https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-to-tell-a-story-book-review-aristotle-in-the-writers-room-11657900138 Skip to Main Content Dow Jones, a News Corp companyAbout WSJ * News Corp is a global, diversified media and information services company focused on creating and distributing authoritative and engaging content and other products and services. * Dow Jones + Barron's + BigCharts + Dow Jones Businesses + Dow Jones Newswires + Factiva + Financial News + Mansion Global + MarketWatch + Newsmart + NewsPlus + Risk & Compliance + WSJ Live + WSJ Pro + WSJ Video + WSJ.com * News Corp + Avail + Business Spectator + HarperCollins Publishers + Housing + Makaan + New York Post + PropTiger + REA + realtor.com + Storyful + The Australian + The Sun + The Times * SubscribeSign In Search SubscribeSign In * English Edition Edition[English ] * Print Edition * Video * Podcasts * Latest Headlines * Home * World Regions Africa Asia Canada China Europe Latin America Middle East Sections Economy More World Video * U.S. Sections Economy Law Politics More WSJ Noted. U.S. Video What's News Podcast * Politics More Politics Video Columns Washington Wire * Economy WSJ Pro Bankruptcy Central Banking Private Equity Venture Capital More Economic Forecasting Survey Economy Video Sections Capital Account * Business Sections Management The Future of Everything Obituaries Tech/WSJ.D Industries Aerospace & Defense Autos & Transportation Commercial Real Estate Consumer Products Energy Entrepreneurship Financial Services Food & Services Health Care Hospitality Law Manufacturing Media & Marketing Natural Resources Retail C-Suite CFO Journal CIO Journal CMO Today Logistics Report Risk & Compliance The Workplace Report Columns Heard on the Street WSJ Pro Bankruptcy Central Banking Cybersecurity Private Equity Sustainable Business Venture Capital More Business Video Journal Report Business Podcast Space & Science * Tech Sections CIO Journal The Future of Everything Personal Tech Columns Christopher Mims Joanna Stern Julie Jargon Nicole Nguyen More Tech Video Tech Podcast * Markets Sections Bonds Commercial Real Estate Commodities & Futures Stocks Personal Finance WSJ Money Streetwise Intelligent Investor Columns Heard on the Street Greg Ip Jason Zweig Laura Saunders James Mackintosh Market Data Market Data Home U.S. Stocks Currencies Companies Commodities Bonds & Rates Mutual Funds & ETFs More CFO Journal Markets Video Your Money Briefing Podcast Secrets of Wealthy Women Podcast Search Quotes and Companies * Opinion Columnists Gerard Baker Sadanand Dhume James Freeman William A. Galston Daniel Henninger Holman W. Jenkins Andy Kessler William McGurn Walter Russell Mead Peggy Noonan Mary Anastasia O'Grady Jason Riley Joseph Sternberg Kimberley A. Strassel More Editorials Commentary Future View Letters to the Editor The Weekend Interview Potomac Watch Podcast Foreign Edition Podcast Free Expression Podcast Opinion Video Notable & Quotable * Books & Arts Reviews Film Television Theater Masterpiece Series Music Dance Opera Exhibition Cultural Commentary Sections Arts Books More WSJ Puzzles Life Video Arts Video * Real Estate Sections Commercial Real Estate More Real Estate Video * Life & Work Sections Cars Careers Food & Drink Home & Design Ideas Personal Finance Recipes Travel Wellness Columns Your Health Work & Life The Middle Seat Bonds At Work Turning Points On Wine On The Clock More WSJ Puzzles Space & Science * Style Sections Fashion Film Television Music Art & Auctions Columns My Monday Morning Off Brand On Trend * Sports Sections Beijing 2022 Olympics MLB NBA NFL Golf Tennis Soccer Columns Jason Gay Search * Home * World Regions Africa Asia Canada China Europe Latin America Middle East Sections Economy More World Video * U.S. Sections Economy Law Politics More WSJ Noted. U.S. Video What's News Podcast * Politics More Politics Video Columns Washington Wire * Economy WSJ Pro Bankruptcy Central Banking Private Equity Venture Capital More Economic Forecasting Survey Economy Video Sections Capital Account * Business Sections Management The Future of Everything Obituaries Tech/WSJ.D Industries Aerospace & Defense