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Story Alchemy: The Search for the Philosopher's Stone of Storytelling
Screenwriter? Novelist? Playwright? Write short stories? Story Alchemy presents a powerful new technique for establishing story structure and gaining insight into the entire creative process. If you thought Novelsmithing was good, you'll be blown away by Story Alchemy.
- GenresWriting
218 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 13, 2014
43 people are currently reading
57 people want to read
About the author
David Sheppard
16 books86 followersDavid Sheppard is the author of the non-fiction books Story Alchemy, Novelsmithing and Oedipus on a Pale Horse. David has a bachelor's from Arizona State University and a master's from Stanford University, and he has also studied American Literature at the University of Colorado. His poetry has appeared in The Paris Review, and in the Arvon International Poetry Competition Anthology (Ted Hughes and Seamus Heaney, Editors). A veteran of many writing groups and conferences, David is a past member of the Rocky Mountain Writers Guild, having chaired its Literary Society and participated in its Live Poets Society and Advanced Novel Workshop. He has taught astronomy, novel writing, and Greek mythology at New Mexico State University - Carlsbad. He has also traveled throughout Western Europe, and is an amateur photographer and astronomer.
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October 1, 2023Story Alchemy is a book that delves deep into the depths of the mechanism behind storytelling. With ideas like Plot Pentagon and Iris of Time, it digs deep into what makes up the fabric of a story. In this review, I share some insights I highlighted from the book.
Insights about storytelling
#1 All storytelling is an imitation of life
#2 By staying on the right path to good storytelling, you become worthy
#3 the idea comes from the "chaos" of one's internal psychic state. It may be triggered by an external event or just pop into one's mind out of nowhere
#4 The way to come into closer contact with your idea is to close your eyes and see it as an image
#5 Conflict has many facets, and the storyteller should be student of the art of opposing wills.
#6 Any aspect of human nature and social interaction, when used properly, can be valuable and may even be indispensable in telling your story
#7 protagonist and antagonist are mirror images of each other (yin yang)
#8 the first thing your story should do is "lock the conflict."
#9 conflict is a mechanism for exploring theme And theme is the unifying idea behind the story - Themes speak to the human condition and unify the subject matter. Conflict puts the protagonist and antagonist under stress and reveals their strengths and weaknesses relative to the theme.
#10 A story consists of a sequence of actions that occur when a sympathetic character encounters a complicating situation that he confronts and solves
#11 vivid images will always be of great assistance to your audience in remembering your story
#12 Story creation is a process of looking into a mirror
#13 Realize that the basics of your story already existed before you found it. You are simply dressing it up in new clothes. If you can come to the point where you realize that your storytelling is not your creation but your discovery, you'll begin to truly understand the process. give up the egotistical notion that you created the story. It is a gift, given to you by divine entities who reside within your Unconscious. They gave it to you because you are worthy.
#14 We experience life as story. We are mythical beings, and when confronted with something that seems so contradictory to our being, we have to experience it within the framework of story to fully resolve the internal conflict and emerge with a sense of meaning provided by this, the final event
#15 All the events of the story-unit you are investigating will have cause-and-effect relationships
#16 The sound-syllable Om represents the fundamental thought-form of all-pervading reality. With its associations with the universe in all its manifestation, Om is a complete alphabetical yantra in its own right and can be equated with the creative point, the bindu. It's a cosmic symbol that comes to life through character.
Insights About nature of mind
#17 What is the Unconscious? It is the mind's processes, which are not available for introspection. Said another way, we are not aware of these mental processes. They go on, so to speak, without us. We normally do not realize the presence or understand the influence of the Unconscious on our thoughts. It appears spontaneously in dreams as a dark lake with lots of frightening creatures lurking within.
#18 [The Shadow] owes its existence to the simple fact that all the impulses, thoughts, wishes, and tendencies which run counter to the rational orientation of daily life are denied expression, thrust into the background, and finally fall into the unconscious. There all the things which we have repressed and suppressed, which we have deliberately ignored and devalued gradually accumulate and, in time, acquire such force that they begin to influence consciousness.
