My daughter was watching a show on PBS about a dog who travels through time. It worked on multiple timelines with several threads weaving the overall narrative. A pretty complex structure for a kid’s show, or so I thought. I paused by the television on my way to the kitchen for an espresso and sheContinue reading “Story within a story”
Monthly Archives: March 2009
Telling stories for free or profit
How do you make money telling stories? Thousands of MFA students ask themselves that question, usually starting a few weeks after graduation when reality sets in and you find out the world isn’t really that much different than it was when you were sitting in a circle reading from a fistful of laser paper. You’veContinue reading “Telling stories for free or profit”
Using Reversal?
I’m still thinking about last week’s excellent New Yorker article on screenwriter/directory Tony Gilroy. What sticks in my mind is the notion of “the reversal.” According to the article, this is a well-used film convention. I’ve never heard the term, but then I didn’t go to film school and I’ve never read any books onContinue reading “Using Reversal?”
The Dilettante's Field Manual 