Storytelling as Art & Craftsmanship: Practical Strategies for Screenwriters and Creative Writers

Storytelling as Art and Craftsmanship examines the elements of storytelling in films and traditional creative writing genres. Dennis M. Clausen demonstrates that screenwriters and creative writers have much to teach one another. Screenwriters are masters of structure, whereas novelists are masters of voice and other elements of storytelling. Citing examples from screenplays, films, classical literature, drama, and even historical stories that live on in our national memories, Clausen examines the common grounds that unite these stories. He demonstrates that storytellers in all genres are both artists who engage in spontaneous and organic decision-making, but also craftsmen who shape, anticipate, and structure their stories for maximum dramatic effect. Classroom-tested exercises are also included at the end of each chapter.