“Begin at the beginning, and go on till you come to the end: then stop” Oral Storytelling
Non-fiction works
The Singer of Tales – Albert B Lord (uses Serbo-Croatian oral tradition to extrapolate how the other epic poetry was composed and transmitted before being written down)
Books/Book Series
The Illiad – Homer (recommend recent Emily Wilson translation)
The Odyssey – Homer (recommend recent Emily Wilson translation, done in iambic pentameter. Audio book narrated by Claire Daines.)
Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales
The Somnambulist – Jonathan Barnes (lovely use of language)
Plays
Henry V – Shakespeare (St Crispin’s Day speech)
Notes:
Dactylic Hexameter (meter used by Homer and Virgil)
“…a dog growls when it’s angry, and wags it’s tail when it’s pleased. Now I growl when I’m pleased, and wag my tail when I’m angry. Therefore I’m mad.” Signaling the reader solves everything
Non-fiction works
A Story is a Promise – Bill Johnson
Books/Book Series
Water for Elephants – Sarah Given (failed signaling)
Stand on Zanzibar – John Brunner
The Will of the Many – James Islington
Number of the Beast – Heinlein
Stardust – Neil Gaiman
American Gods – Neil Gaiman
I am Not a Serial Killer – Dan Wells
Cat’s Paw – LA Taylor
Liar City – Allie Therin
John Dies at the End – Jason Pargin (also a movie)
The Real Boy – Anne Ursu
Castles in the Air – Christina Dodd (famous for cover art showing a three-armed woman, perhaps signaling it is a different kind of book than it is)
Dresden series – Jim Butcher (cover art does not reflect the character as described)
Animorphs series – KA Applegate
Television/Movies
Watership Down (movie poster – failed signaling. Also a novel by Richard Adams)
The Sixth Sense
Madoka Magica (anime)
Invincible (cartoon, failed to signal exactly how violent)
The Boys
Poltergeist
Jacob the Liar (movie poster – failed signaling)
Video Games
Mouthwashing
Websites
Does the Dog Die (tells you if animals die in movies, for those of us who need to be prepared in advance)
“How do you like the Queen?” Writing unlikable protagonists
Non-fiction works
Brandon Sanderson writing lectures (available on YouTube, Spotify, and more)
Books/Book Series
Dexter – Jeff Lindsay (also a TV show)
Dr. No – Ian Fleming (also a movie)
Moby Dick – Hermann Melville (Is Ahab evil or crazy?)
Rejection – Tony Tulathimutte
Vorkosigan Saga – Lois McMaster Bujold (is Miles likable?)
Vlad Taltos series – Steven Brust (is Vlad likeable?)
Television/Movies
John Wick
Day of the Jackal
Our Flag Means Death
Nightmare on Elm Street
Our Man Flint
The Good Place
BoJack Horseman (animated)
Interstellar
Hateful Eight
Ghostbusters
Payback
Casablanca
“I was just giving myself some good advice.” Brainstorming for one
Non-fiction works
History in Three Keys – Paul Cohen
Unstuck – Ramona Ausubel
Beating the Story – Robin D Laws
Websites
Oblique Strategies
“You might just as well say that ‘I see what I eat’ is the same thing as ‘I eat what I see’!” How to give good critique/how to ask for the critique you want
Non-fiction works
Craft in the Real World – Matthew Salesses