Bandon, OR -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/08/2015 -- Computers have made writing novels, stories, screenplays, plays, jokes and other types of fiction easier than ever before; but there's still one great difficulty – thinking up plots, characters and storylines. That traditionally requires waiting for a muse to bring ideas—until now.
Such a Deal
An innovative new card game helps writers overcome creative downtime and the discomfort of facing a blank page. Deal A Story is a deck of 101 cards that can produce over one million story ideas. It combines characters with a variety of plots and genres, offering a unique way to develop interesting story concepts and add new life to old plots or cardboard characters.
Created by Sue Viders, a highly acclaimed author and writing teacher, Deal A Story has been used by everyone from creative writing and screenplay classes to improvisational workshops, theater groups, and critique groups. "It's a great tool for brainstorming," she explains. "It helps people energize their imagination and think outside the box." Most important, it's a fun game that you can play alone or with a group.
Pick a Card, Any Card, Any Card At All
The deck is divided into six categories of sixteen cards apiece: Hero, Heroine, Villain, Genre, Plot and Flaw. Genre examples include historical, inspirational, suspense, and horror. Plots might be escape, rescue, or coming of age. But the final touch that makes each story unique is the Flaw card. Each one suggests several variations of a flaw that the character must change or conquer during the course of the story. For example the flaw of addiction card lists addictions such as alcohol, drugs, gambling, and even risk taking. "Flaws are those wonderful challenges that make characters memorable and stories unforgettable," notes Viders.
In each round, a player chooses a card from each group and is automatically presented with the start of a story. What if you get stuck? Don't worry. The deck also includes five wild cards full of suggestions on what to do next or how to spur your story along.
Praise for this Novel Idea
"No more writer's block! Whether unpublished, newly published, or multi-published and looking for new ideas, Deal A Story is a great brainstorming game for writers of all levels. Deal A Story offers a unique and easy way to develop interesting story concepts and add new life to old plots or cardboard characters. The story combinations are practically endless. Play the card game alone or with a group for even more fun!"
– Ruth D. Kerce, Author of Ellora's Cave
"Does She Have a Deal for You! Deal A Story delights and delivers for readers who want to know how writers do it, for students learning the ropes, and for seasoned writers who want to have fun while tooling their trade."
– Barbara Harken, Author of The 86th Degree
Sue Viders (The Author's Author), the inventor, is the author of over twenty books including HEROES and HEROINES and Ten Steps to CREATING MEMORABLE CHARACTERS. A former columnist for The Artist's Magazine, Viders also writes for national magazines, both in print and on-line, and teaches writing classes. She lives in Lone Tree, a suburb of Denver, with her lawyer husband.
Copies of Deal A Story are available only on www.dealastory.com or from http://rdrpublishers.com/collections/frontpage/products/deal-a-story-cards or from Robert D. Reed Publishers, P.O. Box 1992, Bandon, OR 97411; Phone (541) 347-9882. Each deck is $19.95 + $4.00 S/H. U.S. $20. Foreign postage. Quantity discounts are available.
What a novel idea! Deal me in!
About Deal a Story
Deal a Story has been created especially for writers by Sue Viders who brought you the highly acclaimed book, The Complete Writer's Guide to Heroes and Heroines: Sixteen Master Archetypes. Deal a Story consists of 101 cards that give the writer over one million different story ideas and is designed to assist writers to:
- Think outside-the-box
- Encourage dynamic story development
- Break through writer's block
- Brainstorm
- Supplement a story already in progress
- Give excitement to a sagging middle
- Get fresh ideas
- Stimulate the creative process
- Have FUN —alone or with others
- Help with a sub-plot
- Give a character a more interesting personality
- Add depth and meaning to a story
- Learn the archetypes
- Try an idea out with a different plot
- OR in a different genre
There are six different-colored sections, each containing 16 cards, plus 5 wild cards. Deal a Story combines characters with a variety of plots and genres, giving the writer unique ways to dream up new stories. The writer picks a card from each different colored group and is automatically presented with the start of a story. This is an ideal teaching tool for almost any level of creative writing classes including adults, college and high school student, for screen writing and improvisation workshops and theater groups, and for critique groups.
Media Contact :
Robert Reed
(541) 347-9882
http://www.dealastory.com