting and story structure. On the minus side, he fails to demonstrate his "seven moments" effectively. His approach
might help some struggling writers, but, sadly, not this one.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Write as Fast as You Think (Angie Dixon) - My Review
Slow Your Prose (James W. Lewis) - My Review
Words to Write By (Elaine L. Orr) - My Review
Saturday, August 11, 2012
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Perspective Drawing Handbook (Joseph D'Amelio)
Perspective Drawing Handbook
Joseph D'Amelio
Dover Publications
Nonfiction, Art
****+ (Good/Great)
DESCRIPTION: Perspective is the art of observing and representing three-dimensional depth on a two-dimensional surface. Get it right, and a drawing leaps to life. Get it wrong, and it causes no end of frustration. The author uses many illustrations to describe the theory and practice of perspective, from the basic train-track demonstration through advanced subjects. He also includes notes on understanding shade and shadow.
REVIEW: This subject is one of my personal stumbling blocks when it comes to developing my art. D'Amelio's classic book explains the subject matter in a way that even artistic simpletons like myself can understand. I'd be lying if I said I understood it all in one read-through; like most artistic skills, only hard practice and observation can fully drive the lessons home. But, with the help of this guidebook, it's easier to see what one should be doing, and it helps one understand the whys of artistic perspective.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Constructive Anatomy (George B. Bridgman) - My Review
Imaginative Realism (James Gurney) - My Review
How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way (Stan Lee and John Buscema) - My Review
Joseph D'Amelio
Dover Publications
Nonfiction, Art
****+ (Good/Great)
DESCRIPTION: Perspective is the art of observing and representing three-dimensional depth on a two-dimensional surface. Get it right, and a drawing leaps to life. Get it wrong, and it causes no end of frustration. The author uses many illustrations to describe the theory and practice of perspective, from the basic train-track demonstration through advanced subjects. He also includes notes on understanding shade and shadow.
REVIEW: This subject is one of my personal stumbling blocks when it comes to developing my art. D'Amelio's classic book explains the subject matter in a way that even artistic simpletons like myself can understand. I'd be lying if I said I understood it all in one read-through; like most artistic skills, only hard practice and observation can fully drive the lessons home. But, with the help of this guidebook, it's easier to see what one should be doing, and it helps one understand the whys of artistic perspective.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Constructive Anatomy (George B. Bridgman) - My Review
Imaginative Realism (James Gurney) - My Review
How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way (Stan Lee and John Buscema) - My Review
Monday, August 6, 2012
The Takers (R. W. Ridley)
The Takers
(The Oz Chronicles, Book 1)
R. W. Ridley
BookSurge Publishing
Fiction, YA Fantasy/Horror
***+ (Okay/Good)
DESCRIPTION: Thirteen-year-old Oz Griffin lost a week of his life to a high fever... and may well have lost his mind. When he wakes up, his parents are gone, as is everyone in the neighborhood - and maybe the world. With his dog Kimball and the neighbor's newborn boy, Nate, he sets out in search of answers and survivors, not necessarily in that order. The world has been overrun by monsters called Takers, which seem to have escaped from a mentally-challenged classmate's comic books. Unfortunately, their creator, Stevie, committed suicide after years of merciless teasing by boys like Oz. Now, this unlikely and unprepared warrior may be the world's last chance at salvation... assuming he can survive Stevie's vengeful monsters.
REVIEW: Starting fast, The Takers is, by turns, both creepy and surreal. The devastating effects of bullying find physical manifestation in the Takers and other beasts Oz and his companions must face; Stevie, it turns out, wasn't the only special-needs child to birth hordes of monsters from his suffering. Ridley edges close to browbeating on this point, though I personally felt more annoyed at how the two female characters seemed largely helpless compared to the boys. On the whole, it moved quickly, though the plot tends to handwave logic away by having the quest dictated by the late Stevie's comic book; characters often do (or don't do) things simply because "that's how it is" or "it just feels right." It also ends on a cliffhanger, leading into the second Oz book. Ridley also lost some credibility with poor research; he has horses "slow down" to a gallop, and crossbows firing arrows instead of bolts or quarrels. (Minor things, true, but such little mistakes made me more critical of the overall story arc.) Overall, while I won't be following Oz Griffin's future adventures, I can definitely say that I've read worse stories.
