Computer Games as Storytelling

Most computer games these days have some kind of narrative to hold them together. Have you played online casino like 666CASINO before? do you think playing online casino games is telling you something? What’s the point in blasting away all those aliens if you never end up saving the universe? Why bother running and jumping through all those rat-infested tombs if all you get are a few points? Story can provide the motivation for all the various actions you perform in a game, even if the story is sometimes thin or implausible. I really love overwatch and found a great site (rivalry.gg/matches/overwatch-betting) to bet on the professional teams.

Of course, there are those who object to the idea that games are a visual storytelling medium. Greg Costikyan argues quite convincingly that games are not stories. But he writes about games in general when he says this. Most gamers who prefer “adventure games” agree that the two essentials in adventure games are a good story and well-designed puzzles. This is perfectly understandable when we consider that adventure games had their beginnings in text-only games. In fact, there is still a lively community of text adventure aficionados out there, who lovingly call their favourite games “interactive fiction.” That name ought to give an indication of the importance of story.

But is it Art?
The kind of writing that appears in interactive fiction or text adventures isn’t really the same as the kind of writing you find in a good novel or short story. The interactive nature of these games doesn’t really allow for beautiful descriptive passages, as Gareth Rees demonstrates. Then again, the kind of writing you find in fiction isn’t the same as what you need for poetry, or song lyrics, or screenplays. I don’t think very many people would argue that poetry or song lyrics or screenplays can’t be literary just because they’re a different kind of writing from fiction.

Writing for graphic adventure stories is different again. Text games naturally have only text with which to express themselves; graphic games have graphics, too. In fact, most graphic adventures have very little text. They still offer some opportunity for a writer to show off, though, even if most gamers won’t really notice. Most graphic adventures need dialogue for their characters, and dialogue is one of the most challenging kinds of text to write. When it’s done poorly, people will notice and when it’s done well, people won’t notice it all (but at least they won’t call it crappy). The structure of a good story is basically the same, too, whether it’s a novel or a graphic game with many possible endings. In the creation of the story lies a place for a good writer to get to work.

All Kinds of Stories
There are all kinds of amateur game designers out there using games to tell stories. Interactive fiction and graphic adventures come in as many genres as traditional fiction. You can find spooky horror games, rollicking fantasy quests, humour, science fiction, even romance. It’s getting easier and easier to create your own games, too, with many freeware options for both graphical point-and-click games and text adventures. The hardest part is coming up with an idea that will translate well into a game.

Step-by-Step Adventure
So you think you want to try creating your own game? Here are some basic steps to follow.

1. The Idea. You’ll first need to come up with an idea for a narrative that would work well as a game. It might be a good idea to start by looking at what others have done. For interactive fiction, sample some of the offerings at the Interactive Fiction Archive( an ftp site). For graphic adventures, you might want to start with commercial products available at your local game store. Adventuregamers.com has a good list of recommended games for adventure newbies. Or you can check out software sites like the one for Adventure Game Studio, where games created with AGS are available for downloading.

2. Graphics or No Graphics. Once you know more or less what your game is going to be about, you need to decide if it’s going to be graphic or text based. If you have no artistic skill, you may want to stick with text-based, though there have been graphic adventures done with stick figures.

3. The Plan. When you’ve decided between graphics and text, it’s time to map out your story in more detail. You probably won’t have it planned to the last word until you get to the end of creating, but you’ll at least need a detailed outline (remember you can always make changes). It’s important to figure out if the story will be completely linear or if it will branch out into more than one possible ending. Knowing what obstacles will appear and what sorts of puzzles you’ll have is helpful, too.

4. Language? Once you know what you’re doing with the story, it’s time to start working on the actual game. That means knowing what language to write it in, or what software to use. Stephen Granade at Brass Lantern discusses the pros and cons of various languages you can use to program your game. Or you can use one of the many freeware packages for creating graphic point-and-click adventures. A couple you might want to look at are AGAST and Adventure Game Studio.

5. Away You Go. When all that’s done, when you’ve figured out what your game is about and decided whether or not to make it graphic, when it’s all planned out and you know what language or software you’re going to use, it’s time to get on with it. Get creating! Tell a story through a computer game.

