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Sat, Jan 21 2012 13:31:37

Geometry, music and longform stories at #SciO12

Tweetstream of @David_Dobbs and @DeborahBlum's session at Science Online 2012, 9.30-10.30a Saturday 21 Jan

  1. MJBwrites
    Melissa J Bodeau@MJBwrites
    Been looking forward to @David_Dobbs & @deborahblum session abt shape & music as guides to #longform structure since announced. #scio12
    Sat, Jan 21 2012 04:59:51
  2. marynmck
    Maryn McKenna@marynmck
    at #scio12 #longform sesh @deborahblum: geometric shapes of stories: triangle (newspaper), diamond (classic magazine), narrative arc
    Sat, Jan 21 2012 06:42:27
  3. marynmck
    Maryn McKenna@marynmck
    at #scio12 #longform sesh @deborahblum: our language for describing stories is visual: broken line, zipped, braided narrative
    Sat, Jan 21 2012 06:44:16
  4. marynmck
    Maryn McKenna@marynmck
    at #scio12 #longform @deborahblum: refs Jon Franklin, unsuccessful narrative is "spaghetti': Mike Lemonick, complex narr is "onion braid"
    Sat, Jan 21 2012 06:45:41
  5. marynmck
    Maryn McKenna@marynmck
    at #scio12 #longform @deborahblum: complex narrative is geologic layers, or pancakes (paging @clasticdetritus)
    Sat, Jan 21 2012 06:46:23
  6. marynmck
    Maryn McKenna@marynmck
    at #scio12 #longform @deborahblum: a story can be a "turtle": sensitive core braced by evidence
    Sat, Jan 21 2012 06:48:02
  7. marynmck
    Maryn McKenna@marynmck
    now at #scio12 #longform @David_Dobbs is playing Jimmy Page, parsing musical line in real time. standard blues structure, 4/4 to 9/8 to 4/4
    Sat, Jan 21 2012 06:50:37
  8. marynmck
    Maryn McKenna@marynmck
    #scio12 #longform @David_Dobbs timbre tempo rhythm, they have these tools, we do too
    Sat, Jan 21 2012 06:52:33
  9. marynmck
    Maryn McKenna@marynmck
    #scio12 #longform @David_Dobbs "i became obsessed with structure... when i realized i wasn't using it."
    Sat, Jan 21 2012 06:52:51
  10. marynmck
    Maryn McKenna@marynmck
    #scio12 #longform @David_Dobbs need to understand entire sonata to play any measure well; understand story structure for any sentence 2 work
    Sat, Jan 21 2012 06:55:04
  11. marynmck
    Maryn McKenna@marynmck
    #scio12 #longform @David_Dobbs parsing sonata form, using Mendelssohn String Qt #1 Adagio
    Sat, Jan 21 2012 06:56:13
  12. marynmck
    Maryn McKenna@marynmck
    #scio12 #longform @David_Dobbs now using Schubert quartet 1st mvmt to illo tension between 2 contrasting narratives, violin against cello
    Sat, Jan 21 2012 07:01:20
  13. marynmck
    Maryn McKenna@marynmck
    #scio12 #longform @David_Dobbs Schubert: voices (narratives) cross, each picks up phrases from other, resolve in diff place than started
    Sat, Jan 21 2012 07:03:33
  14. marynmck
    Maryn McKenna@marynmck
    #scio12 #longform @David_Dobbs: used Schubert quartet for structure of NYT Mag piece "The Depression Switch" (2 narratives, doc & patient)
    Sat, Jan 21 2012 07:06:28
  15. phylogenomics
    phylogenomics@
    Listening to @David_Dobbs discuss how he writes stories reminds me why I trusted him when he wrote wired.com/wiredscience/2… #scio12
    Sat, Jan 21 2012 07:16:38
  16. mtdukes
    Tyler Dukes@mtdukes
    Here's @David_Dobbs' masterful piece on the "Depression Switch." Fantastic lessons on #longform structure. nyti.ms/xt6Fsl #scio12
    Sat, Jan 21 2012 07:12:20
  17. marynmck
    Maryn McKenna@marynmck
    #scio12 #longform @David_Dobbs his NYTMag story uses typical mag-story pieces - anecdotal lede, big-picture pull-back - but broken up
    Sat, Jan 21 2012 07:12:54
  18. marynmck
    Maryn McKenna@marynmck
    #scio12 #longform now moving to q/a @David_Dobbs @DeborahBlum w discussion of power of rhythm of varying sentence length
    Sat, Jan 21 2012 07:15:11
  19. marynmck
    Maryn McKenna@marynmck
    #scio12 #longform @David_Dobbs: tends to write long sentences, explicit part of revision process is to go through & shorten some
    Sat, Jan 21 2012 07:15:40
  20. marynmck
    Maryn McKenna@marynmck
    #scio12 #longform @DeborahBlum: use long sentences to establish mood, shock of transition to short - boom!- for action, surprise
    Sat, Jan 21 2012 07:16:33
  21. marynmck
    Maryn McKenna@marynmck
    #scio12 #longform @David_Dobbs quoting Evan Ratliff, Atavist: when in trouble for ending, use the last action
    Sat, Jan 21 2012 07:17:35
  22. marynmck
    Maryn McKenna@marynmck
    #scio12 #longform @DeborahBlum a story is a river, with a flow, when you hit a rock your readers get out
    Sat, Jan 21 2012 07:18:18
  23. marynmck
    Maryn McKenna@marynmck
    #scio12 #longform someone refs Frank Deford's metaphor of story stringing bells on a clothesline, and ending should ring all the bells
    Sat, Jan 21 2012 07:21:43
  24. marynmck
    marynmck@
    #scio12 #longform @David_Dobbs refs Paris Review intvw w John McPhee: if you have the right structure, transitions will work themselves out
    Sat, Jan 21 2012 07:22:48
  25. marynmck
    Maryn McKenna@marynmck
    #scio12 #longform @scottros urges audience to think of, play w structure in blogging as well - not just for longform
    Sat, Jan 21 2012 07:24:35

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Maryn McKenna

Author of SUPERBUG & BEATING BACK THE DEVIL. Wired blogger, SciAm columnist, magazine writer. Public health, global health, food policy. Also @MRSA_blog.

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