You Might Also Enjoy:
I Was a Teenage Fairy (Francesca Lia Block) - My Review
The Tiger Rising (Kate DiCamillo) - My Review
Game Over - Extended Edition (Todd Thorne) - My Review
(The Oz Chronicles, Book 1)
R. W. Ridley
BookSurge Publishing
Fiction, YA Fantasy/Horror
***+ (Okay/Good)
DESCRIPTION: Thirteen-year-old Oz Griffin lost a week of his life to a high fever... and may well have lost his mind. When he wakes up, his parents are gone, as is everyone in the neighborhood - and maybe the world. With his dog Kimball and the neighbor's newborn boy, Nate, he sets out in search of answers and survivors, not necessarily in that order. The world has been overrun by monsters called Takers, which seem to have escaped from a mentally-challenged classmate's comic books. Unfortunately, their creator, Stevie, committed suicide after years of merciless teasing by boys like Oz. Now, this unlikely and unprepared warrior may be the world's last chance at salvation... assuming he can survive Stevie's vengeful monsters.
REVIEW: Starting fast, The Takers is, by turns, both creepy and surreal. The devastating effects of bullying find physical manifestation in the Takers and other beasts Oz and his companions must face; Stevie, it turns out, wasn't the only special-needs child to birth hordes of monsters from his suffering. Ridley edges close to browbeating on this point, though I personally felt more annoyed at how the two female characters seemed largely helpless compared to the boys. On the whole, it moved quickly, though the plot tends to handwave logic away by having the quest dictated by the late Stevie's comic book; characters often do (or don't do) things simply because "that's how it is" or "it just feels right." It also ends on a cliffhanger, leading into the second Oz book. Ridley also lost some credibility with poor research; he has horses "slow down" to a gallop, and crossbows firing arrows instead of bolts or quarrels. (Minor things, true, but such little mistakes made me more critical of the overall story arc.) Overall, while I won't be following Oz Griffin's future adventures, I can definitely say that I've read worse stories.
You Might Also Enjoy:
I Was a Teenage Fairy (Francesca Lia Block) - My Review
The Tiger Rising (Kate DiCamillo) - My Review
Game Over - Extended Edition (Todd Thorne) - My Review
Sunday, August 5, 2012
The Big Book of Realistic Drawing Secrets (Carrie Stuart Parks and Rick Parks)
The Big Book of Realistic Drawing Secrets
Carrie Stuart Parks and Rick Parks
North Light Books
Nonfiction, Art
**** (Good)
DESCRIPTION: Many people want to draw well, but can't figure out the secret that transforms wonky lines and scribbles into a true-to-life picture. They say practice makes perfect, but it doesn't seem to make any difference. The authors, professional artists, explain and demonstrate the simple lessons and techniques that can teach anyone how to draw realistically.
REVIEW: With clear instructions and a little humor, this book offers basic drawing techniques with numerous demonstrations and step-by-step projects. Of course, no book can replace the practice it takes to truly master a skill like art, but practicing without understanding what goes into a realistic drawing, or what's gone wrong, only gets one so far. Some of the demonstrations got repetitive, and I believe Parks did a disservice by undervaluing "traditional" art subjects like perspective and anatomy, which help an artist understand what they're seeing; endless copies of pictures alone might produce a great artist, or it might produce a human photocopier. Despite that flaw, however, The Big Book of Realistic Drawing Secrets holds plenty of information for would-be artists, and practicing its methods should produce encouraging results.