Autos & Transportation Commercial Real Estate Consumer Products Energy Entrepreneurship Financial Services Food & Services Health Care Hospitality Law Manufacturing Media & Marketing Natural Resources Retail C-Suite CFO Journal CIO Journal CMO Today Logistics Report Risk & Compliance The Workplace Report Columns Heard on the Street WSJ Pro Bankruptcy Central Banking Cybersecurity Private Equity Sustainable Business Venture Capital More Business Video Journal Report Business Podcast Space & Science * Tech Sections CIO Journal The Future of Everything Personal Tech Columns Christopher Mims Joanna Stern Julie Jargon Nicole Nguyen More Tech Video Tech Podcast * Markets Sections Bonds Commercial Real Estate Commodities & Futures Stocks Personal Finance WSJ Money Streetwise Intelligent Investor Columns Heard on the Street Greg Ip Jason Zweig Laura Saunders James Mackintosh Market Data Market Data Home U.S. Stocks Currencies Companies Commodities Bonds & Rates Mutual Funds & ETFs More CFO Journal Markets Video Your Money Briefing Podcast Secrets of Wealthy Women Podcast Search Quotes and Companies * Opinion Columnists Gerard Baker Sadanand Dhume James Freeman William A. Galston Daniel Henninger Holman W. Jenkins Andy Kessler William McGurn Walter Russell Mead Peggy Noonan Mary Anastasia O'Grady Jason Riley Joseph Sternberg Kimberley A. Strassel More Editorials Commentary Future View Letters to the Editor The Weekend Interview Potomac Watch Podcast Foreign Edition Podcast Free Expression Podcast Opinion Video Notable & Quotable * Books & Arts Reviews Film Television Theater Masterpiece Series Music Dance Opera Exhibition Cultural Commentary Sections Arts Books More WSJ Puzzles Life Video Arts Video * Real Estate Sections Commercial Real Estate More Real Estate Video * Life & Work Sections Cars Careers Food & Drink Home & Design Ideas Personal Finance Recipes Travel Wellness Columns Your Health Work & Life The Middle Seat Bonds At Work Turning Points On Wine On The Clock More WSJ Puzzles Space & Science * Style Sections Fashion Film Television Music Art & Auctions Columns My Monday Morning Off Brand On Trend * Sports Sections Beijing 2022 Olympics MLB NBA NFL Golf Tennis Soccer Columns Jason Gay Search BEST OFBooks & Arts in Review Our Guide to Summer BooksBest New Movies & TV Shows'Thor: Love and Thunder' ReviewBest Books of June'Breaking the Age Code' Review 'Elvis' Review This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/ how-to-tell-a-story-book-review-aristotle-in-the-writers-room-11657900138 * Bookshelf 'How to Tell a Story' Review: Aristotle in the Writers' Room In an age when storytelling is supposed to be the key to success, a refresher from ancient Greece may be in order. [square][im-583063] A scene from Robert Wilson's 1996 staging of Igor Stravinsky's opera 'Oedipus Rex.' Pascal Victor/ArtComPress/Bridgeman Images Share * Facebook * Twitter * LinkedIn * Copy Link By Timothy Farrington July 15, 2022 11:50 am ET print Listen to article (3 minutes) The whole world is story mad. Pundits invoke the political "narrative"; passing news items become breathless podcasts; restaurant menus portentously recount "Our Story." In the corporate world, storytelling has become a resume bullet point. Microsoft, which generally eschews the smarmy job titles issued by tech rivals, has employed a "chief storyteller," and for $497, an online course will teach you "the MOST important skill in the 21st century." Screenwriters have long mined Aristotle's "Poetics" for craft tips, but at last someone has thought to update it for the civilian raconteur. "How to Tell a Story: An Ancient Guide to the Art of Storytelling for Writers and Readers," by Pepperdine professor Philip Freeman, is a lively new translation geared for maximum utility, featuring a short introduction, pithy but invented section titles ("A Brief Note on Bad Plots") and basic endnotes. SubscribeSign In [wsj-logo-b] Continue reading your article with a WSJ membership View Membership Options Sponsored Offers * Walmart: Walmart Prep for Less Sale - Up to 75% off everything for the new school year * The Home Depot: Free $20 Home Depot coupon