Scene and Structure (Elements of Fiction Writing)

Customer Reviews:

Solid and useful.......2007-09-27

I have used this book to teach plotting to creative writing students, so my review is based on how well absolute novice writers respond to the ideas he puts forth in this book. On the whole, they respond positively. Once they grasp the standard three-act structure of a plot, they find his scene-sequel formula to be IMMENSELY helpful figuring out how to work out options for rising action. A few students complain that they don't like being taught a *formula*, and it seems a few reviewers have that gripe as well.

I'll say here what I say in class. First, if a formula happens to have been successful (as you can see if you break down almost any movie or popular novel), eh, maybe just this once it might be worth your time to learn it. Just file it away somewhere or something. Second, just because Bickham advocates a linear tic-tock scene-sequel way of composing your plot, that does not mean, nor does Bickham anywhere say, that you have to TELL the story in simple lockstep straightforward chronology. Once you have the basic idea of what's going to happen and why, you can start the story whenever you darn well please. You can start just at the climax, if you want, and tell the story through disconnected flashbacks, so that readers have to piece together the shards into the picture of the story arc. You can tell the story as an epistolary novel. You can tell it by varied protagonists. The only limit is imagination of the author. If you hate this book because you can't figure out new and creative ways to apply his basic formula, that doesn't necessarily equate with the *book* being worthless.

My students are grateful because (and remember they're all fledgling writers) this book's ideas give them handles to grasp when they sit down to write. I don't advocate the whole 'scene goal clearly stated to the reader' thing Bickham states, but if you as the WRITER have no idea what the scene goal is, or how things are going to wind up worse for the protagonist, chances are pretty high there will be a high Flounder Quotient in your plotting. All in all, it's worth your time and money as long as you are willing to view it as a plotting aid device and not the Magic Potion of Writing. It's a skeleton upon which one can reliably hang decent stories: my students are invariably impressed at the end of the semester both at their own ingenuity in storytelling and how they managed to create a story that *moves* and unfolds logically.

You make it sound like it's a bad thing.......2007-09-27

I have this book as well as Dwight Swains Techniques of the Selling Writer, I am working through them both as I learn fiction writing, hopefully for a profit. Yes, I hope to make money off of writing; it seems there are a few reviews here making profit sound like an evil thing and this book, the spawn of that evil.

If I needed to write "important" books, or to help the world with my writing, I wouldn't want this book, I'd want an MFA. This is about fun, writing fun and reading fun, at least to me anyway. I want books I wright to be fun, fun to write and fun to read. I'll take "Pot Boiling" as some other reviews have stated this is, I'm quite content to leave windmill tilting to more suitably equipped, perhaps better educated individuals. I want to learn to spin yarns, sturdy yarns that sell, this book seems a good place for me to start. For me, someone looking to tell a better story, Bickham and Swain are helping out a lot.

In the eye of the beholder........2007-08-18

I think it is the best book I have (out of the dozen or so books on writing). It depends on where you are as a writer and what your strengths and weaknesses are. My writing seems most creative when not following structure, a few scenes here and there, until a strong enough idea develops. At this point I need to start thinking about structure before I continue. I work out the general ideas for the Beginning, middle, and end until I have a one page synopsis. In the next step I work on the characters as much as possible, this is where my primary ideas for plotting the story comes in - through the characters. I expand on the synopsis until I have a more detailed roadmap with room for creativity. This is where I begin to think about scenes, and Jack M. Bickham gives you the best questions to ask about your scene and what to employ into it. This book has improved the way my mind structures the scene internally and thus my scenes are much clearer and focused. It is not a matter of following his steps implicitly, but using his ideas when writing your scene. This book has more gold nuggets than any other book I have read for scene structure. Just take a look at the dedication page to Dwight V. Swain, another great book. I only wish I had Dwight's book when I started writing in the 1980's and I wish I knew about Jack M. Bickham when his book came out in the 1990's. These books have been written at a deeper level and requires rereading and thoughtfulness. I am not saying they are not without its imperfections. Anyway, just my opinion.

Useful in Both Cases.......2007-08-16

Scene & Structure is a useful read, even if you hate it. Disagreeing with Bickham's thriller writing style, with his disaster-in-every-scene, and his overall, nearly set in stone approach to telling a story will give you plenty of wonderful examples of exactly what NOT to do in your fiction if you dislike this work.