Niko Silvester started writing stories at the tender age of six. She badly wanted an expensive toy, and her mother wisely gave her paper and pencils and crayons and suggested she write a story about it. She hasn't stopped writing since.

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Compiling the ‘Perfect’ Job Application

When you apply for a job, your aim should always be to present a ‘perfect’ job application. What this means is that your application should get the immediate attention of your prospective employer by reflecting your credentials, skills and experience; it should put you ahead of other candidates applying for the same job. There are, essentially, three parts to compiling the perfect job application.

Part 1 – Deliver what the prospective employer wants.

Before you go any further, you must know whether you prospective employer wants a Curriculum Vitae (‘C.V.’) or a Résumé.

In a C.V., you will provide a complete list of data about yourself. The C.V. is more commonly used in the United Kingdom and for seeking positions in educational institutions. A standard C.V. might contain some of the following information:

• A personal profile. This is factual information such as your name, address, telephone number and email. Today, because of anti-discrimination laws, employers are reluctant to ask for a person’s gender; nevertheless, when you give this information willingly, prospective employers appreciate it.
• A reverse chronological list of your work experience. You should account for your entire career history. This means describing your contribution towards the concept and planning of projects you undertook. It also includes the roles you played and what you achieved in your previous jobs.
• A reverse chronological list of your education and training. Include all your academic qualifications, professional licenses, certification and memberships; in addition, list down any awards, bursaries or scholarships you may have received.
• A reverse chronological list of any relevant material you may have published.
• A list of hobbies and interests. Though optional, include only ones that are relevant. For example, when applying for a job as a translator, the fact that you like to travel to practice your language skills will be relevant. The fact that you like to knit, however, won’t be of interest.

A Résumé is more commonly used in the United States and Canada. A Résumé has a ‘free-from organised style used for seeking employment in the private sector’. What this means is that you may begin with a statement about a personal goal; this will be followed by a list of your most significant accomplishments. A Résumé tends to be targeted for a specific prospective employer and it may not represent your complete history. Naturally, a Résumé tends to be much shorter in length than a C.V..

An easy way to ensure that you are on the right track, when preparing your Résumé, is to ask the following question: “Would my prospective employer be looking for this kind of qualification or skill?” Your answer should show your prospective employer that your qualifications, skills and background information make you the best person for the job.

Whether or not you are preparing a C.V. or Résumé, there is one universal truth: you must be honest. Do not create false credentials or skills that you cannot back up when asked to do so.

Nowadays, it is now quite common for prospective employers to accept applications for jobs electronically. Though the basic points highlighted above remain, you may need to modify a few details of your job application when applying via the internet. For instance, your prospective employer may insist that you submit your form in a specific file format such as Microsoft Word, PDF or even HTML. Take note that when using the latter two formats, your contact details may be made available to a lot of people. As such, the email address you provide may expose you to the threat of receiving spam.

Part 2 – Compiling your portfolio

This part includes presenting samples of your previous work to your prospective employer. It is especially important in jobs which require ‘creative input’ such as writing, computer programming, fashion and design. These samples allow a prospective employer to analyse and determine whether your skills and talents are what he or she is looking for. Keep the following tips in mind when preparing your portfolio:

• Submit samples of your best work. If you cannot decide which work is your best, then submit your favourite samples. Always provide a minimum of three samples for your prospective employer to look at.
• If you are applying for a job in a rival company, you may be prohibited from including work that you have done for your present company. In such a situation, create something new that you think you would like to expand on in your new place of employment.
• Do not submit irrelevant samples. For instance, do not send copies of poems you’ve written if you’re seeking a job in a fashion house.

Part 3 – Prepare a proper cover letter

A cover letter is never longer than a single page. It is an introduction to who you are, why you are applying for the job and why you think you’re the best person for the job. Here are a few tips to help you write an effective cover letter:

• Use formal, white paper.
• Use normal font such as Times New Roman (size 12) or Arial (size 10).
• Highlight your most relevant qualification or experience for this job and invite the prospective employer to look at your C.V. or Résumé.
• Be direct, precise and concise.

If you have done all of the above, you will know that you have done your very best to apply for the job. At the very least, when you receive that telephone call offering you the job or calling you for an interview, you will have that inner confidence knowing that you have compiled a ‘perfect’ job application. With a little bit of luck, the job you seek will be yours in no time at all.

