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Developing Story Ideas

The Power and Purpose of Storytelling
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( 71 ratings, 6 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Developing Story Ideas: The Power and Purpose of Storytelling, Third Edition by Michael Rabiger equips writers with practical tools to generate original stories across various forms, including screenplays, documentaries, novels, short stories, and plays. The book guides readers through observing personal experiences, themes, dreams, myths, and current events as inspiration, and offers step-by-step exercises on screenplay format, dialogue, plot structure, and character development to fully realise story potential.

This updated edition includes new chapters on adaptation, improvisation, and collaboration in story construction, complemented by a companion website with additional projects and teaching resources.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

Ideal for aspiring screenwriters, novelists, playwrights, and storytellers seeking a foundational guide to generating and developing original story ideas with practical exercises and creative inspiration.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

The vast majority of screenplay and writing books that focus on story development have little to say about the initial concept that inspired the piece.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

The vast majority of screenplay and writing books that focus on story development have little to say about the initial concept that inspired the piece. Developing Story Ideas: The Power and Purpose of Storytelling, Third Edition provides writers with ideational tools and resources to generate a wide variety of stories in a broad range of forms. Celebrated filmmaker and author Michael Rabiger demonstrates how to observe situations and themes in the writer’s own life experience, and use these as the basis for original storytelling.

This new edition has been updated with chapters on adaptation, improvisation, and cast collaboration’s roles in story construction, as well as a companion website featuring further projects, class assignments, instructor resources, and more.

  • Gain the practical tools and resources you need to spark your creativity and generate a wide variety of stories in a broad range of forms, including screenplays, documentaries, novels, short stories, and plays.
  • Through hands-on, step-by-step exercises and group and individual assignments, learn to use situations and themes from your own life experience, dreams, myth, and the news as the basis for character-driven storytelling; harness methods of screenplay format, dialogue, plot structure, and character development that will allow your stories to reach their fullest potential.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Jonny Elwyn, freelance film editor, praises the enduring relevance of the book through its three editions, highlighting its unique focus on the critical initial stage of story creation often overlooked by other storytelling manuals.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781138956230

Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 21 July 2016

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Routledge

Edition: 3rd edition

Illustration: 9 Tables, black and white

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education

DIMENSIONS

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 229.0mm

Weight: 340g

Pages: 218

About the Author

Michael Rabigerγ€€began in the cutting rooms of England’s Pinewood and Shepperton Studios, became an editor and BBC director of documentaries, and then specialized for many years in the US as a production and aesthetics educator. At Columbia College Chicago he was co-founder, then chair of the Film/Video Department, and established the Michael Rabiger Center for Documentary. He has directed or edited more than 35 films, given workshops in many countries, and led a multinational European workshop for CILECT. Additionally, he won the International Documentary Association's Scholarship and Preservation Award, served as a Fulbright Specialist in South Africa, and is an honorary professor at the University of Buenos Aires. He is the author of Directing the Documentary, and the co-author of Directing: Film Techniques and Aesthetics, both published by Focal Press and available in multiple languages.

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  • Developing Story Ideas
    The vast majority of screenplay and writing books that focus on story development have little to say about the initial concept that inspired the piece. Developing Story Ideas: The Power and Purpose of Storytelling, Third Edition provides writers with ideational tools and resources to generate a wide variety of stories in a broad range of forms. Celebrated filmmaker and author...
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