Into The Woods: How Stories Work and Why We Tell Them

Name: Into The Woods: How Stories Work and Why We Tell Them
Rating: 4.384615421295166 (13 reviews)

John Yorke

Apr 2013 · Penguin UK

13 reviews

Ebook

336

Pages

Eligible

About this ebook

'The best book on the subject I've read. Quite brilliant' Tony Jordan, creator/writer, Life on Mars, Hustle

We all love stories. But why do we tell them? And why do all stories function in an eerily similar way? John Yorke, creator of the BBC Writers' Academy, has brought a vast array of drama to British screens. Here he takes us on a journey to the heart of storytelling, revealing that there truly is a unifying shape to narrative forms - one that echoes the fairytale journey into the woods and, like any great art, comes from deep within. From ancient myths to big-budget blockbusters, he gets to the root of the stories that are all around us, every day.

'Marvellous' Julian Fellowes

'Terrifyingly clever ... Packed with intelligent argument' Evening Standard

'The most important book about scriptwriting since William Goldman's Adventures in the Screen Trade' Peter Bowker, writer, Blackpool, Occupation, Eric and Ernie

'The best book on the subject I've read. Quite brilliant' Tony Jordan, creator/writer, Life on Mars, Hustle We all love stories. But why do we tell them? And why do all stories function in an eerily similar way? John Yorke, creator of the BBC Writers' Academy, has brought a vast array of drama to...

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Ratings and reviews

13 reviews

Peter Emerson

December 30, 2014

It's informative and well written, and Mr Yorke argues for the five act structure persuasively. The discussion of TV series was a highlight too, perhaps not surprising given the author's background. The last quarter of the book however, where the reasons for this unifying structure are discussed, came across as somewhat desperate and dull. Well worth a read though. Oh yes, there's an earlier review by Anna who claims the book has lots of grammatical and other mistakes - it doesn't.

4 people found this review helpful

Warren Saunders

November 16, 2016

The perfect guide to story structure. This will surely be my go-to reference book for every story I write.

4 people found this review helpful

About the author

John Yorke is a producer, consultant and lecturer on all forms of narrative – from speech writing and advertising to drama – and the author of Into the Woods. As former Head of Channel Four Drama, Controller of BBC Drama Production and MD of Company Pictures, John has tested his theories during an extensive production career working on some of the world’s most lucrative, widely reviewed and critically acclaimed TV dramas, from EastEnders to Shameless, Life on Mars and Wolf Hall.

John Yorke is a producer, consultant and lecturer on all forms of narrative – from speech writing and advertising to drama – and the author of Into the Woods. As former Head of Channel Four Drama, Controller of BBC Drama Production and MD of Company Pictures, John has tested his theories during a...

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