#19 In itself, an archetype is neither good nor evil. It is morally neutral, like the gods of antiquity, and becomes good or evil only by contact with the conscious mind, or else a paradoxical mixture of both.
#20 Once we come to terms with the unconscious content through writing, we can deal with it internally without allowing its destructive effect to be projected onto the real world. The suppressed content then has expression within fiction and is not acted upon. At least that's the theory. Instead of mistakenly trying to resolve these internal issues in the real world, we are writing stories about them, just as the alchemist was perfecting himself while trying to create the Philosopher's Stone and the Elixir of Life.
#21 We are quite probably dreaming all the time, but consciousness makes so much noise that we no longer hear the dream when awake
#22 Journal and document your dreams and visions - dreams are bridges for the story material. This will also help you understand what is going in your psychic space.
#23 Be a passive observer of psychic darkness as if watching an animation
Look within and unfold the philosopher's stone of storytelling!
Insights about storytelling
#1 All storytelling is an imitation of life
#2 By staying on the right path to good storytelling, you become worthy
#3 the idea comes from the "chaos" of one's internal psychic state. It may be triggered by an external event or just pop into one's mind out of nowhere
#4 The way to come into closer contact with your idea is to close your eyes and see it as an image
#5 Conflict has many facets, and the storyteller should be student of the art of opposing wills.
#6 Any aspect of human nature and social interaction, when used properly, can be valuable and may even be indispensable in telling your story
#7 protagonist and antagonist are mirror images of each other (yin yang)
#8 the first thing your story should do is "lock the conflict."
#9 conflict is a mechanism for exploring theme And theme is the unifying idea behind the story - Themes speak to the human condition and unify the subject matter. Conflict puts the protagonist and antagonist under stress and reveals their strengths and weaknesses relative to the theme.
#10 A story consists of a sequence of actions that occur when a sympathetic character encounters a complicating situation that he confronts and solves
#11 vivid images will always be of great assistance to your audience in remembering your story
#12 Story creation is a process of looking into a mirror
#13 Realize that the basics of your story already existed before you found it. You are simply dressing it up in new clothes. If you can come to the point where you realize that your storytelling is not your creation but your discovery, you'll begin to truly understand the process. give up the egotistical notion that you created the story. It is a gift, given to you by divine entities who reside within your Unconscious. They gave it to you because you are worthy.
#14 We experience life as story. We are mythical beings, and when confronted with something that seems so contradictory to our being, we have to experience it within the framework of story to fully resolve the internal conflict and emerge with a sense of meaning provided by this, the final event
#15 All the events of the story-unit you are investigating will have cause-and-effect relationships
#16 The sound-syllable Om represents the fundamental thought-form of all-pervading reality. With its associations with the universe in all its manifestation, Om is a complete alphabetical yantra in its own right and can be equated with the creative point, the bindu. It's a cosmic symbol that comes to life through character.
Insights About nature of mind
#17 What is the Unconscious? It is the mind's processes, which are not available for introspection. Said another way, we are not aware of these mental processes. They go on, so to speak, without us. We normally do not realize the presence or understand the influence of the Unconscious on our thoughts. It appears spontaneously in dreams as a dark lake with lots of frightening creatures lurking within.
#18 [The Shadow] owes its existence to the simple fact that all the impulses, thoughts, wishes, and tendencies which run counter to the rational orientation of daily life are denied expression, thrust into the background, and finally fall into the unconscious. There all the things which we have repressed and suppressed, which we have deliberately ignored and devalued gradually accumulate and, in time, acquire such force that they begin to influence consciousness.
#19 In itself, an archetype is neither good nor evil. It is morally neutral, like the gods of antiquity, and becomes good or evil only by contact with the conscious mind, or else a paradoxical mixture of both.