You Might Also Enjoy:
The Fundamentals of Drawing Landscapes (Barrington Barber) - My Review
Drawing the Head and Figure (Jack Hamm) - My Review
Figure Drawing Without a Model (Ron Tiner) - My Review
Carrie Stuart Parks and Rick Parks
North Light Books
Nonfiction, Art
**** (Good)
DESCRIPTION: Many people want to draw well, but can't figure out the secret that transforms wonky lines and scribbles into a true-to-life picture. They say practice makes perfect, but it doesn't seem to make any difference. The authors, professional artists, explain and demonstrate the simple lessons and techniques that can teach anyone how to draw realistically.
REVIEW: With clear instructions and a little humor, this book offers basic drawing techniques with numerous demonstrations and step-by-step projects. Of course, no book can replace the practice it takes to truly master a skill like art, but practicing without understanding what goes into a realistic drawing, or what's gone wrong, only gets one so far. Some of the demonstrations got repetitive, and I believe Parks did a disservice by undervaluing "traditional" art subjects like perspective and anatomy, which help an artist understand what they're seeing; endless copies of pictures alone might produce a great artist, or it might produce a human photocopier. Despite that flaw, however, The Big Book of Realistic Drawing Secrets holds plenty of information for would-be artists, and practicing its methods should produce encouraging results.
You Might Also Enjoy:
The Fundamentals of Drawing Landscapes (Barrington Barber) - My Review
Drawing the Head and Figure (Jack Hamm) - My Review
Figure Drawing Without a Model (Ron Tiner) - My Review
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Word Watch: A Writer's Guide to the Slippery, Sneaky and Otherwise Tricky(Patricia McLinn)
Word Watch: A Writer's Guide to the Slippery, Sneaky and Otherwise Tricky
Patricia McLinn
Patricia McLinn, publisher
Nonfiction, Writing
**** (Good)
DESCRIPTION: English is, as the poets say, a tricky tongue, full of words that confound even native speakers. If you think it's easy deciding whether to use "fewer" or "lesser," or think "inflammable" is the opposite of "flammable," you have another think coming.
What's that? It's "thing," not "think," you say? Not according to the dictionary, or the experts. McLinn explores the ins and outs of words that trip up even seasoned novelists.
A Kindle-exclusive title.
REVIEW: Compiled from a monthly column published in writers' periodicals, Word Watch wittily explores oft-misused and outright abused words. Even if you think you know the English language pretty well, you're sure to learn something new here, unless you work for Webster... and even the dictionaries, apparently, argue over proper usage and terminology. Once in a while, McLinn gets a little too clever for her own good, but overall she does an admirable job sorting out the tangled mess that is modern English. A quick, informative, and fun read for writers and readers alike!
You Might Also Enjoy:
Mrs. Byrne's Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure, and Preposterous Words (Josefa Heifetz Byrne) - My Review
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers (Renni Browne and Davie King) - My Review
Who's... (oops!) Whose Grammar Book Is This, Anyway? (C. Edward Good) - My Review
Patricia McLinn
Patricia McLinn, publisher
Nonfiction, Writing
**** (Good)
DESCRIPTION: English is, as the poets say, a tricky tongue, full of words that confound even native speakers. If you think it's easy deciding whether to use "fewer" or "lesser," or think "inflammable" is the opposite of "flammable," you have another think coming.
What's that? It's "thing," not "think," you say? Not according to the dictionary, or the experts. McLinn explores the ins and outs of words that trip up even seasoned novelists.
A Kindle-exclusive title.
REVIEW: Compiled from a monthly column published in writers' periodicals, Word Watch wittily explores oft-misused and outright abused words. Even if you think you know the English language pretty well, you're sure to learn something new here, unless you work for Webster... and even the dictionaries, apparently, argue over proper usage and terminology. Once in a while, McLinn gets a little too clever for her own good, but overall she does an admirable job sorting out the tangled mess that is modern English. A quick, informative, and fun read for writers and readers alike!
You Might Also Enjoy:
Mrs. Byrne's Dictionary of Unusual, Obscure, and Preposterous Words (Josefa Heifetz Byrne) - My Review
Self-Editing for Fiction Writers (Renni Browne and Davie King) - My Review
Who's... (oops!) Whose Grammar Book Is This, Anyway? (C. Edward Good) - My Review
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)