Just as you would break a complex problem into simple components, you can break your storyline into components.

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Storyline Components

• Just as you would break a complex problem into
  simple components, you can break your storyline
  into components.

When?
Where?
Who?
What?
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Project Storylines
When?
Where?
Who?
What?
WHEN? Describe what it was like during the time
of your storyline. By the middle of the 21st
century, Man was forced to recognize that the
great void of space held more intelligent life
than had ever been considered likely. Make your
reader fantasize.
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Project Storylines
When?
Where?
Who?
What?

• WHEN?
• Describe what it was like during the time of your
  storyline.
• One thousand years ago, superstition and the
  sword ruled. It was a time of darkness. It was
  a world of fear. It was the age of gargoyles,
  avatars and mighty statues who protected the
  locals from evil spirits and nat-brain
  no-gooders.
• Refer to characters and objects that kindle the
  imagination.
• Use creative, unusual adjectives that will help
  your reader remember your storyline.

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Project Storylines
When?
Where?
Who?
What?

• WHERE? Set your stage.
• Over the horizon lies a dark, depressed,
  dangerous land The Land of Scrambled Eggs.
  Greed, anarchy, apathy, ignorance, prejudice,
  pollution, laziness and meaness are rampant.
  Scurrilous scoundrels, right wing fanatics, vile
  villains and left wing lunies reign.
• Try rhymes or alliteration (the repeated
  occurrence of a consonant sound at the beginning
  of several words in the same phrase)

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Project Storylines
When?
Where?
Who?
What?

• WHERE? Set your stage.
• Two households, both alike in dignity,in fair
  Verona, where we lay our scene,from ancient
  grudge break to new mutiny,where civil blood
  makes civil hands unclean.
• Use analogies make that the reader think

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Project Storylines
When?
Where?
Who?
What?

• WHO are your heroes and villians?
• Mario is anything but your average
• plumber. He saves the Mushroom Kingdom
• from the nefarious Bowser, all the while
  earning the love of his fair maiden, Princess
  Peach.
• Clever, descriptive names can help describe your
  character

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Project Storylines
When?
Where?
Who?

• WHO are your heroes and villians?
• Zeus, the strangers god, who above
• all others hath indignation at evil deeds.
• Zeus will be no helper of lies.
• Homer describes Zeus
• The Hobbits are just rustic English people, made
  small in size because it reflects the generally
  small reach of their imagination.
• J. R. R. Tolkien profiles Hobbits
• Use memorable descriptors honest vs. no helper
  of lies

What?
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Project Storylines
When?
Where?
Who?

• WHAT is the problem
• your characters must solve?
• Bilbo Baggins finds himself caught up in a plot
  to raid the treasure hoard of Smaug the
  Magnificent, a large and very dangerous dragon.
• Although quite reluctant to take part in this
  quest, Bilbo surprises even himself by his
  resourcefulness and his skill as a burglar!
• Use creative, unusual adjectives that will help
  your reader remember your storyline.

What?
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Project Storylines
When?
Where?
Who?

• WHAT is the problem
• your characters must solve?
• Alice is bored of sitting on the riverbank with
  her sister, who is reading a book. Suddenly she
  sees a white rabbit run by, wearing a coat and
  carrying a watch lamenting, running late.
• She follows it down a rabbit hole and falls very
  slowly down a tunnel lined with curious objects.

What?
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Project Storylines
When?
Where?
Who?

• WHAT is the problem
• your characters must solve?
• The galaxy is in a state of civil war. Spies for
  the Rebel Alliance have stolen plans to the
  Galactic Empire's Death Star a space station
  capable of annihilating a planet. Rebel leader
  Princess Leia is in possession of the plans, but
  her ship is captured by Imperial forces under the
  command of Darth Vader. Before she is captured,
  Leia hides the plans in a droid named R2-D2,
  along with a holographic recording.

What?
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Storyline Components

• Just as you would break a complex problem into
  simple components, you can break your storyline
  into components.

When?
Where?
Who?
What?
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Storyline Style Tricks

• Fantasize.
• Exaggerate.
• Use unusual adjectives and adverbs.
• Use rhymes and alliteration.
• Find thoughtful analogies.
• Create clever names.

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Example of Animated Storyboard
Who?
When?
Where?
What?
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• My name is Pidgeon,
• Chief Engineer
• CooKoo Bird Enterprises.

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• was formed in the year 22 22 to save the world
  from

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• was formed in the year 22 22 to save the world
  from
• vile villain humans who
• mucked up the works.

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Peace man
I have put together a team of the very
smartest cookoo birds in the land.
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Cousin Elvis
I have put together a team of the very
smartest cookoo birds in the land.
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Henrietta

• I have put together a team
• of the very smartest
• cookoo birds in the land.

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Wise Guy
I have put together a team of the very
smartest cookoo birds in the land.
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Our mission is to build rocket ships that
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Our mission is to build rocket ships that
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Our mission is to build rocket ships that
transport unintelligent life to
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Our mission is to build rocket ships that
transport unintelligent life to the outer
limits of the universe.
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Storyline Components

• My name is ... (soulful name)
• I come from the land of ...
• (creative planet description)
• I have a special super power.
• I'm the best in the land at ...
• (unusual skill and accomplishments)
• I travel in a space ship that can ...
• (space ship features)
• My mission is to ...
• (build something that will change the world)

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Storyline Components

• I travel in a space ship that can ...
• (goes 1,000 light years per second. Its
  humongous flying machine that has all
• the toys you could dream of.)
• My mission is to ...
• (bring immigrant musicians and computer gamers
  to make our planet even more fun.)

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