#20 Once we come to terms with the unconscious content through writing, we can deal with it internally without allowing its destructive effect to be projected onto the real world. The suppressed content then has expression within fiction and is not acted upon. At least that's the theory. Instead of mistakenly trying to resolve these internal issues in the real world, we are writing stories about them, just as the alchemist was perfecting himself while trying to create the Philosopher's Stone and the Elixir of Life.
#21 We are quite probably dreaming all the time, but consciousness makes so much noise that we no longer hear the dream when awake
#22 Journal and document your dreams and visions - dreams are bridges for the story material. This will also help you understand what is going in your psychic space.
#23 Be a passive observer of psychic darkness as if watching an animation
Look within and unfold the philosopher's stone of storytelling!
January 23, 2020
Writing As Transformation
Story Alchemy by David Sheppard is unlike any other book I have ever read. I would classify it as a writer’s craft book, for, without question, Sheppard has writers in mind as his primary audience. But this is not a “handy tips for writing” kind of book. It is intended to ignite a fire in the soul, and, as is always the case with fire, there is some danger in handling it. Sheppard takes us on a journey into the interior of our minds and even warns us, before we venture too far, of the potential hazards that await us. Using alchemy, the ancient pursuit of a means for turning base metal into gold, he portrays the art of writing as a transformative process. True alchemy, of course, does not transpire in the material world but rather in the depths of the alchemist him- or herself. Carl Jung was a student of alchemy, as he was of many of the occult (hidden) arts, and Sheppard relies heavily on Jung for the process he describes, in particular Jung’s use of Active Imagination as a means to bridge the chasm between the Unconscious and the Conscious mind. Reverent entry into the realm of the Unconscious as if it were a journey into sacred space is the essential core of writing with deep understanding, compassion, and intense emotion. The Unconscious, however, is not accessible to just any wanderer. There are conditions to be met by the pilgrim, the most basic of which is worthiness. One must prepare for the night sea voyage, for only those who are prepared (within) will be able to return with the “elixir” that empowers writing to bring healing. It seems to me that it is no coincidence that the author’s name is Sheppard (or even David), because the question I kept asking myself as I read this book was: Am I willing to let this man “shepherd” my spirit as I journey deep within? In other words, Can I trust him as a guide for the soul? Should I? To be honest, I read the book with some reserve, holding myself back a bit. And while I found the whole experience intriguing, I may have forfeited the opportunity to discover the Philosopher’s Stone, the prize which alchemy seeks as the key to transformation. So, do I recommend Sheppard’s book? I cannot say. I do think, though, if you begin reading it, it won’t take you long to decide whether or not to finish it. And if you do stay the course, you may feel as I do that the book bears reading again. There’s treasure in it, but it will not yield itself to the faint of heart. It will test your resolve. But I believe it will reward it as well.
Story Alchemy by David Sheppard is unlike any other book I have ever read. I would classify it as a writer’s craft book, for, without question, Sheppard has writers in mind as his primary audience. But this is not a “handy tips for writing” kind of book. It is intended to ignite a fire in the soul, and, as is always the case with fire, there is some danger in handling it. Sheppard takes us on a journey into the interior of our minds and even warns us, before we venture too far, of the potential hazards that await us. Using alchemy, the ancient pursuit of a means for turning base metal into gold, he portrays the art of writing as a transformative process. True alchemy, of course, does not transpire in the material world but rather in the depths of the alchemist him- or herself. Carl Jung was a student of alchemy, as he was of many of the occult (hidden) arts, and Sheppard relies heavily on Jung for the process he describes, in particular Jung’s use of Active Imagination as a means to bridge the chasm between the Unconscious and the Conscious mind. Reverent entry into the realm of the Unconscious as if it were a journey into sacred space is the essential core of writing with deep understanding, compassion, and intense emotion. The Unconscious, however, is not accessible to just any wanderer. There are conditions to be met by the pilgrim, the most basic of which is worthiness. One must prepare for the night sea voyage, for only those who are prepared (within) will be able to return with the “elixir” that empowers writing to bring healing. It seems to me that it is no coincidence that the author’s name is Sheppard (or even David), because the question I kept asking myself as I read this book was: Am I willing to let this man “shepherd” my spirit as I journey deep within? In other words, Can I trust him as a guide for the soul? Should I? To be honest, I read the book with some reserve, holding myself back a bit. And while I found the whole experience intriguing, I may have forfeited the opportunity to discover the Philosopher’s Stone, the prize which alchemy seeks as the key to transformation. So, do I recommend Sheppard’s book? I cannot say. I do think, though, if you begin reading it, it won’t take you long to decide whether or not to finish it. And if you do stay the course, you may feel as I do that the book bears reading again. There’s treasure in it, but it will not yield itself to the faint of heart. It will test your resolve. But I believe it will reward it as well.
