Damn Fine Story

Mastering the Tools of a Powerful Narrative

By: Chuck Wendig

Narrated by: Patrick Lawlor

Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins

Publisher's summary

Hook your audience with unforgettable storytelling!

What do Luke Skywalker, John McClane, and a lonely dog on Ho'okipa Beach have in common? Simply put, we care about them.

Great storytelling is making listeners care about your characters, the choices they make, and what happens to them. It's making your audience feel the tension and emotion of a situation right alongside your protagonist. And to tell a damn fine story, you need to understand why and how that caring happens.

Using a mix of personal stories, pop fiction examples, and traditional storytelling terms, New York Times best-selling author Chuck Wendig will help you internalize the feel of powerful storytelling. In Damn Fine Story, you'll explore: Fretytag's Pyramid for visualizing story structure - and when to break away from traditional storytelling forms; character relationships and interactions as the basis of every strong plot - no matter the form or genre; rising and falling tension that pulls the audience through to the climax and conclusion of the story; and developing themes as a way to craft characters with depth.

Whether you're writing a novel, screenplay, video game, comic, or even if you just like to tell stories to your friends and family over dinner, this funny and informative guide is chock-full of examples about the art and craft of storytelling - and how to write a damn fine story of your own.

©2017 Chuck Wendig (P)2018 Tantor

Good information

Plenty of solid tidbits, but you have to dig them from layers of strained attempts at humor. The last parts of the book, however, are amazing--the bonus story is genuinely funny, and the appendix of tips invaluable.

Good views and entertaining

In general good. A less structured way of discussing story telling.
A bit dismissive of other systems then sometimes says they same thing in different words as the dismissed book or system.
I had an ex who had to knock down others to feel good. Not a great educational model.
But when in HIS groove valuable insights

humorous conversational storytelling advice

Very down to earth, conversational advice on how to tell a good story and keep it interesting and active. Chuck gives us lots of pop-culture examples of the points he talks about, and speaks with humor and humility. Enjoyable - more like a pep talk with a fellow writer friend to a budding writer than a"serious" fiction-writing book. Patrick lawlor's narration was a little flat and stilted but is serviceable.

Fantastic look into narrative structure

I've got this book as an audio and as a book, and I've given it to a number of other people. Chuck Wendig understands how to tell a damn fine story, and he explains it with lots of examples from popular culture and movies. This book makes me appreciate what I'm reading and watching, and it helps me to write better. Besides, it's funny as all heck, unless you mind a little off color language. Personally, I'd hate this to be sanitized to PG level, but keep that in mind if that sort of thing bugs you. The narrator is perfect for this. I've listened to it multiple times, and will certainly listen many more.

Good Advice and Entertaining

This book is a great piece of advice on story writing, characters, and narratives. it is framed with many of Chuck's own stories and references to pop culture as examples. if you are a writer, or any kind of a story teller, for that matter, take a break and give this a listen.

worth every minute.

I will probably listen to it again. not just informative but funny and entertaining. highly recommend for all writers

Wendig is worth listening

Chuck Wendig has an fun unprententious pulpy sensibility and an ever present sly and occassionally (and unapologetically) adolescent sense of humor. He's an inventive witty writer, I used to think was under thw mainstream radar a but I think the world has started to catch on to how special wendig actually is. This is a penetrating direct opionated discussion of the nuts and bolts of writing that aims to keep readers engaged. I have no idea what wendigs real voice is like but Patrick Lawlor is <perfect> for him... he captures wendig's wise-alecky articulate smart sarcastic and playful voice in a way thats hard to imagine improved.

the whole darn story!

the best book on writing stories I have listened to, hands down. Great information, well written, its entertaining, and his stories brings the listeners inside, like inviting a stranger to have dinner, because outside is a hurricane. And what inhumane, punk, would not invite you over for dinner. You see the hurricane is life, you're already wet, a cloud of debris is encircling your family, the wind is howling. So, you mine as well have dinner. Enjoy the stories. and possibly learn something!

Outstanding work!

Answered a lot of questions I had and reinforced lessons I needed. A huge help in my writing.

A unique way to look at story writing

Definitely a must-buy. The author brought a fresh approach to take in consideration for future projects.