In order to do this, you may want to start by showing the environment where the scene is taking place from a distance. In most cases you need to make your story simple for your audience to understand. Think about how you want to start your story, what is going to happen in the middle, and finally, what is the ending going to be? When you read a certain section of your story, for example, can you image that scene unfolding in your mind? What does the shot look like in your imagination? Where are the characters located? Where are you viewing it from? These are all questions that can help you plan and block out your character positions and where your camera needs to be when you take the pictures.Įvery story has a beginning, a middle and an end. Next, write down your story and think about how you can convey each of the key points in your story visually. Plan your story by writing down the key story points. What about the characters in your story? Who are they? How would you describe them? It is good to write a description for each of your characters. Is it funny, mysterious, action, serious etc. Think about what kind of story you want to tell. Week 1: Getting into visual storytellingĮvery story has a beginning, a middle and an end. A tripod for the device, even a car phone holder would be useful but not essential. What you need: All you need is a device that lets you take pictures a camera, smart phone, tablet anything will do. Whether you shoot the same story over again or choose to photograph a different story is completely up to you. To get really good at anything requires practice. You need to tell one story every week for the next 10 weeks. During this time, I will be uploading more instructions, information and videos to help you get better at visual storytelling at: You can share the storyboard online using the hashtag: #10PicStory Once you have taken the images that you like, arrange them as a storyboard and write a a small description about what is happening in each photo. You can also create more abstract characters using household items stationary, tooth brushes, cups, hats, bottles, stones in the garden etc. You MUST stay within your house/garden. As characters for the story, you can use anything from miniature toy figures to housemates and family members. You need to try and tell a story using a minimum of 10 and maximum of 15 photographs. The idea is to create a fun, educational activity that helps everyone unleash their creative potential for photography and storytelling. Minor example: with a fairly “normal” name like James, would your main character describe the “inscription” as being in “the common tongue” or “plain f***Ing English instead of that lyrical, tongue-twisting Elvish bullsh*t” –the first changes gears on us, while the other keeps us in that more urban (and gritty) character/story.Welcome to the 10 picture story challenge! My suggestion would be to try that 3rd graph again: give us the same info but as if James is the one describing the events and background (even if 3rd person). Although you’re writing in 3rd person, you’re writing right over James’ shoulder. When that happens, we completely lose what’s been rocking us along: the main character’s voice. That’s where the high fantasy voice kicks in, and throwing us off. Before and after, it’s pretty consistent in it’s main character’s gritty “hardcore urban fantasy” voice –and then that graph hits and it gets into some deep exposition. (Grain of salt again!) After re-reading it, I think the issue is the exposition in the 3rd graph. That said, the world does seem like one I’d like to read more about… There’s definitely a contradiction between the clean, polished alley and the disgusting tattoo parlor. “Belies” means “(of an appearance) fail to give a true notion or impression of (something) disguise or contradict.” If it is urban fantasy, you may want to give us a bit more for us to understand the setting.Īnother minor thought: your first sentence might be stronger if you use belies” instead of “betrays” - I could be wrong, but betrays” gave me impression that the street was a clue as to what the tattoo parlor would look like (which since the street is clean, we’d expect the parlor to be the same–and as I read on, it definitely was not a clean place!). Some feedback (take with a grain of salt, please–just one reader’s opinion): the tone is a bit odd, since there are paragraphs of description that come across as high fantasy, yet the setting descriptions (and the voice) seem more like urban fantasy set in a modern-day world. It’s an interesting start, and reads as if there’s a good story developing.
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