Writing Adventures

Dragon Con Panel: Storytelling…Is it a Lost Art?

25th September, 2009 - No Comments

Storytelling…Is It a Lost Art?

Sandra Angelin Chastain, Katherine Kurtz, James A. Moore, Stacy Hague-Hill, Gene Wolfe

Key Points

Storytelling:

Storytelling is evolving, not dying.

Character, Theme, Atmosphere, Plot – hit two in every paragraph.

Good stories are moving, truthful and relatable.

Everything is in play – spin the plate and see how they fall.

Find the seed, Illuminate it, let it grow.

Start at an intersection, not in the driveway.

Start at the beginning of the plot.

Be aware of the genre’s tropes, bring something New.

Dialogue creates character.

Advice:

All of us fail. Judge success, not failure.

Let go of your quirks, but don’t lose your voice.

Take classes, find groups, get critiques.

Read, study, read, learn.