[Sigia-l] The IA of writing (question)

[celia romaniuk]

On Mon, 12 Aug 2002, John Fullerton wrote:

> Could anyone recommend books that talk about writing in a way that is
> related to IA (even without reference to IA), or simply recommend books
> about writing?

On a slightly different note to the other suggestions, two good books on
writing and narrative structure, with particular reference to
screenwriting, are:

The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, by Christopher Vogler
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0941188701/

and

Story: Substance, Structure, Style, and the Principles of Screenwriting by
Robert McKee
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060391685/

Both of them discuss structure and how it influences the power of a story.
The overriding principle will be familiar to us (structure creates
meaning), and it's interesting to have that idea discussed in reference to
a different medium. Also, I find the principles are good to keep in mind
when it comes to designing demonstrations (it helps one write scenarios
for presentations that are entertaining and not too cheesy or salesy),
presentations and any component of a product that has a narrative element.

They're also very entertaining to read.

Even more tangentially is Adventures in the Screen Trade by
William Goldman. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0446391174/.
It's more about the screenwriting industry but does go into the same
issues (e.g. 'screenplays are structure') and has a great bit at the end
where he gets people with different roles on a film (editors, designers
etc) to comment on a script he's written. It's also great fun to read.

Celia