The Structure of Story: How to Write Great Stories by Focusing on What Really Matters

Honestly, I wish I had this book years ago, my writing and storytelling would be leaps ahead already. Since I got this book, my personal writing projects are seeing dramatic improvement and I am having more breakthroughs and working through problem spots with greater ease. If you are interested in screenwriting or storytelling at any level—beginner, intermediate, expert—this is an incredible resource you'll absolutely want in your library. It's thick at over 400 pages. It's a wealth of information taught in a simple, easy-to-understand manner, along with examples so you can see the application. The examples from movies and books are not obscure, they're movies and stories you've actually seen or read before. What I love most about the book that Ross Hartmann has written is that he teaches the principles of storytelling and structure in "microlearning" blocks that are easy to digest, with most subsections averaging one page. I'm insanely busy (aren't we all), and this book makes it easy to pop it open and learn something in 5 minutes if that's all the time I have, or go longer. Because of the smaller microlearning sections, you're not committed to a full hour of reading. In one page of reading, you'll understand the principle and how to apply it to your own work. The way Ross teaches in this book is clear and concise—he gets to the heart of the message quickly without unnecessary fluff. For the price and what you get (amount, quality, ease of understanding) this book is a must-buy. You'll be making breakthroughs in no time with your writing and your storytelling will dramatically improve. It makes an incredible reference to return to as well, with all topics easy to find in the index. Bonus points: The author is very accessible and helpful on social media at Kiingo Creative.

Me gustó que su enfoque es muy práctico porque el autor va al punto y sin ser dogmático resalta los puntos medulares de lo que es de interés para los que hemos recorrido otros libros que pueden ser esquemáticos y dogmáticos. A mí me parece incluso estimulante y fresco.

Urgency! Deadline! Ticking Clocks! All add dramatic effect and suspense! @kiingocreative, Ross Hartmann, writes a great guide to the why of storytelling - engaging people with drama and changing people with theme. I have been searching for a resource to explain suspense for months, and in a 2 min flip through this book - I got it! #moneysworth. This book goes deep below the surface of storytelling to the 4th level. We come in with a broad view of the landscape, move in closer to the architecture, closer again to the people, and finally, we are immersed in the scene with our hands touching things, our eyes focusing, our minds judging, our hearts emoting. We are sweating and living through the events with the writer and characters. Ross explains there are no set rules to get our audience engaged in our story, but tools, like ticking clocks which add suspense or drama, anxiety, or urgency to a scene. 5 stars.

Whether you are interested in writing your own stories, or just interested in how films and Tv are structured-- to enjoy the craft of the professionals who spend there lives perfecting their passions, squeezing out the dreams through talent and hard work. This book is the absolute bible for everything revolving around a story. Ultra short chapters, extremely well thought out and put together, with examples from films that we all know. I don't see how there could ever be a better book put together on this subject. It's ultra digestible, ultra palatable from a total novice to 100% usable for the highest level of story tellers. Not only is this a learning tool, but exactly that: A tool. The chapters are perfectly constructed so that you can easily go back and almost like a checklist, check off aspects of your story. I can't say enough good things about this book. I will use it forever probably, as a reference, going back though it, making sure I didn't miss anything and making sure it's in my story. This is a must for any and all people who are interested in the mechanics of storytelling. I could go on and on, but the more I would effuse praise on this, it might turn someone off it as too good to be true. I have zero affiliation with whoever wrote this, it's just rare I find something put together in this way. No 20 page chapters, going on and on, filling space with words to arrive at the predetermined number of words for to get the book published. Did I mention there are like over 400 pages of this. Crazy. Strunk and White have the grammar bible for the most part, this is on that level for storytelling. Anyways! Give it a try, you won't be let down. Also as you can see in the picture--I normally highlight everything I feel is useful. Most of my books have sparse highlighting, this I just gave up after the first 20 pages, because there is not a word that doesn't have a purpose of being there.

I have a mountain of story writing craft books, many of them useful, but this one tops them all. In a concrete, analytical way, Ross Hartmann provides tools for creating narrative drive in a story, that is emotionally engaging and deeply meaningful.