Narrative

"Keep Your Book Warm" and Other Tips for Fighting Writer's Block

Holly Robinson | Posted 04.30.2012

Read More: Creativity, Story, Story Board, Homer Simpson, Fiction, Narrative, Point of View, Nonfiction, Descriptive Writing, Plot, Editing, Writer's Block, Reading, Rituals for Writing, Writing Tips, Books News

No matter how long you've been writing, you've probably experienced that panic-induced paralysis known as writer's block. If you want to tame the symptoms of this debilitating condition, here are some home remedies to try.

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Do You Tell Stories Like You Sing Karaoke? Here Are Three Things to Save You

Karl Gude | Posted 04.06.2012

Read More: Photography, Photos, Story, Slides, Writing, Lesbian, Narrative, Storytelling, Journalism, Presentations, Video, Powerpoint, Filmmaking, Campfire, Advertising, Narrate, Public Relations, Keynote, Media Narratives, Culture News

That's me, at left, listening to campfire stories long ago. "Was your grandmother a lesbian?" I asked. I was responding to a student's question ab...

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Why Mitt Romney Will Lose: Narrative Failure

Zach Friend | Posted 04.21.2012

Read More: Narrative, Elections 2012, Mitt Romney, Republican Primary, President Obama, Politics News

Everything Romney communicates about his campaign is allowing an impossible-to-shake narrative take hold, an election ender, that he has no core and will say or do anything to get elected.

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Change the Story to Change the World

Duane Elgin | Posted 04.02.2012

Read More: Transition, Internet, Television, Global Brain, Global, Positive Thinking, Opportunity, Narrative, Crisis, Storytelling, Future, Media, Indigenous People, Reality Television, Movies, Media News

The next five to ten years represent an unprecedented break in the human journey. We are between stories, or the guiding narratives, that serve as bea...

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Drew Westen's Tension

Mike Bonifer | Posted 10.11.2011

Read More: Mitch McConnell, John Boehner, Storytelling, Story, Mike Bonifer, Drew Westen, Stanley McChrystal, Narrative, New York Times, Timothy Geithner, Gamechangers, Barack Obama, Jeffrey Immelt, G.E., Improvistion, Media News

Drew Westen's leaving race out of his critique of how Barack Obama is playing the game is like leaving computers out of Bill Gates' story, or leaving love out of Paris.

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Storytime!

Carolita Johnson | Posted 10.11.2011

Read More: Politics, Oscarina, Carolita Johnson, Narrative, New York Times, Storytelling, Obama, Media, Edward Weston, Comedy News

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Reframing the Deficit Misperception

Max Benavidez | Posted 08.21.2011

In the 20th century we saw examples of what happened when nations were stripped of their morale and lost their spirit. They fell into fascism or totalitarianism. We need job creation and morale building not deficit reduction.

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Barack Obama, Cowboy (Original Style)

Spencer Critchley | Posted 07.08.2011

Read More: Narrative, Leadership, Cowboys, Media, National Security, Barack Obama, Osama Bin Laden, Politics News

As the successful mission against Osama bin Laden makes clear, the media narrative of President Obama as weak on national security betrays an institut...

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How Obama Could Win Reelection Right Now

Zach Friend | Posted 07.08.2011

Read More: Narrative, Mitt Romney, Michele Bachmann, 2012 Election, President Barack Obama, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Politics News

The bin Laden bump will be temporary. But narratives have staying power. In three easy steps Obama's campaign could save a lot of headaches by simply winning the election right now.

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What is America's Story for the 21st Century?

John Milewski | Posted 06.21.2011

When we ask ourselves why we are committing military might in Libya (or Afghanistan, or Iraq), we're really asking bigger questions. What is our purpose in the world? What is the story that defines our friends and our foes?

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Why Everybody Thinks Those "Lazy, Immoral, Inherently-Defective" Poor People Are Actually Quite Well-Off

Erica Payne | Posted 06.05.2011

Read More: Narrative, Heritage Foundation, Poverty, Daily-Agenda, Social Policy, Frank Lutz, Inequality, Rhetoric, Politics News

By changing nuances within the language we use to describe poverty and inequality, we can begin to change the narrative so it is finally accurate.

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Connecting Meaning and Learning Through Storytelling

Laura Fleming | Posted 06.04.2011

Read More: Narrative, Transmedia, Education, Storytelling, Learning, Education News

Within education, storytelling techniques can be used to create an emotional connection with curricular content.