This article was first published on Suite101.com.

Aneeta Sundararaj can be contacted by sending an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

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Comic Book History, Fascinating!

The origins of the comic book are somewhat controversial and perhaps the jury is still out on comic book history. So lets go back to the cartoonish broadsheets of the Middle Ages, which were parchment products, created by anonymous woodcutters. These could have been the very beginnings of the comic book.

As mass circulation of these broadsheets became possible, they soon developed a market, particularly at public executions, popular events for centuries (ugh), which drew thousands of happy spectators. Many of these spectators would invest in an artist’s rendering of a hanging or burning, and thus making a very lucky day for the broadsheet seller.

The broadsheet evolved into higher-level content as humor was introduced. Eventually, all types of broadsheets emerged, which were eventually bound in collections, the prototype of the modern magazine and thus the comic book.
Magazines formatted like the popular Punch, an elegant British creation, became the primary focus of documentary accounts of news and events, fiction and humor.

One can see in Punch, the sophisticated evolution of a comic book style, particularly in respect of the evolution of comics in Great Britain. Still and all, from an historical standpoint, the comic strip, and later the comic book, stood in the alley, waiting to be born. And then some say Great Britain’s Ally Sloper’s “Half Alley” was the first comic book. This was a black and white tabloid that had panels of cartoons mixed with a sliver of news; circa 1884.

Now while all this was going on in Great Britain, this inching towards the comic book, the United States had its own brand of evolution. Instead of magazines, US newspapers took the lead in creating the comic book industry.

Newspapers, with their first steps, took their single image gags and evolved them into multi-paneled comic strips. It was during this period that William Randolph Hearst scored a knockout with the Yellow Kid, which was actually printed in yellow ink.

So where did the actual comic book begin? Some say it was with reprints of Carl Schultz’ Foxy Grandpa, from 1901 to 1905. Although others say it was Great Britain’s Ally Sloper’s Half Alley. In 1902, Hearst published the Katzenjammer Kids and Happy Hooligan in books with cardboard covers.

For a time, the Yellow Kid himself was a top contender. But it depends how rigid you are in your description of a comic book. These examples, for sure, were predecessors to the modern comic book, which exploded in the 1930’s.

The Whitman Publishing Company, in 1934, became one of the pre-launchers for the modern comic book.  They published forty issues of Famous Comics, which was a black and white hardcover reprint. The first regularly published comic book in the more recognizable modern format though, was Famous Funnies.  It featured such memorable characters as Joe Palooka, Buck Rogers and Mutt and Jeff.

Superheroes as we know them today took a strong foothold in the 1930’s. In 1938, Max C. Gaines, who was one of the comic industry giants, brought “Superman” to Dell Comics publisher, Harry Donenfield.

Donenfield scored the comic coup of the century when he published a story written by two teenagers, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster- and so “Superman of Metropolis” (the title of their short story they wrote in their own fanzine) was born. Superman was to set a standard for comic book heroes that persist to this day.

Dave Gieber is the owner and editor of a website built around one of his childhood passions. Learn the basic essentials to comic book collecting success with this free 5-day course: www.comic-book-collection-made-easy.com/5-day-course.html

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Clay plots: stories for the young at art – Brief Article

Storytellers are treasured in many cultures. In fact, in many, storytelling is the traditional way to initiate the young in the beliefs and experiences of the elders. Storytellers have a flair, a cadence and intonation that grabs the interest and imagination of others, weaving with words the images of the past or predictions of the future.

Perhaps the premier “visual” storyteller of our time was illustrator Norman Rockwell. His art provides the perfect examples for my beginning art students, not just because he illustrated hundreds of covers for the celebrated Saturday Evening Post, but because he forever captured moments in time. Rockwell’s paintings tell the stories of moments cherished, treasured or denied–universal experiences that live on regardless of the age of the viewer or the situation.

There are hundreds of poignant, funny and heart-wrenching images that Rockwell painted with seeming ease. His attention to detail and the facial expressions he rendered within his paintings cause us to reminisce and to share, once again, the universal emotions expressed in his tableaux.

