For one thing, showing the how and why of human life is a monumental job. If you want to become a master storyteller, and maybe even get paid to be one, you run up against tremendous obstacles. The problem comes in telling a great story. " We see, hear, read, and tell thousands of stories in our lives. "You won't believe what happened at work." Or "Guess what I just did!" Or "A guy goes into a bar.
They are the stars of this book, these amazing, wonderful authors, and they have given us all anĮVERYONE CAN TELL a story. A writer needs good readers above all, and they are the best.įinally, I want to thank the screenwriters, novelists, and playwrights whose well-told tales inspired me to explore the anatomy of story. I would especially like to thank Kaaren Kitchell, Anna Waterhouse, Dawna Kemper, and Cassandra Lane, who took time out from their writing to give me hundreds of suggestions for improving this book. This book also benefited immensely from my past students, whose intense commitment to the craft of writing drove me to seek a clear translation of story theory into practice. Many people gave me useful feedback on the text and the writing process, most notably Tim Truby, Patty Meyer, Bob Ellis, Alex Kustanovich, and Leslie Lehr. This book would not exist were it not for my agent, Noah Lukeman, and my editor, Denise Oswald, who, along with her colleagues, showed me the first-class treatment for which Farrar, Straus and Giroux is famous.