Questions About Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting

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Does this guide apply to all types of storytellers or just screenwriting?

Patrick Rogers All types. A sample from the book (paraphrased): Story research includes research of memory, which is the mining of our personal experience for use in…moreAll types. A sample from the book (paraphrased): Story research includes research of memory, which is the mining of our personal experience for use in our stories, and research of imagination, such as a writer contemplating in vivid detail what it is like to walk in her character’s shoes. The third element of story research is the most obvious: research of fact. Usually—but not always—determining one’s core story idea comes first, followed by story research.

“A beautifully told story is a symphonic unity in which structure, setting, character, genre and idea meld seamlessly,” he writes. “To find their harmony, the writer must study the elements of story as if they were the instruments of an orchestra—first separately, then in concert.”
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