If, on the other hand, you are looking for direction in your writing and lack any sort of structure whatsoever, reading this will also help. You will make sense of the typical flow of a story, most notably the parrying and jousting between scenes and sequels and get general (very, very general) plotting tips. Bickham's advice will give you a basic starting point to develop your work and eventually break his rules. And for the sake of trees, your time, and the time of your readers, please do break them.

A Writing Essential.......2007-07-01

I would recommend this book to anyone looking to structure their novel, short story, work of fiction, etc.

In all great work of fiction there is a pattern: every thing in it has a reason for being. Scene and Structure shows you how to recognize that pattern and shows you how to create that pattern in your writing. This is so important in writing great fiction, especially literary fiction.

How should you pace your story? How should you introduce and develop the conflict? It's just amazing, when you learn the info in this book and use them, after a while it becomes so easy noticing what a scene needs more of, how to improve it, etc, that writing with a pattern becomes almost instinctive.

Thanks Jack M. Bickam! (I got your other books--this one's the best)

Average customer rating:

Great book from an insightful author
Useful but overstuffed introductory acting text
An excellent text for both the instructor and student.

Acting One
Robert Cohen
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

Used to teach beginning acting on more campuses than any other text, Acting One contains twenty-eight lessons based on experiential exercises. The text covers basic skills such as talking, listening, tactical interplay, physicalizing, building scenes, and making good choices.

Customer Reviews:

Great book from an insightful author.......2000-06-19

I have read through Cohen's "Theatre" and "Acting One" and both are outstanding books on theatre for any actor. It is almost as good as Sidney Lumet's "Making Movies," but without all the fun stories about movie stars. This is one book I actually read for fun, and keep it in my glove compartment when I prepare for auditions. I am glad I am going to the school where this man teaches.

Useful but overstuffed introductory acting text.......1999-11-20

The First Six lessons--goal and obstacle, the other, tactics, expectation, and their summary "GOTE" -- are excellent and concise. Unfortuantely, the book covers a great deal more ground than an introductory class could hope to cover. THe other chapters make good reading, and a student who decides s/he's serious about pursuing acting as a craft would be well served by owning this text. The casual student would be less well served.

An excellent text for both the instructor and student........1999-01-02

His concepts of conflict and theatricality are excellent. Goal, Obstacle, Tactic and Expectation (GOTE)lead to a complete understanding of the actor's craft. For the beginner, this concept is absolutly necessary; the young actor now has a deep understanding of what makes an action theatrical and interesting. Through Cohen's work,the actor can understand and apply Stanislvaski's "beats."

Average customer rating:

Los Angeles (CA) (Scenes of America)
Jeffrey Samudio , and Portia Lee
Manufacturer: Arcadia Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Changing New York: The Architectural Scene (Dover Books on Architecture)

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Streetscapes Past and Present

Changing New York: The Architectural Scene (Dover Books on Architecture)
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Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Over 100 of the best pieces from Gray’s "Streetscape" column for The New York Times. Thoughtful, informative, readable reflections on a host of New York City sites and structures: Metropolitan Museum of Art, Washington Mews in Greenwich Village, Coliseum, Russian Tea Room, FDR Drive, Park Avenue, many more. 110 black-and-white illustrations. Introduction.

Customer Reviews:

Streetscapes Past and Present.......1997-10-16

Anyone familiar with Christopher Gray's Streetscapes column in the Sunday NY Times will love this compilation of his articles.

The column focuses on New York's official and unofficial landmarks and historic sites. Changing New York serves as a handbook on what still is discoverable, a eulogy for lost treasures, and a call to action on endangered sites. All this combined with Gray's knack for uncovering connections through his meticulous detective work.

Behind the Scene: Avant-garde techniques in contemporary design
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Behind the Scene: Avant-garde techniques in contemporary design
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Information technology has brought about a radical change in architectural design. The sketches and plans of yesterday have been transformed by CAD. In this book the authors cast a glance behind the scenes to provide a systematic overview of the tools and technical processes which are now an integral part of todayÂ´s design methods. The most important digital tools are presented, the principal steps are analysed, and the essential concepts are explained. The theoretical information is vividly illustrated by a selection of examples from the world of architecture. A concise and accessible introduction to electronic designing, this book makes the subject easily comprehensible to all who are new to the field, and for those who already involved in digital designing it is a useful recapitulation and orientation.

