Book Art

Not only do I love to read and write books, I love to make pretty things out of books. These are just some of my favorites:

Barton Lidicé Beneš used nails and rope to bind the 

written word to symbolize censorship.

Kaspen made the story jump right out of the pages. Wow...magnificent! 

 Cara Barer turned this picture book into a flowing work of art. 

The colors work perfectly with this design.

Wentworth suspended books to the ceiling, giving the room a magical feeling. I think that we all of stories floating around in our heads...a lot like these floating books.

This took some patience. I don't how you do this, Isaac Salazar, 

but I'm impressed. 

If you were wondering what you can do with those phone books that the government still delivers to your doorstep, then go no further. 

Introducing the flower-shaped pencil holder:

This reminds me of M.C. Escher in book form.  

Beube creates some amazing work.

Storyboarding

Welcome! I hope that this blog helps you write your book. I love using storyboards. They help me put raw, random ideas into a linear format.

I start with around 30 items that could be in my book. This creates a list of islands that aren't even connected to each other yet. Then I find the five most important points of my book. When these five points are mapped out they create the W structure.  This structure was used by Aristotle and can be used for any genre.

Let's talk about those five points. Every story has rising action and falling action throughout the book. This creates the drama, excitement, and worry.

1. The Triggering Event is the event such as a murder, a wedding, etc, that starts the story.

2. The First Turning Point occurs as a result of the triggering event.

3. Ideas to handling the problem lead to the upward motion as hope seems to be on the horizon. This leads to the  Conflict in point 3.

4. The conflict runs the emotion downward to the Second Turning Point. This is the lowest point of the entire book and forces a change within the protagonist and possibly other characters.

5. As understanding and change occur, we end up at Resolution.

The W lets me know where my story is going next. This keeps my writing going and helps to prevent serious writer's block. So try it! I hope that this helps you!

Plot Types

There of lots of plot types out there. It’s important to find yours.

Plot Types :

1.   Love story

a. sub-type, buddy salvation (can be friendship)

2.  Horror

a.   Uncanny—horrific parts are astounding, but has rational explanation

b.  Supernatural—source of horror is irrational (spirit realm)

c.   Super uncanny—keep readers guessing as to source

3.   Western

4.  War (can be setting for many plot types including love story and science fiction)

a.  About combat

b. If it’s prowar—military thriller (Dale Brown, Tom Clancy)

c.  If antiwar—political thriller (Venturian Candidate)

5. Coming of age

a. Example—Bambi

6.   Redemption story

a.  Character driven, all about moral change within protagonist

b.  Can appear in any fiction genre

7. Punitive plot

a. More in mainstream, character driven books

b. Good guy turns bad and is punished

c. Example—Rage of Angels by Sidney Sheldon, Godfather I & II

8.  Educational plot

a.Deep change in protag. view of life, people, or self

b. Example: Great Gatsby

9.    Disillusionment plot

a.   Also Great Gatsby

10.                   Comedy (ranges from parody to romantic to satire to black)

a. Can be gentle or caustic

b. Chick lit is example of comedy

c.  Science fiction has comedic sub-genres

11.                    Crime Plot

From whose point of view do we regard the crime?

a.   Murder mystery—detective pov

b.   Caper—criminals pov

c.    Detective—cop’s pov

d.   Gangster—crook’s pov

e.   Thriller/revenge—victim’s pov

f.      Courtroom—attourney’s pov

g.  Newspaper—reporter’s pov

h.  Espionage—spy’s pov

i.       Prison drama—inmate’s pov

12. Social drama

a.    Deals w/ problems in society.  Story about cure/solution.

b.    Much women’s fiction has this.

c.     Political drama—see in thrillers and mysteries

d.    Eco drama—battle to save environment

e.     Psycho dramas—mental illness

13.                  Action-adventure

a.                In many genres including science fiction, romance

b.                High adventure—fun

c.Disaster survival—more serious

14.               Historical drama

a.  Can be used in any genre, supra plot type

b.  Reader lives today, so must be pertinent to readers today

c.  Example—Dangerous Liaisons—central focus is still pertinent—courtship as combat, battle for sexual supremacy

15.   Science Fiction

a.      Setting affects plot, can encompass many different plot types

16.                   Sports

a. Tests characters physically, mentally, emotionally

17.                Fantasy

a.  Action, love, politics can fit inside this.

b.  Certain conventions for every plot type.  Example: disillusionment—change in values, western—west setting, love story—someone meets someone, crime story—needs a crime

The genre must accommodate expectations of plot type and genre:

·          Comedy—no one gets hurt

·          Crime—need crime, sleuth, motivation, crime can’t happen too late

·          Have you read in this genre?

o   Know what you love in this genre?

o   Look at top 3 writers.  What do they do that works so well?

o   What do you find boring?  Exciting?

Make the limitations work:

·          These things work for you, not against you.  This way you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

·          Writing talent is a muscle.  When you don’t have something to push against, it atrophies.

·          Love story—boy meets girl is not a cliché, it’s a convention.  Where cliché starts is in how they meet.  Do you have two dynamic individuals who are forced to share an adventure?

·          Make the frustration work for you.  Make your imagination come up with a good idea.

·          Action/adventure—convention—protagonist at mercy of villain and must turn the tables.  This scene is imperative and must test protagonist’s ingenuity and skill to survive.  Test must happen.  fresh—when Harrison Ford shoots “goliath” wielding sword

·          Every fresh convention spawns new clichés. 

·          Love story—biggest challenge is what’s going to keep them apart.  Menander—parents of girl oppose the match.  After that, blocking characters were force opposed to love.  Shakespeare—both parents (Romeo and Juliet), 20^th century—parental approval no longer matters

o   Witness—blocking force is her culture

o   Harry met Sally—belief that friendship and love incompatible

o   Ghost—death is blocking character