(soft instrumental music)…- So, Jess, do you want to hear the opening of my new story?…- Oh yeah!…- Here goes.…It was a dark and stormy night.…- (laughs) I think that might have been used before.…- I know, I know.…But do you remember those old Peanuts cartoons…when Snoopy would start all his stories…with a dark and stormy night?…- I do, and I think the line originated…from a novel in the 1800s.…- Yes, apparently it's the opening sentence…of a book called Paul Clifford.…
And it has always been mocked as an example…of over the top and melodramatic writing.…- So, probably not something we want to start…our stories and books with, right?…- Probably not.…But one thing the line does well is point to how setting…can be used to evoke a certain mood and atmosphere.…- A scene that is set amid a dark and stormy night…is probably not going to be a very happy and cheery scene.…- Yes, it's much more likely to be a sinister…and foreboding scene that unfolds after…a line like that one.…- Right, and if you started a scene with a line like,…
Released
1/25/2019- Creating memorable characters
- Writing dialogue
- Selecting a point of view
- Using an unreliable narrator
- Narrative style
- Building a setting
- Mood, atmosphere, and emotion
- Crafting a plot, from the setup to the resolution
Skill Level Intermediate
Duration
Views
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1. What to Expect from This Course
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Welcome and what to expect3m 36s
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How this course works5m 44s
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2. Foundation Block 1: Character
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Appearance (foundation)10m 54s
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Thought (foundation)12m 23s
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Action (foundation)7m 43s
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Goals (foundation)8m 17s
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Uniqueness (advanced)8m 23s
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Flaws (advanced)6m 15s
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Change (advanced)6m 58s
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3. Foundation Block 2: Dialogue
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Dialogue tags (foundation)7m 43s
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Subtext (advanced)8m 7s
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Dialect (advanced)8m 50s
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4. Foundation Block 3: Point of View
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Third person (foundation)10m 14s
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First person (foundation)8m 29s
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Second person (advanced)5m 45s
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5. Foundation Block 4: Narrative Style
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Tense (foundation)8m 15s
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Show and tell (foundation)11m 6s
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Flashbacks (advanced)10m 8s
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Different formats (advanced)10m 5s
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6. Foundation Block 5: Setting
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Time period (advanced)6m 42s
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7. Foundation Block 6: Plot
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Act 1: Set up (foundation)5m 34s
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Final Farewell
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Wrapping up2m 58s
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Video: Mood, atmosphere, and emotion (advanced)