Story

Story: Recapture the Mystery
$14.99
Story is Steven James' simultaneous telling of the Biblical narrative and his own journey of reading the Bible. The two stories are intertwined well, though at times it does get confusing. It isn't a Cliff's Notes for the Bible. It is James' telling of how the Bible has affected him, and what the individual stories mean to him.

The book is thoughtful, and the author raises many questions, doubts, and fears that many other people have. The unique aspect of this book, however, is the tone the narrator takes. James does not preach, and is not concerned with trying to convince you of anything. It is almost as if there is no agenda, like reading a journal of an honest, self-aware person.

James also sprinkles poetry and scripture through out the book, making it an interesting read that never drags. The reader is never allowed to get into a boring rhythm, glancing over words. James makes sure that the prose is deliberate and meaningful, making this a slow, careful read. Definitely an interesting story.

The Story
$7.99
Since the 2008 Newport Folk Festival I have been listening to Brandi Carlile music. As I collect her work it becomes increasingly clear that the emotional stories and passion for song writing increases the happiness in my life. Don't miss this one.

The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller
$17.00
I think this book is really interesting and helpful if you take it with a grain of salt and just read it and try to answer some of the big questions. For instance:

Do the main character and the opposition actually want the same thing? If so, what is it?

How do subplots echo and enhance the main plot?

There's a bunch of good questions in here that I had never really considered asking myself before.

However, if you try to actually do EVERYTHING he says, you will go insane just trying to sort out exactly what it is he wants. The book is long and repetitive and not always entirely clear (mostly because I suspect he just started making stuff up at some level so that this would look original and he would seem like some kind of genius).

As many people have pointed out, he hasn't really applied the stuff himself to any great acclaim. He's created a system of deconstructing a piece AFTER it was written, which is what writing gurus all do. That is not at all the same thing as showing someone how to write a piece before they write it. As such, it gives you things to think about, but it is not exactly what it claims to be.

I would be much happier if he had just made a workbook with questions that I could follow and answer and thus be able to avoid wading through all the repetitive meandering.

Walt Disney Animation Studios The Archive Series: Story (Walt Disney Animation Archives)
$50.00
this is an interesting book to just sit down and look at or take the time to read...I had bought it hoping to better my drawing skills and I feel this book didn't do it...karen