with Pro Xtra membership sign up * Best Buy: Save 15% or more on the Best Buy deal of the Day * Wayfair: Up to 15% off + free shipping at Wayfair * Nike: New Arrival: Nike Air Force 1 '07 Premium * Journeys: Summer Sale: 50% off select styles + free shipping Most Popular news * Elon Musk's Inner Circle Rocked by Fight Over His $230 Billion Fortune Elon Musk's Inner Circle Rocked by Fight Over His $230 Billion Fortune * Armpit Hair Is Back, Whether You Like It or Not Armpit Hair Is Back, Whether You Like It or Not * Indiana Mall Shooting Leaves Three People Dead, Two Injured Indiana Mall Shooting Leaves Three People Dead, Two Injured * Fed Preparing to Lift Rates Another 0.75 Percentage Point Fed Preparing to Lift Rates Another 0.75 Percentage Point * Strong Dollar Has Americans Splurging in Europe Strong Dollar Has Americans Splurging in Europe Most Popular opinion * Opinion: Bernie Sanders Is Upset Bernie Sanders Is Upset * Opinion: The West's Climate Policy Debacle The West's Climate Policy Debacle * Opinion: The Lesson of Carlin's Dirty Words The Lesson of Carlin's Dirty Words * Opinion: Iran and a Suspicious Flight to Argentina Iran and a Suspicious Flight to Argentina * Opinion: Gary Gensler's Assault on U.S. Capital Markets Gary Gensler's Assault on U.S. Capital Markets Recommended Videos * The Wall Street Journal * English Edition Edition[English ] * Subscribe NowSign In * Back to Top << WSJ Membership * WSJ+ Membership Benefits * Subscription Options * Why Subscribe? * Corporate Subscriptions * Professor Journal * Student Journal * WSJ High School Program * Public Library Program * WSJ Live Customer Service * Customer Center * Contact Us Tools & Features * Newsletters & Alerts * Guides * Topics * My News * RSS Feeds * Video Center * Watchlist * Podcasts * Visual Stories Ads * Advertise * Commercial Real Estate Ads * Place a Classified Ad * Sell Your Business * Sell Your Home * Recruitment & Career Ads * Coupons * Digital Self Service More * About Us * Commercial Partnerships * Content Partnerships * Corrections * Jobs at WSJ * News Archive * Register for Free * Reprints & Licensing * Buy Issues * WSJ Shop * WSJ Membership Benefits * Customer Center * Legal Policies * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * YouTube * Podcasts * Snapchat * Google Play * App Store Dow Jones Products * Barron's * BigCharts * Dow Jones Newswires * Factiva * Financial News * Mansion Global * MarketWatch * Risk & Compliance * Buy Side from WSJ * WSJ Pro * WSJ Video * WSJ Wine * Privacy Notice * Cookie Notice * Do Not Sell My Personal Information * Copyright Policy * Data Policy * Subscriber Agreement & Terms of Use * Your Ad Choices * Accessibility * Copyright (c)2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Back to Top << English Edition Edition[English ] --------------------------------------------------------------------- * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * YouTube * Podcasts * Snapchat WSJ Membership * WSJ+ Membership Benefits * Subscription Options * Why Subscribe? * Corporate Subscriptions * Professor Journal * Student Journal * WSJ High School Program * Public Library Program * WSJ Live Customer Service * Customer Center * Contact Us Tools & Features * Newsletters & Alerts * Guides * Topics * My News * RSS Feeds * Video Center * Watchlist * Podcasts * Visual Stories Ads * Advertise * Commercial Real Estate Ads * Place a Classified Ad * Sell Your Business * Sell Your Home * Recruitment & Career Ads * Coupons * Digital Self Service More * About Us * Commercial Partnerships * Content Partnerships * Corrections * Jobs at WSJ * News Archive * Register for Free * Reprints & Licensing * Buy Issues * WSJ Shop * WSJ Membership Benefits * Customer Center * Legal Policies * Google Play * App Store --------------------------------------------------------------------- Sign In Copyright (c)2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Copyright (c)2022 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved This copy is for your personal, non-commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non-personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com.