In a class comprised mostly of freshmen, my beginning art students must complete a sculpture unit within our art introduction course. This year I decided that they would become storytellers, conveying their stories not in words or paint, but in clay. I showed them some of Rockwell’s paintings, and we discussed how his artistic skill and sensitivity expressed the clarity of the moments portrayed.

We noted that some paintings depict historical stories–like man’s first steps on the moon, the Four Freedoms, and a little black girl with doll in hand, standing next to a moving van, unsure of her welcome in her new neighborhood. These images, and myriad others, use emotion to convey their powerful images. (For examples of Rockwell’s work, see “Learning from Exhibitions: Normal Rock well … Pictures for the American People,” June. Summer 2000 issue.)

After discussing Rockwell’s paintings, the students needed to decide upon the stories that their art would tell. I had written up a quick list of memorable mental pictures from my own life and those of my children: a baby in a bathtub; a picnic; trying to bathe the family dog; and a child discovering a toy. We brain stormed a bit, then did some quick thumbnail sketches of our ideas.

I try to teach the kids at least one new vocabulary word during our projects. We had previously discussed “bas-relief,” “assemblage” and other vocabulary unique to the area of sculpture. In this unit the word would be “tableau,” an important term that applies to other artistic disciplines as well.

Once their sketched plans were approved, the students each cut their own softball-sized piece of clay. I demonstrated the two basic techniques used with a plastic medium: additive and subtractive–although additive was the most comfortable and logical to use for this project.

We started with a slab, which would serve as the base. The scenes were then constructed upon the base. Texture was very important to our clay “stories”; if the figures were sitting in the grass, it should look like grass. One young man created a delightful “clubhouse,” warped boards and all. Another depicted a couple sharing popcorn in front of a television. Still another portrays a girl–complete with poodle skirt–charming a soda jerk.

Our little scenes of experiences, created in clay and lovingly painted with acrylics, would have pleased Norman Rockwell himself. Without words, they faithfully tell stories with amazing, heartfelt details. They are whimsical, playful and acutely observant. Fine work indeed for a group so young at art.

Geri Greenman is head of the art department at Willowbrook High School in Villa Park, Illinois, and is a Contributing Editor for Arts & Activities.

COPYRIGHT 2002 Publishers’ Development Corporation
COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group

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Choosing The Right Writer!

Ever made a decision that you really wish you hadn’t? We all have, so, you’re in good company, but when it comes to copywriters, what company do you want to keep?

There are a lot of writers out there. The strange thing is that there are an awful lot of inexperienced writers out there who have:

– An over inflated sense of their own value
– A severely impaired sense of their own ability
– A wholly inadequate business knowledge
– A plain daft charging structure!

I can see you’re smiling! That tells me that you’ve either met them, come across them, or worse – you’ve actually hired them!

After 25 years as a copywriter covering the whole spectrum literally from A-Z, I think I have earned the right to ask … why?

But how can you spot them and avoid them? How do you judge what’s good, bad and simply awful?

1. Read their website… carefully

Is it littered with spelling mistakes, or does it make daft claims about their wives’ expensive habits? Does it ring with hyperbole – ultimate, fantastic, superb, unbelievable – and other such claims that are simply hard to swallow?

2. Are they promising results?

Does the writer promise results? If they do, run away, as fast as your fingers can carry you. Nobody, but nobody, can guarantee you any sort of result because no one knows what will happen, or why. All you can ever do is make intelligent decisions based on the best evidence.

3. Look closely at the structure of their website

What they are presenting and how they sell themselves is exactly what you are hiring them to do for you. Does their website work? If it’s confusing, there’s every chance their thinking will be just as muddled and confused.

4. Is it easy to communicate with the writer?

The art of communication is exactly about what copywriting is all about. If the writer can’t get you to respond and doesn’t make it easy for you, what chance does your product, service or solution stand in that writer’s hands?

5. Take a long look at the writer’s headline

This is where the initial promise is made and it has to hit home hard. In a few words – not more than 8-10 – you have to know what this writer is offering. If writers can’t write great headlines to sell themselves they are not likely to be able to write one for you, either!

6. What sort of experience is the writer offering?

Does the writer have a broad span of experience that covers pretty much everything? If they are freelance and offering to sell you a service then they should be offering the wealth of experience that justifies the price they are looking to charge.

