Into The Woods: How Stories Work and Why We Tell Them
John Yorke
Apr 2013 · Penguin UK
4.3star
12 reviewsreport
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336
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About this ebook
'The best book on the subject I've read. Quite brilliant' Tony Jordan, creator/writer, Life on Mars, Hustle
We all love stories. But why do we tell them? And why do all stories function in an eerily similar way? John Yorke, creator of the BBC Writers' Academy, has brought a vast array of drama to British screens. Here he takes us on a journey to the heart of storytelling, revealing that there truly is a unifying shape to narrative forms - one that echoes the fairytale journey into the woods and, like any great art, comes from deep within. From ancient myths to big-budget blockbusters, he gets to the root of the stories that are all around us, every day.
'Marvellous' Julian Fellowes
'Terrifyingly clever ... Packed with intelligent argument' Evening Standard
'The most important book about scriptwriting since William Goldman's Adventures in the Screen Trade' Peter Bowker, writer, Blackpool, Occupation, Eric and Ernie
We all love stories. But why do we tell them? And why do all stories function in an eerily similar way? John Yorke, creator of the BBC Writers' Academy, has brought a vast array of drama to British screens. Here he takes us on a journey to the heart of storytelling, revealing that there truly is a unifying shape to narrative forms - one that echoes the fairytale journey into the woods and, like any great art, comes from deep within. From ancient myths to big-budget blockbusters, he gets to the root of the stories that are all around us, every day.
'Marvellous' Julian Fellowes
'Terrifyingly clever ... Packed with intelligent argument' Evening Standard
'The most important book about scriptwriting since William Goldman's Adventures in the Screen Trade' Peter Bowker, writer, Blackpool, Occupation, Eric and Ernie
Ratings and reviews
4.3
12 reviews
Peter Emerson
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December 30, 2014
It's informative and well written, and Mr Yorke argues for the five act structure persuasively. The discussion of TV series was a highlight too, perhaps not surprising given the author's background. The last quarter of the book however, where the reasons for this unifying structure are discussed, came across as somewhat desperate and dull. Well worth a read though. Oh yes, there's an earlier review by Anna who claims the book has lots of grammatical and other mistakes - it doesn't.
4 people found this review helpful
Warren Saunders
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November 16, 2016
The perfect guide to story structure. This will surely be my go-to reference book for every story I write.
4 people found this review helpful
About the author
John Yorke is Managing Director of Company Pictures, the UK drama independent producing Skins, Shameless, The White Queen and Wolf Hall. For many years he's been responsible for a vast array of British drama; as both Head of Channel Four Drama and Controller of BBC Drama Production he's worked on big popular works such as Hustle, Spooks, Casualty and Holby City alongside award-winners such as Bodies, Omagh, Sex Traffic, Not Only But Always and The Curse of Steptoe. His career began single-handedly story-lining EastEnders in its very first BAFTA winning year - beginning a 14 year association that produced some of the biggest audiences in British television history. As a commissioning Editor/Executive Producer, he championed some of the defining works of British television including Life On Mars, The Street, Shameless and Waterloo Road. In 2005 he created the BBC Writers Academy, a year-long in-depth training scheme which has produced a generation of successful television writers. He's also worked as Editor of The Archers. John is Visiting Professor of English Language and Literature at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He lives and works in London.
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