At long, long last (about six months
after my original, and now hilariously optimistic, March 2016
projected completion date), I am happy to announce that
Screenwriting
and The Unified Theory of Narrative, Part II: Genre, Pattern &
The Concept of Total Meaning is
finally finished and available for purchase. (Follow this link for the Amazon page.) I would like to thank
everyone for their patience. Little did I realize that my final
installment would eventually require nearly 400 pages (over twice as
long as Part I) to include everything needed to fully complete the
Unified Theory model.
Here
is the synopsis from the back cover:
-------------------
Part II: Genre, Pattern & The
Concept of Total Meaning completes the Unified Theory of
Narrative by going far beneath the surface to reveal cinematic
storytelling’s hidden structures of meaning. No previous book has
explored the thematic dimension of screencraft in such depth or
detail; using an interdisciplinary approach to explain the
psychological, sociological, and cultural constructs which have
shaped the feature film into the complex form of narrative we know today.
In Part II you will find:
•
The properties of myth behind all storytelling
•
The purpose and origin of cinematic genres
•
The phenomenon of plot patterns and its connection to
cultural belief
•
The explicit lessons found in protagonist psychology
•
The ideological nature of dramatic conflict
•
And, most importantly, the connection between these
elements and our most basic psychological and sociological needs.
Part II: Genre, Pattern & The
Concept of Total Meaning is about far more than
screencraft. It is about the intimate relationship between
storytelling and humanity itself. Since its beginnings, humanity has
used story to make sense of its world, express its beliefs, and give
life a sense of order and meaning. By revealing the cinematic story’s
ideological structures, and ultimately unifying them with the
physical elements presented in Part I, Genre,
Pattern & The Concept of Total Meaning shows how modern
cinematic storytelling continues this tradition; resulting in an
endless multitude of narratives, each doing their part to serve human
society with lessons, arguments, and statements of belief.
----------------------
Although
I wrote this synopsis myself, I think it fails to do the book full
justice. It was incredibly difficult to summarize the work into three
simple paragraph because it is about so much.
Part II not only completes my “theory of everything,” but is –
in a very limited sense – truly about “everything,” and how
this everything expresses itself through our use of story. In many
ways, this book reveals the connections between art and the social
sciences, going great lengths to explain why storytelling always has
and always will be so important to humanity’s social and
psychological well-being. Yet at the same time, this information is
kept practical by detailing the specific structures and dramatic
elements found in the feature film which allow it to continually
serve these needs.
On
this practical side, Part II explains the cinematic narrative’s
complex method of communication through a five-layer structure of
meaning. In this structure, you will find: how genres and narrative
modes create metaphorical arenas to explore social problems; how plot
patterns* are used to propose acceptable solutions; how the
psychological factors of protagonist suggest ways we may achieve this
solution by presenting lessons on human thought and behavior; and
finally, how the storyteller delivers his or her personal opinions on
all such issues through the choice of thematic resolution** and
aesthetic specialization. Part II then reveals how this five-layer
structure of meaning connects with the basic unified narrative
structure found in Part I to create an ideologically-unified story
where the abstract is made physical, proving philosophical arguments
through the guise of dramatic action.
(*
Originally proposed on this blog in 2011 (and altered significantly
since then upon further investigation), the plot pattern phenomenon
is definitely the most shocking (and thus sure to be the most
controversial) of my discoveries – and will no doubt be the chief
draw to most readers. Part II presents the structural details of all
sixteen common plot patterns and their thirty-four subtypes for the
first time.)
(**Thematic
resolution was originally discussed in Part I as a crucial part of
the basic unified narrative structure. By serving a role in both
models, its elements ultimately act as the nexus point to connect the
cinematic story’s external and internal structures, creating a
truly unified theory of narrative.)
I
admit this may sound like some dense stuff and potentially a lot to
handle. But like my previous books, I have striven to keep material
in layman’s terms and explain complicated concepts in clear and
simple ways – all the while focusing on the individual screenwriter
so he or she may better understand his or her medium and create more
effective stories. Both Part I and Part II are available in paperback
through multiple online retailers. The eBook versions are available
exclusively through Amazon.