7. Sort out a sensible price!

Copy is both a skill and a saleable service, just like any other. Just like you, a copywriter is in business to make money – to cover costs and make a profit.

There is nothing wrong with profit. That’s what business is all about. But there is a lot wrong with obscene profiteering. You should be able to hire the services of a genuinely good writer for £250-450 GBP ($450-650 US) a day.

In the end…

You want a writer with great experience, an inquisitive mind and huge talent with words.

You want someone who understands the human psyche and knows just what triggers to pull and in what sequence.

You want someone with whom you can build a longterm relationship. Someone that understands your business and, to a degree, understands you too!

You want someone who can bring something different to the table – innovation, imagination, creativity, flair, style, experience and knowledge. Preferably, it’s someone with solid direct response experience under their belt that can help you to drive things through.

Treat them with a proper professional respect and ask no more of them than you would ask of yourself and your business will have uncovered a real gem and one of the very best allies it could ever hope to find.

It’s really not such a tall order – if you know exactly what to look for!

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com

John Beavis is an international copywriter, whose word skills and marketing experience could help your business to find more customers. Pick up your 10 FREE tips on how to make your web copy sing and dance at: www.JohnBeavisCopy.com/MoreCustomers.html

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Characters – Give ‘Em Some Attitude

The other day, a writer friend of mine told me her publisher recommended she read a certain book to get the flavor of what they liked to publish. Eager to know, my author friend rushed to find the book and devour it… only to feel slightly disappointed – and confused.

She wondered what it was about this book the publisher liked. The story wasn’t great. The writing was average. Some of the pacing seemed awkward. Then it hit her. It was the ATTITUDE of the protagonist that gave the book its appeal. The hero was feisty, quick to anger, even spiteful and yet somehow lovable.

It’s no secret that I believe the key to good story telling is ‘character’. It should come before everything else – before plotting, before story, even before putting pen to paper. If your characters aren’t real to you, their stories will never work.

And whilst I’ve spent much time elsewhere talking about the importance of creating believable characters, I don’t think I’ve given over as much time on their ‘attitudes’ as perhaps I could have done.

So let’s do some exploring, shall we?

Think of some classic fictional characters. What’s the first thing that comes to mind? Their physical appearance? Rarely. It’s usually their demeanor, isn’t it? Their unique way of interacting with the world – yes, their attitude towards what they do.

James Paterson’s Alex Cross is a great character because he’s all heart. He loves his family and truly values friendship – and takes his psychopath’s activities very personally!

Patricia Cornwall’s Kaye Scarpetta doesn’t respond well to being patronized or underestimated. She’s also way too protective of her niece. Notice too that she gets much more critical of her partner’s habits as the series progresses.

The Da Vinci Code’s Robert Langham is intrigued by mystery and secret symbols. Interestingly, despite being a simple college professor he seems to possess almost superhuman powers of endurance. In Angels and Demons, for instance, he actually falls out of a plane without a parachute over Rome… and survives with barely a scratch!

I think Harry Potter’s appeal has much to do his ordinariness. He never believes he’s capable of what he has to face. Everybody and his dog knows he’s supposedly destined for greatness but he doesn’t ever seem quite ready for it.

The next time you’re inventing (major and minor) characters, don’t just imagine their physical attributes, try to give them depth by wondering what they would be passionate about or, conversely, have little interest in. What would annoy them – or thrill them?

Give them short term and lifelong agendas, things they are committed to achieving or seeing come to pass. These are the things that will help with your plotting. Once you know what one of your characters would definitely NOT do, your stories will begin to take on a life of their own.

Remember, never impose a story on a character. The best stories come out of the main character’s conflicting agendas.

For example, it’s not enough to have some anonymous killer trailed by any old ordinary detective. The killer must be fully realized – there must be very good reasons (if only in his own mind) why he does what he does. Similarly, for good fiction, the detective should be motivated by much more than just ‘doing his job’ to make a story like this compelling.

Once we know the killer hates women and perhaps himself, and that the detective is terrified of losing his wife to him, then we begin to care about the outcome.

I think one of the reasons Hollywood movies work so well is that the big stars come with a ready made attitude. We all know what to expect from actors like Jack Nicholson, Robert DeNiro and Julia Roberts. No matter what characters they play, we sense their attitudes, their strength and depth, even though we know they’re only acting!