April 13, 2015
Story Alchemy uses a mystical draped in the robes of the psychological approach to reaching the part of your mind that creates the fictional worlds you bring to the page. I only gave it 3 stars because I really couldn't get into the style of writing, it's purely a personal like/dislike of a style not a comment on the author's quality or knowledge.
It's well written, well researched but I couldn't get into it personally. I'll date myself here and some of you may not know the reference but I felt like I was reading Carlos Castaneda.
The book kind of struck me as something he would have written as Don Juan and the Art of Mystical Storytelling. I liked things like Castaneda when I was a teen to 20something but I outgrew that approach long ago.
I'm not saying its mystical mumbo jumbo, it's just couched in terms that feel like that. The theme is the search for the alchemical philosopher's stone of storytelling so it does make sense but I prefer my craft related books to be more down to earth in feel. He has some really good points about accessing the unconscious mind and the collective unconscious of our species which is where all great themes reside. I recognize some of the techniques I already know about meditation and self hypnosis to focus your mind and allow it to enter a creative state. If you don't know anything about that, this book might help you learn to use this sort of technique to spark your creativity.
There's a lot of Jung's theories and even reference to Plato and other great philosophers to help you understand how you create and how to access that creativity. While the visualization imagery he recommends turned me off, the concept is valid.
I don't feel like I wasted my time reading this. Everything that takes a thoughtful well reasoned approach to the craft is of value. You never know what is going to teach you something new or give you a different view of what you already know.
YMMV, give it a try, you might enjoy it more than I did. I loved his other book Novelsmithing so I don't fault the writer, I just didn't get into the style of this book.
It's well written, well researched but I couldn't get into it personally. I'll date myself here and some of you may not know the reference but I felt like I was reading Carlos Castaneda.
The book kind of struck me as something he would have written as Don Juan and the Art of Mystical Storytelling. I liked things like Castaneda when I was a teen to 20something but I outgrew that approach long ago.
I'm not saying its mystical mumbo jumbo, it's just couched in terms that feel like that. The theme is the search for the alchemical philosopher's stone of storytelling so it does make sense but I prefer my craft related books to be more down to earth in feel. He has some really good points about accessing the unconscious mind and the collective unconscious of our species which is where all great themes reside. I recognize some of the techniques I already know about meditation and self hypnosis to focus your mind and allow it to enter a creative state. If you don't know anything about that, this book might help you learn to use this sort of technique to spark your creativity.
There's a lot of Jung's theories and even reference to Plato and other great philosophers to help you understand how you create and how to access that creativity. While the visualization imagery he recommends turned me off, the concept is valid.
I don't feel like I wasted my time reading this. Everything that takes a thoughtful well reasoned approach to the craft is of value. You never know what is going to teach you something new or give you a different view of what you already know.
YMMV, give it a try, you might enjoy it more than I did. I loved his other book Novelsmithing so I don't fault the writer, I just didn't get into the style of this book.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews