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Characters need to have different emotions because...

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Characters need to have different emotions because...

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The book or movie would be boring!

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Why is the setting important to the story

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| 28 videos

Video by The Atlantic

At this year's Aspen Ideas Festival, we asked a group of writers, journalists, and producers to explain what makes a story great. According to House of Cards showrunner Beau Willimon, the answer is a simple one: "The most important element in a good story is conflict. It's seeing two opposing forces collide with one another." Other panelists include Michael Eisner, Catherine Burns, Jay Allison, Jon Lovett, Yoni Bloch, Paula Kerger, and Jonathan Harris.

The Big Question is a series inspired by The Atlantic's back-page feature.

We want to hear what you think about this article. Submit a letter to the editor or write to letters@theatlantic.com.

About This Series

Ideas and insights from leaders at the Aspen Ideas Festival

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Kasia Cieplak-Mayr von Baldegg, Sam Price-Waldman, and Nadine Ajaka

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What's the Most Important Element of a Good Story?

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At this year's Aspen Ideas Festival, we asked a group of writers, journalists, and producers to explain what makes a story great. According to House of Cards showrunner Beau Willimon, the answer is a simple one: "The most important element in a good story is conflict.

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Story characters

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The character of those in leadership roles is important. Most of us recognize this and require it in the leaders that we look to work for.

This is not just applicable to CEO's and leaders of large organisations of political parties. It is applicable to you, the shift manager and you with your team of two or three employees.

The sad thing is that few of us actually seek to continuously improve and develop our own character, instead giving in to our egotistical desires, or act simply to find shortcuts to solutions through selfish acts.

Why Character is Important for Success

We rarely hold ourselves to the standards that we expect from those at the very top, and maybe that is what is stopping you progressing from middle management to the Board of Directors.

This article will outline 4 reasons why character is important for success:

What is Character?

Character is a minefield. It is almost indescribable. Philosopher, Pierre Bourdieu, studied the field of 'habitus'. Habitus is every persons natural state of being, composed of sensibilities, dispositions and taste.

These factors are things each person is born with.

Ralph Waldo Emerson, defined character as something similar to this sentiment;

"The quiet reserved value creating force of the person, untouched by circumstances or external pressures."

It's important to try to find out your behavioral traits and understand why you sometimes act the way you do. Character, however is taking these natural reactions further and aligning them with action.

The energy, value and service a person contributes to a circumstance.

But why is character important for success?

1. Good Character Builds the Trust Needed for Success

Often when one has the goal of leadership in mind, you work on other attributes rather than your character as you attempt to reach your goal.

Being knowledgeable, eloquent attractive with many industry contacts might look like you're doing well in influencing those you want to. However, if they think that your character is flawed, your potential to lead and influence won't really ever take off.

Your intentions won't be trusted, limiting your leadership and management abilities.

2. Character Helps You to Perform Your Role

Whether you're a leader, aspiring leader or just trying to impress your boss, take a step back to understand how your character affects the way you perform your role.

This will help you to be clearer and more confident in your choices, rather than either following other people, or making unappealing decisions to 'get ahead' at work.

3. Leaders with Morals Motivate their Employees

Those with strong characters are likely to also have a strong moral code. Good moral character comes from a person's ethics and virtues that they believe in and maintain in their daily decisions.

Develop your moral character by identifying what is important to you and analyze how bad moral character will affect those working for you.

Decide to be loyal to your moral code and good employees will pick up on this and be more supportive, leading them to work harder towards the shared goals of your company.

4. Your Character Gives You Empathy

Empathy constantly comes up as a trait needed for leadership. Being empathetic means you see situations from the point of view of others and why they may act in a different way to how you would in their situation.

It's important to figure out behavioral differences.

So next time you're struggling with why you're employee did that, you'll see the differences in your thought processes and natural character which makes each of you act in a certain way.

The Strength of Character In A Leader

As a leader or aspiring leader, an important thing to remember is that serving the needs of the broader enterprise or community is way more important than your own personal desires.

"We have seen many leaders taken down by their flaws, leaders who have gotten complacent in their power and their own self interest has lead to their downfall."

Notably, without mentioning names, we are in somewhat over a global character crisis, a crisis which has undoubtedly contributed to our worldwide financial crisis.

Because of this, and because of any of us having experience with a bad boss at work, leaders are often deemed as untrustworthy due to pre-judgment.

Leaders that we have experienced this with, have not suddenly become bad people, the issue lies with the evolution from focus on their job and character and morals, to self interest of the worst kind.

Self promotion, with little thought of what they are actually doing to their reputation.

Summary

Character is important for success as it's what makes us authentic. It makes us, us. Being self aware about character is what will make you stand out in a good way.

In the mean time, as an individual, don't blame others (those above, on a level with, or below you professionally) for a lack of ethics and character, but commit to being the character that you would want to be led by.

Don't just argue what you believe is good but practice it too.

Recap on Reasons Why Character is Important:

1. Good character builds the trust needed for success

2. Character helps you perform your role

3. Leaders with morals motivate their employees

4. Your character gives you empathy

Do you have any more reasons why character is important for success? Leave a comment below.

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4 Reasons Why Character is Important for Success | Wealthy Gorilla

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The character of those in leadership roles is important. Most of us recognize this and require it in the leaders that we look to work for. This is not just applicable to CEO's and leaders of large organisations of political parties. It is applicable to you, the shift manager and you with your team of two or three employees.

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The word character has two meanings. Character refers to a person in a work of fiction and to the characteristics of persons in a work of fiction, their characterization. In a work of fiction, one character is typically the central focus of the story. This person is called a protagonist while the character who opposes the actions of the protagonist is the antagonist. Characterization is the process of how the author presents the character in order to make them seem real to the reader.

The Importance of Characters

Characters are an important element in short stories because they drive the story as a whole. The types of characters that are involved in a story create different types of conflicts and tensions as well as different types of resolutions. For example, a story about a prostitute who tries to start a new life by going to college will have a different set of tensions, conflicts and resolutions than a story about a truck driver who kills a hitchhiker and tries to make amends for his crime. These characters' desires, hopes, dreams and thoughts are the driving force of the whole story.

Creating Character

A writer creates a convincing character by giving him a particular motivation or desire. As the character follows his true nature and struggles with his inner motivations, he begins to resemble a real person. The way that the writer chooses to reveal his characters varies. Some writers rely heavily on outward appearances. For example, a character may have a hunchback or some other deformity, which implies his evilness or antagonism. Writers may also reveal their characters' traits using their thoughts, feelings and actions or another character's thoughts, actions and feelings about that character.

Individual and Dynamic Characters

Because characters are such an important element in short stories, the kind of character that the writer presents is also of the utmost importance to the development of the story as a whole. In general, characters are found in three forms: individual, developing and static. An individual character is round, many sided, and complex in personality. In short stories, protagonists are typically individuals. A developing character is a character who grows throughout the story. The character typically undergoes a personality change as a result of some sort of event, and the change is not necessarily for the better. Good short stories have dynamic protagonists and antagonists because rounder and more complex characters make more interesting stories.

Static Characters

Characters may also be static. Static characters are stereotypical characters who are two-dimensional or flat. These characters never change throughout the story and can typically be summed up in a cliché, such as a "brilliant detective", "Scrooge", or " the cruel stepmother." Occasionally, static characters are secondary characters and are just not developed enough due to the constricted nature of the short story form.

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Why Is Character an Important Element in Short Stories?

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The word character has two meanings. Character refers to a person in a work of fiction and to the characteristics of persons in a work of fiction, their characterization. In a work of fiction, one character is typically the central focus of the story. This person is called a protagonist while the character who opposes ...

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The Importance of Setting in a Story | Educational Rap for Language Arts Class

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Why are the characters important in a story

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What are story elements?

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Buy books online and find book series such as Katie Kazoo, Switcheroo written by Nancy Krulik and John and Wendy from PenguinRandomHouse.com

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Buy books online and find book series such as Katie Kazoo, Switcheroo written by Nancy Krulik and John and Wendy from PenguinRandomHouse.com

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Picture

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Important elements of a story

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What's the Most Important Element of a Good Story?

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How do you make good dialogue in a story

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How do you make good dialogue in a story

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How To Write Character Dialogue That's Believable!

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Why are the elements of short story important? - Answers

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Becasue no body wants to read a boring story, even if it is short.

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They can make you cry and laugh. And they are funny, sad and angry.

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What makes a good story? Understanding the key elements of a great story and what satisfies readers regardless of finer details (such as genre) will help you write a more successful book. We're satisfied when stories achieve certain effects, such as moving us, inspiring us to wonder. With the advent of self-publishing there are now more books than ever on the market. So how do you make a story good so it is more successful?

10 ways to make a good story successful and compelling:

1. Make the dramatic content of your story strong

'Man has bacon and eggs for breakfast' is not a story idea that is going to have readers clawing for a copy of your book. It also is highly unlikely this would sustain an entire novel.

'Man has bacon and eggs for breakfast, but the bacon is made from human flesh' is a story scenario with much more dramatic potential (this could be a scene from one of Thomas Harris' popular novels about the serial killer Hannibal Lector). Once you've found the resulting actions and the eventual outcome that develops out of your primary story scenario, you have a story idea.

What are the key elements of a good, dramatic story?

Dramatic storytelling is a matter of including key elements of a good story such as:

Tension

Surprise

Extraordinary characters or character behaviour

Controversy

Mystery

Suspense

The second story idea above contains most of these elements. It's surprising because cannibalism is a taboo most people find disturbing. The character's behaviour is extraordinary because cannibalism is not an everyday, common behaviour. The subject matter is controversial. There is implicit tension because of the possibility the character is a murderer, given his actions. There's mystery - who is this character and why does he engage in this activity?

'Dramatic content' isn't necessarily shocking or controversial. It could be something as innocuous as the reader not knowing whether romantic leads will end up in each other's arms. Brainstorm characters, plot points or settings that give some of the above elements using our step-by-step prompts. Making a story good starts with finding and developing multi-faceted ideas.

2. Vary your prose's rhythm and structure

Writing instructors often advise creative writing classes to write shorter, punchier sentences. Short sentences are great for increasing pace and help to make scenes that have tense subject matter tenser in mood. Yet be wary of monotonous writing. Vary sentence length. Tap out the rhythm of your sentences' syllables every now and then, or read your prose aloud. This will help you hear its cadence, its music.

Use rhythmic structure from poetry for inspiration. For example, the japanese haiku is a short three-line poem in which the first line has 5 syllables, the second 7 and the third 5 again. Try write a few prose sentences with this syllabic structure, e.g.

'He waited all day. It was cold and darkening. Would anyone come?'

Exploring the rhythm of your writing consciously will help you to write better sentences. A book contains many sentences, so make yours easier and lovelier to read. Consciously crafted, creative prose makes a book better in any genre.

3. Create believable, memorable characters

Why do we find some characters more memorable than others? Because they have one or more of the following:

Note that appearance comes last: If you simply describe your characters' eye colour, your character won't stand out. Key to making a story good is creating characters you'd remember if you stood next to them in line. Even if only for 15 minutes.

Part of a memorable voice is created by your character's origins. Do they use regional dialects or sayings that mark them as being from a particular place? Are their voices soft or loud? What sorts of expressions do they use? And slang?

Read authors such as Charles Dickens, who is famous for creating larger-than-life, memorable characters. According to The Guardian, 'hearing voices allowed Charles Dickens to create extraordinary fictional worlds'.

Like their voices, characters' goals and motivations should be wholly their own and should help us understand their behaviour.

What does each character in your book (even the secondary, 'walk on, walk off' ones) crave? Why do they desire the things they do? Get How to Write Real Characters for practical exercises and examples in how to make characters ring true.

4. Make the important parts of your story effective

Each part of a story needs to be effective to make it good. Great openings create fascinating introductions to authors' worlds, characters and plot scenarios. In a brilliant middle, your story might:

Introduce new characters who help or hinder your primary character(s)

Add subplots that supplement your main story arc (more on this in number 5 below)

Reveal why your characters have the goals you establish at the start of your book

Increase narrative tension by increasing what's at stake for your characters

Chuck Wendig has a great post here on how to fight the mushy middle and make your own story lean and mean throughout. This is Wendig's advice when writing the middle gets tough:

'Find your next steps. Discover your narrative landmarks. That'll get you out of the woods and back onto the road.'

5. Deepen your plot with subplots

What is the definition of a subplot?

A subplot is 'a secondary plot, or a strand of the main plot that runs parallel to it and supports it'. An example of a subplot would be the departure of the character Quoyle's wife in the early chapters of E. Annie Proulx's novel The Shipping News. This becomes part of the subplot of Quoyle grieving for (and looking for substitute) love. The subplot sets the tragic tone for the novel and the pathos of it, Quoyle's heartbreak, drives the reader to invest emotionally in his outcome.

To deepen your story with subplots:

Use subplots to make readers care about your characters - this grows reader investment

Add subplots that reveal characters' personalities and complicate their progress towards their goals

Find subplots that expand key themes of your novel

Deepening your plot with subplots will improve your novel because readers will feel more connected to your characters. Connection arises out of understanding and empathy. A good, relevant subplot can help you create these two things.

6. Make every line of dialogue count

Make every line of dialogue count. In great dialogue:

We gain a sense of characters' different personalities, views, quirks (everyone has their own voice)

Dialogue serves the story (characters don't just sit around telling each other what they had for breakfast)

Dialogue deepens or develops connections between characters such as conflict and other emotional elements

In a good story, characters do not sound like real people all the time (even if they create the illusion of being real). This is because in a good story:

Characters mostly speak to the point. There are fewer pleasantries, for example, such as 'Fine thanks and you?'

They don't use filler words such as 'like' or 'um' excessively (unless this is emphasized for a justifiable reason)

Characters' dialogue serves the plot. It helps us understand what has happened, what is happening, and what will happen.

See advice for writing better dialogue in our separate post on the subject.

7. Add what makes a good story: Immersive setting

What makes a story great? Besides unforgettable characters, a crafted plot, engaging action and dialogue? Immersive settings. A great story puts us right in the heart of its scenes, its world. How do you write a great setting?

1. Make place a character. Don't just give a house a shape and colour. Give it personality. Is it old and dank, shutting out the light of the world, or is it light, charming and elegant? Besides giving place personality, give it something out of the ordinary to make it truly fascinating.

2. Make place in your story change with the times. The street your characters grow up on should have changed when they return in later life, not only because places do change over time but because change is interesting. Old neighbours may have moved or passed away. Characters might feel differently about a place with passing years, too. Find the emotional connections we have to places.

3. Enrich your setting with detail. If you write about a real, historical or contemporary place in particular, know the landmarks. Know the demographics, the underprivileged areas and the rich ones. Know what the place is celebrated or nefarious for. Details, contrasts and contradictions give cities their vibrance and their complex social life.

8. Create conflict and tension

When we read the word 'conflict' we often think immediately of violence. War, for example, or physical fights between adversaries. But there are many kinds of conflict you can use to improve your story. Characters' internal conflicts create tension by making readers wonder whether they will overcome their hurdles. Characters might also grapple with their environments. For example, in a character vs society conflict (such as in The Scarlet Letter). Or when characters struggle with natural phenomena (the typical disaster story).

To write great conflict:

Create and bring together characters whose personalities clash. The reality TV series Come Dine With Me does this expertly by combining dinner guests who are guaranteed to irritate each other. The bubbly go-getter is paired with the morose man-of-few-words.

Combine different kinds of story conflicts within a single narrative. It's interesting when tension arises from varied sources

Watch movies or series that are renowned for their mastery of tense conflict and note down the plot, dialogue or scene setting devices that help scriptwriters achieve their effects.

James Duncan offers some excellent advice on creating conflict and tension. Says Duncan:

'Maybe the goal a character wants to accomplish is reached, but it turns out to be nothing the character expected ... But the genie is hard to get back in the bottle, isn't it?'

Even when our wildest dreams come true, we may find there are more rivers to cross. Relationships, for example, take work.

9. Craft beguiling beginnings

The beginning is part of what elevates a good story to become a great one.

What makes a good story beginning?

A good beginning:

1. Creates questions the reader is determined to have answered (e.g. 'Who is this mysterious killer who loves Barry Manilow's 'Copacabana'?')

2. Hooks readers on your writing style

3. Introduces the key conflicts and/or characters of your novel (and what makes them interesting).

4. Promises a meaningful reading experience (promises being moved, going on an adventure, being terrified).

How to create good opening questions

For the first element of a good story beginning, you can:

Describe a character doing something unexpected

Introduce a perplexing scenario that must be explained (murder is the mainstay of thriller and suspense novels when it comes to creating questions)

Tease the reader with unknowns (whether these relate to a character, an unfamiliar setting or object)

How to hook readers in

For the second story beginning element, hooking your reader on your writing:

Make sure your language is polished

Cut out extraneous information - it isn't relevant what your character ate for breakfast, unless this somehow is developed to become a crucial detail

Use original (but clear) language and the occasional fresh metaphor or simile

Ways to introduce characters

To improve your beginning:

Describe characters in concrete terms: Instead of 'she had always been a happy child', show a happy scene from childhood

Show your character at a pivotal moment: hook the reader right away

Either hint at a coming conflict or launch right into it

How to create the promise of a good story

To show readers your story is worth reading early on:

Set the core action of the story in motion (For example: your character receives an unmarked letter)

Give your reader a taste of the excitement, emotional power or laughs in store

10. Deliver knockout endings

The ending will either entice a reader to seek out other novels you've written or donate the book they've just finished. Don't let your book be clutter. End on a lingering impression:

What makes a good story ending?

A good story ending:

1. Resolves the primary conflict of your story (the killer is caught or the adventurer reaches his destination)

2. Rises in tension before giving the reader release

3. Isn't so tidy that it's predictable or a cop-out

4. Uses words that convey the sense of an ending

Resolving primary story conflicts

We're satisfied when primary conflicts resolve, as there's follow-through on preceding events. Solve conflicts by

Making wrongdoers or antagonists face the music (even if they emerge victorious in an unhappy ending for your protagonist)

Make the outcome of your primary conflict feel explicable but not predictable. For example, make a killer's escape or conviction equally possible - keep the reader guessing

How to build rising action to your climax

To make a story good throughout its final chapters:

Build tension by adding story complications. (In The Lord of the Rings, Frodo must not only destroy the ring but do so with a greatly diminished party as he journeys towards the villain's heartland)

As Jessica Page Morrel says here, make sure that the stakes are high and the consequences for failure are dire. What does your character stand to lose if they don't get what they want?

Ways to avoid a predictable ending

To avoid a lame or cop-out ending and make your story go out with intrigue:

Make sure that you keep up dramatic tension until the end. Meaningful wins seldom come easy

Keep readers guessing how things will pan out with a plot twist. If you use a surprise plot twist, remember to keep the surprise believable

Avoid the deus ex machina, a practically miraculous event that lets you tie things up quickly with little exlanation. Characters developing amnesia as a plot device in soap operas is a classic example (watch a great parody of this here: https://youtu.be/5qLzF6mZrCw)

How to create the sense of an ending

To give your final paragraphs a closing, rounding off feeling:

Read the final paragraphs of your favourite novels. What kind of language does the author use? Is it poignant, nostalgic, dramatic or epic in tone?

Make sure the ending ties back to the preceding story. One example of this is having an ending that echoes, in imagery or themes, the opening lines of your novel

Learn what makes a story good with constructive feedback from our writing community. Or get one-on-one feedback from a writing coach to make real progress.

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What Makes a Good Story? 10 Elements | Now Novel

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What makes a good story? Understanding the key elements of a great story and what satisfies readers regardless of finer details (such as genre) will help you write a more successful book. We're satisfied when stories achieve certain effects, such as moving us, inspiring us to wonder.

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Settings in story

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Story Elements for Kids: What Is a Setting?

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TingRy Story Settings

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Story Elements for Kids: What Is a Setting?

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Setting In a story

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Why is the climax important in the story

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Why is the climax important in the story

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Plot diagrams

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Why are story elements important?

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A short story is a short work of fiction. Fiction, as you know, is prose writing about imagined events and characters. Prose writing differs from poetry in that it does not depend on verses, meters or rhymes for its organization and presentation.

Novels are another example of fictional prose and are much longer than short stories. Some short stories, however, can be quite long. If a a short story is a long one, say fifty to one hundred pages, we call it a novella.

American literature contains some of the world's best examples of the short story. Readers around the world enjoy the finely crafted stories of American writers such as O. Henry, Stephen Crane, Jack London, Mark Twain and Edgar Allen Poe.

What makes these authors such remarkable short story writers? They are true masters at combining the five key elements that go into every great short story: character, setting, conflict, plot and theme.

The ELLSA web-site uses one of these five key elements as the focus of each of the five on-line lessons in the Classics of American Literature section. In each lesson, you will explore a single American short story from the USIA Ladder Series and discover how the author uses a certain element.

The definitions on the right are repeated on the first page of each short story lesson.

map of ELLSA: American Literary Classics

top of page

contents: American Literary Classics

March 22, 2004

A character is a person, or sometimes even an animal, who takes part in the action of a short story or other literary work.

see The Green Door by O. Henry

The setting of a short story is the time and place in which it happens. Authors often use descriptions of landscape, scenery, buildings, seasons or weather to provide a strong sense of setting.

see The Last Leaf by O. Henry

A plot is a series of events and character actions that relate to the central conflict.

The conflict is a struggle between two people or things in a short story. The main character is usually on one side of the central conflict.

On the other side, the main character may struggle against another important character, against the forces of nature, against society, or even against something inside himself or herself (feelings, emotions, illness).

The theme is the central idea or belief in a short story.

see The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry

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The five important elements of a short story

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A short story is a short work of fiction. Fiction, as you know, is prose writing about imagined events and characters. Prose writing differs from poetry in that it does not depend on verses, meters or rhymes for its organization and presentation. Novels are another example of fictional prose and are much longer than short stories.

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What are story elements?

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Why books have pictures

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November is Picture Book Month, when schools, libraries, booksellers and book lovers around the world come together to celebrate the print picture book. I strongly encourage you to check out PictureBookMonth.com, where members of the children's lit community have been posting essays each day about why they believe picture books are important.

The following lists some of the reasons I believe that picture books are important. I've also included the covers of just a few of the many wonderful picture books that have come out in 2013 so far. Click on any cover to find out more info.

Picture books are important because of how readers interact with them, especially the read-aloud experience. No matter how many awards it may have won or how beautiful the prose or illustrations, an unread picture book collecting dust on a shelf is just paper and cardboard. The magic begins when a child or grown-up reader opens up the book.

Some parents try to rush their children out of picture books into chapter books because they believe that reading text-heavy books will help young people prepare for standardized testing, not realizing that picture books can be a valuable resource and enjoyed by older children, even up through high school.

With the above mind, here's why I think picture books are important:

Picture books introduce children to the concept of reading, even if they can't read yet. In a Boston.com interview, Bob Staake said that when he was a kid, he used to flip through grown-up magazines and fixate on whatever graphic element caught his attention (e.g. a photo, an illustration, an ad). "That was reading to me. That is the way kids start to read, and parents don't respect it enough. The idea that looking at things is not as important as reading the written word, that's BS."

Picture books encourage conversations between young and older readers. While some children enjoy reading picture books on their own, it's often the case that an adult or older sibling reads to a younger child. Reading a picture book aloud prompts conversations about what's happening in the story, what the characters are feeling, meanings of words, how what's happening might relate to the child.

Picture books help bridge the gap between generations, strengthening bonds and forming connections as an older reader (whether parent, grandparent, older sibling, teacher, librarian, etc.) reads aloud to a child.

Picture books strengthen visual thinking skills. Picture books help children connect what they observe with how they reason, linking concepts with words.

Picture books introduce children to a love of art in a way that just taking a child to an art gallery can't achieve. The illustrations aren't mere decoration to the text. They enhance the story and emotions. The context encourages a child to go back to different pictures over and over, noticing new things, reading characters' emotions and interactions, possible secondary subplots that are told only in the pictures.

Picture books teach children how to be better listeners. In a read-aloud experience, children learn that paying attention makes reading the book much more fun. As Emma Walton Hamilton points out, this helps prepare children to become better listeners in later life.

Picture books help children develop critical thinking skills. Karen Lotz of Candlewick Press points out in a New York Times piece: "To some degree, picture books force an analog way of thinking. From picture to picture, as the reader interacts with the book, their imagination is filling in the missing themes." Picture books stimulate a state of mind in children that words alone can't achieve, says J. Richard Gentry in Psychology Today.

Picture books give young readers a sense of control and help build self-confidence. In a world where there seem to be so many things that they aren't allowed to do and where adults have final say, a picture book offers an opportunity for a child to feel part of the story and control the pacing of the story. They can pause over certain pages, go back to revisit another part of the story. They can read slowly or quickly.

Picture books introduce complex concepts in a safe environment. Some even recommend using picture books for older children (middle school and high school), to set the stage for introducing broader topics of study like art or history, or for illustrating an abstract concept. "With picture books, each student in the class can access new information at his/her individual level of readiness," says Keith Schoch in Basic Literacy Through Picture Books.

Picture books help children discover themselves and the world. No matter what the topic or issue or emotion, there is likely a picture book that addresses it.

Picture books help build vocabulary. Children will often be introduced to words in picture books that they would not find in simpler early readers. Even when an adult isn't around to help, defining unknown words becomes easier because the pictures provide clues to the reader.

Picture books plant the seed for writing skills. "It is the joyous power of picture books that turns young listeners into readers and readers into writers," says Charles Ghigna.

Picture books help show children that reading is important. Especially in a world where everything moves so quickly and adults are always rushing around and busy, the fact that a grown-up will take the time to read a book aloud to a child sends a positive message about reading as well as about the relationship.

Picture books encourage joy in reading. Reading picture books is FUN, whether by yourself or with a grown-up or child. When being read to, a child can tell that the adult is enjoying himself/herself, and that helps reinforce the message that READING IS FUN.

Picture books offer comfort. They're non-threatening, they're fun to read. Children (and grown-ups!) go back to reread familiar picture books. For me, rereading a favorite childhood picture book is like visiting an old friend. Or coming home.

If any of the above has helped convince you of the importance of picture books, I encourage you to do one or more of the following:

(1) Go to the library and read through some picture books. Find your favorites, discover new favorites.

(2) Read a picture book aloud to a young person. If you don't have children, then visit a friend or family member who does. :-)

(3) Tweet or blog about a picture book that you like. It could be a newer book that you've just discovered, or tell us about one of your favorite picture books from childhood.

(4) Go to your local children's bookstore and buy a picture book. This not only helps support the bookstore but also the people who helped create it.

(5) Feel free to share the image below. No need to link back to my blog (but you're free to, of course!) but please do keep my copyright info intact.

Now go forth and read a picture book!

Source material, related resources and other helpful links:
PictureBookMonth.com
Parents - Empower Children As Thinkers With Picture Books! - by J. Richard Gentry, Ph.D.

Bob Staake: Illustrator and looker (subscription needed)

Creating Reluctant Readers and Picture Books - by Heather Newman

How Picture Books Play A Role In A Child's Development - by Lori Calabrese

Introduction to Show Me A Story: Why Picture Books Matter - by David Wiesner

Not Too Old For Picture Books - Heart Of The Matter

Basic Literacy Through Picture Books (video) - by Keith Schoch

Why Picture Books Matter: 7 Reasons To Read With Your Child - on Britmums

Critical Literacy: Using Picture Books To Read The World - by Alexis Birner (M.Ed) and Lindsay Bromley (M.Ed)

Picture Books Are Not Just For Children: 10 Reasons Why - by Rick Walton

How Picture Books Can Help Children Read Better - Studydog.com

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Why Picture Books Are Important - Inkygirl: Guide For Kidlit/YA Writers & Artists - via @inkyelbows

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November is Picture Book Month, when schools, libraries, booksellers and book lovers around the world come together to celebrate the print picture book. I strongly encourage you to check out PictureBookMonth.com, where members of the children's lit community have been posting essays each day about why they believe picture books are important.

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Elements of Literary Nonfiction and Informational Nonfiction Texts - SAS

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During the lesson, keep the focus first on the use of literary elements in literary nonfiction and then on the differences between literary nonfiction and informational nonfiction texts. Students' written responses to "Across the Plains" will provide information about their understanding of the use of fictional elements in literary nonfiction.

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Why are the characters character traits important in The story

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" I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you make them feel." Maya Angelou

In the social media marketing community, there are a lot of strategies we use to connect with our audience, multiple ways in which we share content, and different content types we utilize to share a brand's story.

But there is none as important as the element of emotions in all that we do, specifically, storytelling. Maya Angelou knew that what connects us runs much deeper than our words or actions, it's the human connection that makes us bond, makes us fall in love, and endears us to anything in life.

This human connection is emotions and the imparting of it in how we connect with one another online.

About a month ago, I presented a keynote at the Social Media Strategies Summit in NYC about this very topic, and I want to break it down for you because this message explains the foundational element of social media, how we use it to interact, how it assists us to develop relationships, and inevitably promote our businesses.

Take a moment with me to think of the people most loved in your life. See their faces, remember their voices, the way they look when they're happy, the things they like and those they do not. I bet these people have an abundance of excellent character traits, but when it comes down to it, it's how they make you feel about yourself or how you feel around them that makes them so special.

This feeling is one you should hold onto as I continue to explain why emotions play such a crucial part in social media storytelling. Because when we get all caught up in the data and conversions related to social media, we forget that the people we're dealing with everyday are just like those we care most about. They are the humans on the other side.

But first, let's take a step back and review.

Why is storytelling important to social media?

1. Endears us

2. Helps us to remember

When you think of puppies and clydesdale horses, what brand do you think of? If you guessed Budweiser then you're right! We all remember the lost puppy commercial for Budweiser from this year's Super Bowl because it pained us to see this puppy lost, and then we rejoiced when he made it back. That story helped us to remember Budweiser simply by pulling on our heart strings.

3. Develops trust and credibility

Without understanding the story of a brand, we won't ever get to know it. And if we don't feel like we know a brand then we will never develop feelings for it.

4. Humanizes

There is a human element to every business, but we must share that if we ever want to humanize it into a brand.

And what is a brand? My definition is simple: it's a business who's learned how to make its customers and online audience feel something about it. It's crossed the threshold of just being another business selling something.

But the deal is, NONE of these points are possible without emotions being an active part of that storytelling. If we aren't finding our way into the hearts and mind of our audience then our stories will never be successful.

Why are emotions important to storytelling?

1. Makes a story relatable

If a story isn't relatable, then its hard to.. (next point)

2. Create a connection

A connection is necessary for people to feel something. Do you hang out with people you don't feel connected to? No.

3. Establishes loyalty

Brand loyalty cannot exist without a person feeling for a product/service because there are plenty of other similar products/services available.

4. Humanizes a story

We can tell stories all day, but without emotions they fall short. Similar to a lackluster story told by a friend - it doesn't keep our attention unless there's emotion involved.

But wait a minute - business and emotions don't mix! At least, that's what I've heard many business owners say, but oh yes they do!! Why?

1. Emotions are the primary drivers of ALL of our online and offline actions. They're involved in every decision we make, especially when it comes to purchases.

2. Emotional benefits make a business special. Why? Because... The rational elements of a business do little to differentiate itself from the competition. Considering going to the store to pick up eggs. They're basically all the exact same, but we buy under the guise of wanting to feel good about how the chicken are raised versus just nabbing the cheap ones. Right?

So now that you understand WHY emotions are critical, HOW will you implement them into your storytelling?

1. Discover what your audience wants from you, beyond the features.

Every buyer is looking for a particular set of features in a product or service, but they're also wanting to emotionally connect with it. Think about it - we make purchases all the time on products that are made by a variety of brands, i.e. food, clothing, etc. yet we choose certain products for different reasons.

A good example is restaurants. A feature would be good food, but the emotional connection would be feeling at home, the food reminding you of your mother's, feeling like you're a part of the cool neighborhood it's in or feeling comfortable.

I'm a mega foodie since I grew up in restaurants and typically know which ones offer good food. So when I make a decision to go out to eat, my #1 deciding factor is where I will be the most comfortable.

Our customers and clients can probably find whatever it is we're selling in multiple places - we've got to find out what emotional benefits they're looking for and then capitalize on them in our storytelling.

2. Develop and maintain a consistent brand voice.

Without a consistent brand voice to become familiar with, any brand will have a difficult time connecting with its audience. Think about it, we are most drawn to people who are consistently themselves, regardless of what that self is like. We trust and like consistency on an unconscious level, so if our stories are all over the place or the voice we use in which to tell them is constantly changing, we move away.

When we take one a new client with ARCH, they must sign a contract that says only ARCH Specialists will operate the social accounts. This isn't done to take away control or be in charge, it's to ensure that the brand voice remains consistent.

3. Personalize.

Our society is becoming obsessed with personalization - from the radio stations fashioned to our personal music tastes to VIP service - we love it. And that flows right into the stories we tell. We need to know exactly who our target audience is so that we can speak to them personally with our storytelling. Otherwise, even the best stories will fall flat.

4. Ask questions.

I read that questions in social media are dead, especially on Facebook, and I'm like - are you crazy??? People LOVE to talk, share, voice their opinion, and show what they know. We can tell the coolest stories all day long, but if we don't invite them into the conversation and find ways to make our stories interactive, then we'll miss out on opportunities to develop lasting relationships.

5. Hone in on extreme emotions.

By this I mean, let's make people laugh and make them cry. No matter how busy I am during my day, if I come across something that looks funny I'll stop and check it out. Why? Because life is busy and chaotic, and can always use an excuse to laugh. And our audience is the same way. Utilizing humor in our storytelling seems like a no-brainer, but many businesses sidestep it for fear they'll upset someone. But we've got to step out to find out. If it matches the brand, then all is well.

By making people cry, I don't necessarily mean that literally. I'm saying, let's touch on the softer emotions - empathy and compassion. We can take a bland product like a pacemaker and pair it with a story about a man who lost his job and was on the verge of losing his family home, but was able to regain everything after one operation. All of a sudden, we feel something for that pacemaker. And that is the power of emotions in our storytelling.

For the sake of brevity, I won't go into the examples used in the presentation, but have included the slide deck below.

How do YOU utilize emotions in your storytelling?

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Emotions: The Most Important Element in our Storytelling

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" I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you make them feel." Maya Angelou In the social media marketing community, there are a lot of strategies we use to connect with our audience, multiple ways in which we share content, and different content types we utilize to share a brand's story.

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Buy books online and find book series such as Katie Kazoo, Switcheroo written by Nancy Krulik and John and Wendy from PenguinRandomHouse.com

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What are story elements?

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Video

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Course Leader for BA (Hons) Creative Writing at AUB, Dr. James Cole, shares his thoughts on what makes a great story. 

More here: aub.ac.uk/creativewriting

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Why are story elements important?

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In my view, pictures are as important as words to telling a story

Posted on: 23rd November 2012

From a young age I was impressed by the importance of images and illustrations to telling a story. With the books that I enjoyed most as a child - like The House at Pooh Corner and the Jungle Book - it was the illustrations as much as the words which helped to fire my imagination.

I do not like to see the books I write as words accompanied by pictures. I prefer to see the words (ideally read aloud) and pictures working together to tell a story. I see my books' illustrator Daniela Jaglenka Terrazzini as a co-creator. And in future projects, I plan to write words in response to her illustrations, rather than the other way round.

As we know from cave paintings, pictures are one of the oldest storytelling forms, but in recent years they have sometimes seemed to have been pushed into the background. I think that the growth of the digital world, however, is changing this. Digital media makes it very easy and cheap to share images and to communicate visually online. We see this in the popularity of sharing images on social networks and of social networks dedicated solely to images. We are re-realising the power of images to tell a story.

I think that the attitude that sees illustrated books as something exclusively for children is short-sighted - and I think this point of view is something, thankfully, that fewer and fewer people hold. We can see this in the inclusion of two graphic novels in the shortlist for the Costa Book Awards this year. And in the fact that the chairman of judges for next year's Man Booker prize says that he would welcome entries from graphic novel creators.

If illustration is so important to the books that JJ Books publishes, does that make them 'graphic novels'?

I am not sure - but I don't think that how we describe a book ultimately matters. I am glad that more and more people seem to be realising that words and pictures are equally valuable. They each tell stories in different ways - and when they work together, their power is all the greater.

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The importance of pictures to telling a story

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Posted on: 23rd November 2012 From a young age I was impressed by the importance of images and illustrations to telling a story. With the books that I enjoyed most as a child - like The House at Pooh Corner and the Jungle Book - it was the illustrations as much as the words which helped to fire my imagination.

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Story Elements For Kids: What Is a Character?

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Story elements

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Why are the elements of short story important? - Answers

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Becasue no body wants to read a boring story, even if it is short.

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Why are story elements important?

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November is Picture Book Month, when schools, libraries, booksellers and book lovers around the world come together to celebrate the print picture book. I strongly encourage you to check out PictureBookMonth.com, where members of the children's lit community have been posting essays each day about why they believe picture books are important.

The following lists some of the reasons I believe that picture books are important. I've also included the covers of just a few of the many wonderful picture books that have come out in 2013 so far. Click on any cover to find out more info.

Picture books are important because of how readers interact with them, especially the read-aloud experience. No matter how many awards it may have won or how beautiful the prose or illustrations, an unread picture book collecting dust on a shelf is just paper and cardboard. The magic begins when a child or grown-up reader opens up the book.

Some parents try to rush their children out of picture books into chapter books because they believe that reading text-heavy books will help young people prepare for standardized testing, not realizing that picture books can be a valuable resource and enjoyed by older children, even up through high school.

With the above mind, here's why I think picture books are important:

Picture books introduce children to the concept of reading, even if they can't read yet. In a Boston.com interview, Bob Staake said that when he was a kid, he used to flip through grown-up magazines and fixate on whatever graphic element caught his attention (e.g. a photo, an illustration, an ad). "That was reading to me. That is the way kids start to read, and parents don't respect it enough. The idea that looking at things is not as important as reading the written word, that's BS."

Picture books encourage conversations between young and older readers. While some children enjoy reading picture books on their own, it's often the case that an adult or older sibling reads to a younger child. Reading a picture book aloud prompts conversations about what's happening in the story, what the characters are feeling, meanings of words, how what's happening might relate to the child.

Picture books help bridge the gap between generations, strengthening bonds and forming connections as an older reader (whether parent, grandparent, older sibling, teacher, librarian, etc.) reads aloud to a child.

Picture books strengthen visual thinking skills. Picture books help children connect what they observe with how they reason, linking concepts with words.

Picture books introduce children to a love of art in a way that just taking a child to an art gallery can't achieve. The illustrations aren't mere decoration to the text. They enhance the story and emotions. The context encourages a child to go back to different pictures over and over, noticing new things, reading characters' emotions and interactions, possible secondary subplots that are told only in the pictures.

Picture books teach children how to be better listeners. In a read-aloud experience, children learn that paying attention makes reading the book much more fun. As Emma Walton Hamilton points out, this helps prepare children to become better listeners in later life.

Picture books help children develop critical thinking skills. Karen Lotz of Candlewick Press points out in a New York Times piece: "To some degree, picture books force an analog way of thinking. From picture to picture, as the reader interacts with the book, their imagination is filling in the missing themes." Picture books stimulate a state of mind in children that words alone can't achieve, says J. Richard Gentry in Psychology Today.

Picture books give young readers a sense of control and help build self-confidence. In a world where there seem to be so many things that they aren't allowed to do and where adults have final say, a picture book offers an opportunity for a child to feel part of the story and control the pacing of the story. They can pause over certain pages, go back to revisit another part of the story. They can read slowly or quickly.

Picture books introduce complex concepts in a safe environment. Some even recommend using picture books for older children (middle school and high school), to set the stage for introducing broader topics of study like art or history, or for illustrating an abstract concept. "With picture books, each student in the class can access new information at his/her individual level of readiness," says Keith Schoch in Basic Literacy Through Picture Books.

Picture books help children discover themselves and the world. No matter what the topic or issue or emotion, there is likely a picture book that addresses it.

Picture books help build vocabulary. Children will often be introduced to words in picture books that they would not find in simpler early readers. Even when an adult isn't around to help, defining unknown words becomes easier because the pictures provide clues to the reader.

Picture books plant the seed for writing skills. "It is the joyous power of picture books that turns young listeners into readers and readers into writers," says Charles Ghigna.

Picture books help show children that reading is important. Especially in a world where everything moves so quickly and adults are always rushing around and busy, the fact that a grown-up will take the time to read a book aloud to a child sends a positive message about reading as well as about the relationship.

Picture books encourage joy in reading. Reading picture books is FUN, whether by yourself or with a grown-up or child. When being read to, a child can tell that the adult is enjoying himself/herself, and that helps reinforce the message that READING IS FUN.

Picture books offer comfort. They're non-threatening, they're fun to read. Children (and grown-ups!) go back to reread familiar picture books. For me, rereading a favorite childhood picture book is like visiting an old friend. Or coming home.

If any of the above has helped convince you of the importance of picture books, I encourage you to do one or more of the following:

(1) Go to the library and read through some picture books. Find your favorites, discover new favorites.

(2) Read a picture book aloud to a young person. If you don't have children, then visit a friend or family member who does. :-)

(3) Tweet or blog about a picture book that you like. It could be a newer book that you've just discovered, or tell us about one of your favorite picture books from childhood.

(4) Go to your local children's bookstore and buy a picture book. This not only helps support the bookstore but also the people who helped create it.

(5) Feel free to share the image below. No need to link back to my blog (but you're free to, of course!) but please do keep my copyright info intact.

Now go forth and read a picture book!

Source material, related resources and other helpful links:
PictureBookMonth.com
Parents - Empower Children As Thinkers With Picture Books! - by J. Richard Gentry, Ph.D.

Bob Staake: Illustrator and looker (subscription needed)

Creating Reluctant Readers and Picture Books - by Heather Newman

How Picture Books Play A Role In A Child's Development - by Lori Calabrese

Introduction to Show Me A Story: Why Picture Books Matter - by David Wiesner

Not Too Old For Picture Books - Heart Of The Matter

Basic Literacy Through Picture Books (video) - by Keith Schoch

Why Picture Books Matter: 7 Reasons To Read With Your Child - on Britmums

Critical Literacy: Using Picture Books To Read The World - by Alexis Birner (M.Ed) and Lindsay Bromley (M.Ed)

Picture Books Are Not Just For Children: 10 Reasons Why - by Rick Walton

How Picture Books Can Help Children Read Better - Studydog.com

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Why Picture Books Are Important - Inkygirl: Guide For Kidlit/YA Writers & Artists - via @inkyelbows

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November is Picture Book Month, when schools, libraries, booksellers and book lovers around the world come together to celebrate the print picture book. I strongly encourage you to check out PictureBookMonth.com, where members of the children's lit community have been posting essays each day about why they believe picture books are important.

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What's the Most Important Element of a Good Story?

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Why are characters important to a story? 

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Why are characters important to a story? 

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Rafters important to a story

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The word character has two meanings. Character refers to a person in a work of fiction and to the characteristics of persons in a work of fiction, their characterization. In a work of fiction, one character is typically the central focus of the story. This person is called a protagonist while the character who opposes the actions of the protagonist is the antagonist. Characterization is the process of how the author presents the character in order to make them seem real to the reader.

The Importance of Characters

Characters are an important element in short stories because they drive the story as a whole. The types of characters that are involved in a story create different types of conflicts and tensions as well as different types of resolutions. For example, a story about a prostitute who tries to start a new life by going to college will have a different set of tensions, conflicts and resolutions than a story about a truck driver who kills a hitchhiker and tries to make amends for his crime. These characters' desires, hopes, dreams and thoughts are the driving force of the whole story.

Creating Character

A writer creates a convincing character by giving him a particular motivation or desire. As the character follows his true nature and struggles with his inner motivations, he begins to resemble a real person. The way that the writer chooses to reveal his characters varies. Some writers rely heavily on outward appearances. For example, a character may have a hunchback or some other deformity, which implies his evilness or antagonism. Writers may also reveal their characters' traits using their thoughts, feelings and actions or another character's thoughts, actions and feelings about that character.

Individual and Dynamic Characters

Because characters are such an important element in short stories, the kind of character that the writer presents is also of the utmost importance to the development of the story as a whole. In general, characters are found in three forms: individual, developing and static. An individual character is round, many sided, and complex in personality. In short stories, protagonists are typically individuals. A developing character is a character who grows throughout the story. The character typically undergoes a personality change as a result of some sort of event, and the change is not necessarily for the better. Good short stories have dynamic protagonists and antagonists because rounder and more complex characters make more interesting stories.

Static Characters

Characters may also be static. Static characters are stereotypical characters who are two-dimensional or flat. These characters never change throughout the story and can typically be summed up in a cliché, such as a "brilliant detective", "Scrooge", or " the cruel stepmother." Occasionally, static characters are secondary characters and are just not developed enough due to the constricted nature of the short story form.

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Why Is Character an Important Element in Short Stories?

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The word character has two meanings. Character refers to a person in a work of fiction and to the characteristics of persons in a work of fiction, their characterization. In a work of fiction, one character is typically the central focus of the story. This person is called a protagonist while the character who opposes ...

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Characters in a story, are they important?

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Story Elements For Kids: What Is a Character?

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setting in a story

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Why are characters important in a story?

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Why are characters important in a story?

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The word character has two meanings. Character refers to a person in a work of fiction and to the characteristics of persons in a work of fiction, their characterization. In a work of fiction, one character is typically the central focus of the story. This person is called a protagonist while the character who opposes the actions of the protagonist is the antagonist. Characterization is the process of how the author presents the character in order to make them seem real to the reader.

The Importance of Characters

Characters are an important element in short stories because they drive the story as a whole. The types of characters that are involved in a story create different types of conflicts and tensions as well as different types of resolutions. For example, a story about a prostitute who tries to start a new life by going to college will have a different set of tensions, conflicts and resolutions than a story about a truck driver who kills a hitchhiker and tries to make amends for his crime. These characters' desires, hopes, dreams and thoughts are the driving force of the whole story.

Creating Character

A writer creates a convincing character by giving him a particular motivation or desire. As the character follows his true nature and struggles with his inner motivations, he begins to resemble a real person. The way that the writer chooses to reveal his characters varies. Some writers rely heavily on outward appearances. For example, a character may have a hunchback or some other deformity, which implies his evilness or antagonism. Writers may also reveal their characters' traits using their thoughts, feelings and actions or another character's thoughts, actions and feelings about that character.

Individual and Dynamic Characters

Because characters are such an important element in short stories, the kind of character that the writer presents is also of the utmost importance to the development of the story as a whole. In general, characters are found in three forms: individual, developing and static. An individual character is round, many sided, and complex in personality. In short stories, protagonists are typically individuals. A developing character is a character who grows throughout the story. The character typically undergoes a personality change as a result of some sort of event, and the change is not necessarily for the better. Good short stories have dynamic protagonists and antagonists because rounder and more complex characters make more interesting stories.

Static Characters

Characters may also be static. Static characters are stereotypical characters who are two-dimensional or flat. These characters never change throughout the story and can typically be summed up in a cliché, such as a "brilliant detective", "Scrooge", or " the cruel stepmother." Occasionally, static characters are secondary characters and are just not developed enough due to the constricted nature of the short story form.

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Why Is Character an Important Element in Short Stories?

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The word character has two meanings. Character refers to a person in a work of fiction and to the characteristics of persons in a work of fiction, their characterization. In a work of fiction, one character is typically the central focus of the story. This person is called a protagonist while the character who opposes ...