So, the message is that during character development, try to imagine being inside the heads of your characters. Don’t just give them attributes, histories and agendas, go the extra mile and give ’em attitude!

This article is written by Rob Parnell. Visit his website at www.easywaytowrite.com

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Characters: The Building Blocks of Fiction

All good fiction starts with characters. Characters are the central focus of your story; they control the plot, causing its twists and turns and ultimate resolution. A mistake many writers make is conceiving the plot first and then plugging one-dimensional characters into this storyline, simply moving them from point A to point B. This results in a flat story void of any emotion. Even the most thrilling adventure won’t appeal to readers if they don’t care about the people involved.

Though the idea for a story (it’s theme or message) or the events that comprise the plot may be the first things that spring to mind, take time to develop your characters before you start writing. Many authors write out a detailed character sketch or biography, listing both physical (include gestures, facial expressions, etc. as well as physical appearance) and personality traits. Dig deep: What is this character’s greatest fear? His worst nightmare? His proudest achievement? This kind of background is important for any type of character, including talking animals. Avoid stereotypes or ready-made characters (those your reader has seen before).

Once your character is firmly established in your mind, have him or her encounter a conflict of some kind. The way this conflict is resolved depends on who your character is, which is why the background work is so important. The resolution, which must be brought about by your main character, depends on this character’s unique set of strengths and weaknesses. The above paragraph illustrates the basic plot outline of your book. Underlying all this is the story’s theme, or message. You never state the theme to your reader, but it should be evident by what your main character has learned, or how he or she has changed, during the course of the book. Since there are only a handful of themes out there, what will make your story stand out is how your particular character has handled his or her personal conflict. If your characters are original, your plot will be original as well.

This kind of character development is also important for secondary characters. Though you won’t be showing as many aspects of their personalities as with your main character, you’ll find yourself implying many of the traits that make them unique. In this way, each of your characters is an individual, and the secondary characters won’t all blend together in the background.

With short stories, picture books and easy readers, the plot tends to focus on one or two aspects of the main character’s personality (fear of the dark, jealousy of an older sibling). Chapter books, middle grade and young adult novels have more complicated plots, and explore greater dimensions of character. Often sub-plots bring out smaller conflicts the main character is facing that relate to the larger plot. In novels the characters tend to be about the same age as the reader or a year or two older. Picture books can feature characters of any age, as long as the conflict is something a child 4-8 years old would care about, and character has a childlike view of the world. (For a more intensive study of characters and exercises on character development, see Character Workshop by Katherine Ploeger, The book cost $15.95 plus $3.75 shipping and can be ordered by calling 1-800- 807-1916.) Remember that your characters, whether they be a child or an animal, must act consistently with the personality you have given them. They must deal with the conflict in a way that is true to themselves, and can’t use knowledge or experiences they wouldn’t have simply because it’s convenient to the plot. In this way, your characters drive the plot and the story’s outcome. Once your characters take on a life of their own, you may find your story heading in a direction you never anticipated. Let it go. If your characters are real and believable, they may take you places you never dreamed possible.

Laura Backes is the publisher of Children's Book Insider, the Newsletter for Children's Writers. For more information about writing children's books, including free articles, market tips, insider secrets and much more, visit Children's Book Insider's home on the web at http://write4kids.com