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Why Peter Guber's Book Tell to Win Is a Game Changer

Arianna Huffington | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Authors, Story, Filmmaking, Selling Techniques, Ucla, Tell to Win, Narrative, Peter Guber, Mandalay, Persuasion, Books News

I've known and loved Peter Guber for many years, but that isn't the entire story of why I'm so excited about his new book. In fact, not only do I share his passionate belief in the power of narrative, I've based my entire career on it. READ MORE Bill Maher Saves the Oscars... At Least for Me: For my money, this year's Academy Awards telecast was the funniest in ages. No, not because of the show itself, but because I watched the show sitting next to Bill Maher at the Vanity Fair dinner at the Sunset Tower Hotel. Bill kept up a running commentary that put the on-screen patter to shame. READ MORE

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Friday Talking Points [153] -- SOTU-palooza

Chris Weigant | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Mark Udall, White House, Tea Party, Competitiveness, President Obama, Speech, Mccaskill, Udall, Narrative, Storytelling, Democratic, Obama, Charles Schumer, Republican, Dennis Kucinich, Midotw, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Ryan, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Merkley, Race Card, Bachmann, Story, Steve Cohen, Tea Party Republicans, House, Senate Rules, Rules, George Lakoff, Post-Partisan, Democrat, Congress, Democrats, Cohen, Barack Obama, Moran, Schumer, Lakoff, Michele Bachmann, Response, Mddotw, Rahm Emanuel, Chris Weigant, Sotu, State of the Union, Jeff Merkley, Paul Ryan, Messaging, Friday Talking Points, Claire McCaskill, Chuck Schumer, Senate, Jim Moran, Communication, Politics News

The past week in politics was, quite obviously, dominated by President Obama's "State Of The Union" speech to Congress. For those of you who may have...

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Return to Haifa: Whose Narrative Is It Anyway?

Leon T. Hadar | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Zionism, Solomon's Judgment, Ajami, Thomas Friedman, Agitprop, Retrun to Haifa, Narrative, Pflp, Israel, Palestine, Globalization, Ghassan Kanafani, Avatar, Arts News

Return to Haifa, based on a novella by Palestinian author Ghassan Kanafani, is not a cultural product of our age of globalization.

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New Year's Resolution for Democrats: Stop Being Out-Branded by Republicans

Zach Friend | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Narrative, Health Care Reform, Branding, George Lakoff, Frank Luntz, Democrats, Democratic Party, Republican Party, Sarah Palin, Barack Obama, Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Republicans, Politics News

Democrats have to climb down out of their heads and get reacquainted with their hearts and their guts. Learn how to express feelings, not just arguments. If they can do that, they'll have a big advantage

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Narrative Blitz!: The race to tell the story of the midterms.

Michael Maslansky | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Narrative, Harry Reid, Language, Obama, Tea Party, John Boehner, 2010 Elections, Message, Politics News

"I've spent my whole life chasing the American dream," John Boehner said, just before tearing up and getting verklempt. Everyone knows that's the int...

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Manning Up to Sharing Our Testimony as Democrats

Burns Strider | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Elections, Strategy, Political Parties, Faith and Politics, 2010 Elections, Political Races, Elections 2010, Narrative, Democracy, Republicans, Faith, Democrats, Testimony, Politics News

Faith plays a central role in American elections. Another term I often use and hear being used is "authenticity." It's not about being of a certain religious belief, but it is about not hiding that belief under a bushel.

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Voting Against

Jim Wallis | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: President, Religion, Values Voters, Values, 2010 Elections, Narrative, Obama, Democrats, Faith, Tea Party, Republicans, Politics News

There was very little values narrative in this election. And there was almost no attention to the faith community and its concerns. But the issues we face now are profoundly moral questions. We have work to do.

