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Diary Of A Wimpy Kid And The Buddy Comedy
Jeff Kinney’s Diary Of A Wimpy Kid was first published in 2004. The twelfth in the series is due November 2017. Kinney originally planned ten, unless the quality dropped off. At this point he plans to continue indefinitely, so long as they’re still popular. Television tie-ins, film versions and highly illustrated diaries of the Wimpy Kid ilk…
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Drugs In Children’s Literature
What are psychotropic drugs? Psychotropic drugs include: Mental health remains highly stigmatized. While adults who need blood thinners, cholesterol-lowering medication and insulin can take their drugs without fear of judgement, making the decision to drug your child with psychotropic drugs is considered controversial. What does this all have to do with children’s literature? Surely writers are steering clear…
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Things To Know About Miyazaki Films
1. MIYAZAKI’S FILMS FEATURE A TECHNIQUE CALLED ‘PILLOW SHOTS’ A “pillow shot” is a cutaway, for no obvious narrative reason, to a visual element, often a landscape or an empty room, that is held for a significant time (five or six seconds). It can be at the start of a scene or during a scene. Dangerous Minds…
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The River Between Us by Richard Peck
The River Between Us is a middle grade novel by American writer Richard Peck.
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Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx Short Story Analysis
“Brokeback Mountain” is a heart-wrenching short story in part because of its density and one-sitting experience. This is an amazing feat. I mean, it’s so short, right? Normally you need the build-up of an entire novel to induce such strong reactions in readers. Or at least the soundtrack, cinematography and expert acting of a film. Annie…
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Fabulism In Children’s Literature
FABULISM: WHAT IS IT? In fabulism, fantastical elements are placed in an everyday setting. It’s called ‘fabulism’ because authors are playing with realism by making use of elements of fable. For the definition of a fable, see here. COMMON FEATURES OF FABULIST FICTION The Bloody Chamber and Other Stories by Angela Carter is a collection…
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Annie Proulx’s The Governors Of Wyoming Short Story Analysis
“The Governors Of Wyoming” by Annie Proulx is a short novella — one of her concise sagas — divided into parts. WADE WALLS Our characters are introduced, as well as the dynamics between them. From the title we know to pay close attention to Wade Walls. Renti — chews fruity gum, a small grubby woman…
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Secrets, Liars and Lies In Storytelling
Liars are everywhere in stories. Stories themselves can be considered giant lies (which tell a deeper truth). The trope of the mask is a part of all this. Certain genres demand a ‘mask’, or, lying. That’s because entire genres are about finding out the truth: The cinema cannot show the truth, or reveal it, because…
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Pirates in Art and Storytelling
It is absolutely bizarre that we romanticise criminals the way we romanticise pirates but there we have it.
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Strays Like Us by Richard Peck Storytelling Tips
Strays Like Us is a 1998 middle grade novel by American author Richard Peck. (155 pages) Peck not only understands the fragile emotions of adolescents, he also knows what kind of characters will pique their interest. In this tender novel, he paints a richly detailed portrait of Molly, a drug-addict’s daughter sent at the age…
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A Lonely Coast by Annie Proulx Short Story Analysis
The first thing that feels different about “A Lonely Coast” in the Close Range collection by Annie Proulx is the voice. This short story begins in second person point of view, then switches to first in the second paragraph. The previous stories of this collection were all written by a third-person unseen narrator with an…
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The Magical Age of Twelve
Being alone is a newness to a twelve-year-old child. He is so used to people about. The only way he can be alone is in his mind. There are so many real people around, telling children what and how to do, that a boy has to run off down a beach, even if it’s only…
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Storytelling Tips From ‘Anne With An E’
I’m a big fan of Anne Of Green Gables, the 1980s TV miniseries and also of Breaking Bad, so I anticipated Moira Walley-Beckett’s 2017 re-visioning of Anne Of Green Gables with great enthusiasm. I’m not disappointed. ‘Anne With An E’ is great. (It seems I’m not in good company by saying that.) There’s much to learn from…