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Characters and Point of View The point of view -- how you choose to tell your story -- determines the voice of your writing. Children's stories are told from the viewpoint of your main character. Who this character is -- his or her personality, temperament, strengths and weaknesses -- will affect how the story is told. Whichever viewpoint technique you choose also impacts the way you develop your main character for the reader. First person: The first person viewpoint uses the "I". Your main character is telling the story in his or her own words. This point of view allows the writer to easily show the character's personality because every thought, feeling and opinion expressed in the narrative comes from that character. The author must know the main character very well before starting the story; a flat, undeveloped character will not hold the reader's interest. The limitations to this viewpoint are that the character must remain actively involved in the story at all times, otherwise he ends up standing on the sidelines and describing the action in long, telling passages. Physical descriptions of the main character come through dialogue from other characters ("I've always loved your curly hair, "Sue told me) or by the main character comparing himself to another person (I have my dad's blue eyes). Rarely does a character stop and describe herself for no reason. When working in first person, you can only show the thoughts of your main character, and you can only see the events your main character sees. The thoughts of other characters must be expressed through dialogue. First person, past tense is the most common, and effective, narration technique. Some young adult novels use first person, present tense, but avoid using this in picture books or novels for young children because it is sometimes difficult to read as it sounds like everything is happening simultaneously. (I am running down the walk I open the gate and step into the yard.) Third person, subjective: With third person you use the pronouns "he" and "she," but you are still telling the story through one character's eyes. You get close to your main character by showing only his or her thoughts and feelings and following that character through the story, but you don't have to write the narration as if it's coming out of your main character's mouth. This is often the easiest point of view for beginning writers to master. Be careful not to comment or editorialize upon your character's actions (Billy should have known better), or speak directly to the reader (Can you guess what happened next?). You as the author must remain invisible so your readers can immerse themselves within the world of your story. Omniscient: The omniscient point of view is like looking at the story through a movie camera. You can show the reader what's happening in several places at once, but you don't get close to any one character or see their thoughts. This can be useful at the beginning of a chapter to set the scene (as E.B. White does in Charlotte's Web), but after a paragraph or two switch to the viewpoint of your main character. An entire book written with the omniscient point of view does not allow the reader to identify with any one character or know whose story you are telling. While most children's books encompass one main character and one point of view, some young adult novels alternate points of view between two or three main characters. This is best done when entire chapters focus on one character and one viewpoint. It's difficult to do this successfully in books for younger children unless each character has a very different role in the book, and you are a talented writer (as in Natalie Babbitt's Tuck Everlasting).

Laura Backes is the publisher of Children's Book Insider, the Newsletter for Children's Writers. For more information about writing children's books, including free articles, market tips, insider secrets and much more, visit Children's Book Insider's home on the web at http://write4kids.com

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Children, Stress and Storytelling

The holidays are over and the kids are back to school. Their stress level is high and perhaps will get higher. Kids do not get stresses you say? Wrong! They get stressed just as much as adults. Aside from kids and adults, pets can get stressed too. That’s why pet CBD companies have developed products to help ease the pain for our furry companions.

Research suggests that stress plays a role in every child’s development leading to a whole range of mental problems. According to US Surgeon General David Satcher, one out of ten American children suffer from mental illness and stress is one of the leading causes. And findings by Professors Reunette W. Harris and Charles Nemeroff suggest that stressful childhood experiences can effect an individual’s response to stress later in life. These experiences can be positive or negative.

Clarissa Pinkola Estes, a Jungian psychoanalyst, believes that stories we tell are “healing machines” which help us to manage our stress among other things. Ongoing research is looking at how families tell stories and how this telling helps to make kids more resilient and able to handle stress. One researcher believes that telling stories both good and bad show kids that even though bad things happen, you can go on and find a way to survive.

Novella Ruffin, an Extension Child Development Specialist at Virginia State University, says that children experience extreme stress and have bad feelings just like adults. But unlike most adults, children lack the skills or means to understand and manage their stress. They rely on their parents and other adults to help them.

So, how can we help our kids manage their day to day stress? One way is to have a family storytelling session every evening. You do not have to have anything elaborate, just pick an area where everyone would feel comfortable. It could be at the dinner table after supper, in the family room or in the living room. If you have children that share a bedroom, perhaps you might want to do it just before their bedtime.

If your children are not delighted with the idea, then you may have to start off slowly such as just talking to them and asking them questions about their day. Do not press them to participate. Then as they become more comfortable read them a story or tell a story yourself. With practice you can increase the length of the time you spend and start to encourage the children to join in by getting them to tell stories about what happened to them during the day. Make positive comments about the kid’s story. Do not try to interpret the story or suggest improvements. Just accept the story for what it is and enjoy it.

Your family storytelling session can become a favorite pastime and looked forward to by all members of your family.

References:
http://www.emory.edu/ACAD_EXCHANGE/2001/aprmay/stress.html
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/family/350-054/350-054.html
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/fcs/human/disas4.html
http://www.e-bookdirectory.com/books/storytelling.html
http://www.nursingcenter.com/library/JournalArticle.asp?Article_ID=112009#39

By James Foster Robinson - - Original Source

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