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Friday Talking Points [138] -- "Candidate" Obama Returns

Chris Weigant | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Elizabeth Warren, White House, Marijuana, Stanley, Narrative, Geithner, Don't Ask Don't Tell, Candidate Obama, Deficit, Warren, Hostage, Military, Emanuel, Midotw, Tax Cuts, Tax Cuts for Millionaires, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Press Conference, Reid, Stoner Jokes, Boxer, Democrat, Congress, Democratic Narrative, Bully Pulpit, Democrats, Barack Obama, Weed, Nomination, Judge, Aide, Mddotw, Rahm Emanuel, Harry Reid, Partisan, Senate, Barbara Boxer, President Obama, Speech, Economy, Middle Class, Jobs, Obama, Democratic, Marcus Stanley, Friday Talking Points, Republican, Bush Tax Cuts, Dadt, Gay Rights, Labor Day, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Obstructionism, Play Games, Taxes, House, Millionaires, Gay, Prop 19, Chris Weigant, Tax, Tim Geithner, Proposition 19, Partisanship, Voinovich, Politics News

America (as, likely, everywhere else) always has a seamy underside, crawling with metaphoric maggots, to anything that is mostly seen as good by the m...

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Friday Talking Points [137] -- Listen To Westen And Lakoff, Democrats!

Chris Weigant | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: White House, Debate, Tea Party, President Obama, Delaware, Marijuana, Legalize, Narrative, Forgotten Crimes, Drew Westen, Dianne Feinstein, DC Madam, Iraq, Obama, Democratic, Arizona, Difi, Vitter, Democratic Party, Governor, Lieberman, Republican, Nepotism, Video, Giuliani, Emanuel, Unions, Midotw, Craig Ferguson, Union, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Press Conference, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Prostitute, Scholarships, Louisiana, Rattner, House, Framing, Fuck the UAW, George Lakoff, Steve Rattner, Democrat, Congress, Democrats, Louisiana Democratic Party, Barack Obama, Eddie Bernice Johnson, Prop 19, Rudy Giuliani, Lakoff, Mddotw, Rahm Emanuel, Chris Weigant, Proposition 19, Eddie Johnson, Joe Lieberman, Messaging, Uaw, Friday Talking Points, David Vitter, Senate, Westen, Politics News

Last week, I heard an interesting take on the political scene: that both parties seem to be trying mightily to lose the upcoming midterm elections. R...

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The "Ground Zero Mosque": The Perfect Republican Talking Point

Spencer Critchley | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Narrative, Ground Zero Mosque, Cordoba House, Ground Zero Islamic Center, park51, Talking Points, Politics News

It's always the same: their side throws out a bogus-but-intense talking point, and our side argues the facts. The facts don't matter with these things. All that matters are emotion and repetition.

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Beck-Palin 2010

Lorelei Kelly | Posted 05.25.2011

Beck and Palin are like an all purpose high school gang: the quirky, sagacious Honor Society geek and the homecoming queen who claims the ROTC kids as backup. Interestingly, the ROTC kids are never present to deny the alliance.

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The Tale That Launched a Thousand Ships

Bob Dickman | Posted 11.17.2011

Read More: Narrative, Story, The Power of Stories, The Power of Story, Stories, Human Stories, The Giving Life, Healthy Living News

Facts alone are too distant and cold; when facts and emotion combine to produce a story, people will act.

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Friday Talking Points [133] -- The Silly Season Begins

Chris Weigant | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Supreme Court, Debt, White House, Proposition 8, Stier, Pentagon, Narrative, China, Perry, Jerrold Nadler, Deficit, Jeffrey J Zarrillo, Midotw, Nancy Pelosi, Tax Cuts, Katami, Kyl, Most Impressive Democrat of the Week, Reid, August, Court, Federal, Michael Bloomberg, Perry v Schwarzenegger, Democrat, Congress, Democratic National Committee, Democratic Narrative, Democrats, Barack Obama, Silly Season, Judge, Mddotw, Zarrillo, Harry Reid, Effigy, Teachers, Dnc, Friday Talking Points, Gay Marriage, Senate, Kristin M Perry, Wonk, President Obama, Firefighters, Prop 8, Police, John Boehner, Kagan, Elena Kagan, Democratic, Obama, Scotus, Mosque, Paul T Katami, Republican, California, Bush, Bush Tax Cuts, Pelosi, Marriage, New Yorker, Gay Rights, Wallace, Chris Wallace, Most Disappointing Democrat of the Week, Taxes, House, Sandra B Stier, Gay, Jon Kyl, Olympics, Gay Olympics, Chris Weigant, Deficit Hawk, Bloomberg, Fox News, Special Interests, Boehner, Nadler, Ground Zero, Politics News

August in Washington means the beginning of the official "silly season" of politics. This is because Congress takes the whole month off, and politica...

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