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Little Rock (AR) (Scenes of America)
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Average customer rating:

Biased and limited picture of Texas' capitol city

Austin (TX) (Scenes of America)
Karen R. Thompson , and Kathy R. Howell
Manufacturer: Arcadia Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
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Austin Then and Now (Then & Now)

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Austin, the capital of the Lone Star State, boasts a rich and fascinating history. Known for its independent spirit, the city played a vital role in Texas government, industry, and culture from the birth of the Republic through decades of change.

Customer Reviews:

Biased and limited picture of Texas' capitol city.......2007-10-01

Austin (TX) (Scenes of America)

This product is far below the usual standards for titles from the Scenes of America series, with the book itself being half the size of a normal book in the series. This book should not have been issued--it is more a personal scrapbook than a worthy history.
Apparently, the authors had access to only a few friends from a few families in order to obtain photos for the book. Missing are photos of many important and well known public buildings, grand old homes (some with historical markers, like the world-renowned Bremond block) and other interesting architecture in the city. For starters, I would suggest the authors do actual research in the Austin Public Library archives and review, for starters, the wonderful "Waterloo Scrapbook" series for excellent photos and actual local history from a variety of neighborhoods and perspectives. There are many other published books that are sources for important photographs and historical details available in the state archives as well.

Average customer rating:

The Structure of Shakespearean Scenes
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Manufacturer: Yale University Press
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Brooklyn (NY) (Scenes of America)
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First Lady, Public Wife: A Behind-The-Scenes History of the Evolving Role of First Ladies in American Political Life

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First Lady, Public Wife: A Behind-The-Scenes History of the Evolving Role of First Ladies in American Political Life
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Book Description

Why, for many centuries, was the wheel abandoned in the Middle East in favor of the camel as a means of transport? This richly illustrated study explains this anomaly. Drawing on archaeology, art, technology, anthropology, linguistics, and camel husbandry, Bulliet explores the implications for the region's economic and social development during the Middle Ages and into modern times.

Customer Reviews:

tour de force.......2000-06-20

Richard Bulliet's, Camel and the Wheel, is a seminal example of social history from the perspective of an animal. In the vein of the French Annales school of Marc Bloch and Ladurie, Bulliet traces the origin of the camel in North America (!), tracks how it got to the Middle East, how it came to be the favourite beast of the Arabs and how it helped to facilitate the lightening Muslim conquests in the 7th century that brought all of North Africa, Spain, the Levant, Iran, and Sind under Muslim control by 711 C.E. Bulliet lays out some surprising discoveries in the realm of camel saddles and explains why they carry the key to the Arab conquests. Significantly, Bulliet posits a brilliant counter-intuitive theory for the disappearance of the wheel from the Middle East for the better part of a millenium--a theory that is no longer even questioned. Readers will find intriguing and superbly documented responses to some of these crucial issues. A veritable historical "who-dunnit", Camel and the Wheel is an entertaining and enlightening read!

I Drive a Garbage Truck (Working Wheels)

Average customer rating:

learn about driving a garbage truck for preschoolers

I Drive a Garbage Truck (Working Wheels)
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Manufacturer: Picture Window Books
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Customer Reviews:

learn about driving a garbage truck for preschoolers.......2007-04-05

Driving a garbage truck seems like a swell job the way it is presented in this fun book for youngsters. I'd say it's great for kids aged 2-5, and my 2 year old loves this book since he loves garbage trucks. The text is simple and the illustrations are simple too, although bright and show the story of this garbage truck driver in an easy to understand way.

Average customer rating:

I Drive a Backhoe (Working Wheels)
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I Drive a Freight Train (Working Wheels)

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I Drive a Street Sweeper (Working Wheels)

Average customer rating:

Nice book

I Drive a Street Sweeper (Working Wheels)
Sarah Bridges
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Customer Reviews:

Nice book.......2007-05-14

My kid loves streetsweepers, its a nice book. He was 3 when I used to read this to him.

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I've Been Working on the Railroad (A Shaped Board Book on Wheels)

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My 15 month old loves it!

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Customer Reviews:

My 15 month old loves it!.......1998-07-08

The book is a great combination of a toy and a book.

My son brings it to me to sing to him and to read to him. he browses the pages and rolls the book along with the wheels that are attached to it.

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