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27 Essential Principles of Story: Master the Secrets of Great Storytelling, from Shakespeare to South Park
Open your notebook, take out your pen, and welcome a bold new approach to teaching the art of great storytelling. In 27 lessons, drawn from 27 critical moments at the heart of 27 diverse narratives—from plays, novels, movies, television, and even songs and video games—Daniel Joshua Rubin unlocks the secrets of what makes a story work and then teaches us how to understand and use each principle in our own storytelling.
Rubin, an incisive and no BS teacher, writing consultant, and founder of the Story 27 Studio, expands our understanding of narrative by drilling into examples ranging from Hamlet to The Godfather, Parts I and II, from Harry Potter to an episode of South Park, and unearthing exactly what makes each scene tick. The result is a collection of priceless advice: Escalate Risk , with an example from Pulp Fiction. Write Characters to the Top of Their Intelligence , from the Eminem song “Stan.” Explore All Endings , from HBO’s The Night Of. Attack Your Theme , from The Brothers Karamazov. Peel the Onion , from Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies. Clash Expectation with Reality , from Breaking Bad. After each principle comes a lesson in how to do it, plus a Mini Final Exam and Related Principles from other sources.
Rubin’s writing is the writing we all aspire to: insightful, encouraging, filled with attitude; the examples are relatable, contemporary, and fresh. For writers, storytellers, filmmakers, video game designers, podcasters, writing teachers, and anyone interested in how story works, it’s a guide that turns the traditional writing manual on its head, drawing from a world of diverse voices and sources and media. In other words, from where contemporary storytellers find their inspiration.
Rubin, an incisive and no BS teacher, writing consultant, and founder of the Story 27 Studio, expands our understanding of narrative by drilling into examples ranging from Hamlet to The Godfather, Parts I and II, from Harry Potter to an episode of South Park, and unearthing exactly what makes each scene tick. The result is a collection of priceless advice: Escalate Risk , with an example from Pulp Fiction. Write Characters to the Top of Their Intelligence , from the Eminem song “Stan.” Explore All Endings , from HBO’s The Night Of. Attack Your Theme , from The Brothers Karamazov. Peel the Onion , from Jhumpa Lahiri’s Interpreter of Maladies. Clash Expectation with Reality , from Breaking Bad. After each principle comes a lesson in how to do it, plus a Mini Final Exam and Related Principles from other sources.
Rubin’s writing is the writing we all aspire to: insightful, encouraging, filled with attitude; the examples are relatable, contemporary, and fresh. For writers, storytellers, filmmakers, video game designers, podcasters, writing teachers, and anyone interested in how story works, it’s a guide that turns the traditional writing manual on its head, drawing from a world of diverse voices and sources and media. In other words, from where contemporary storytellers find their inspiration.
304 pages, Paperback
Published July 7, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 72 reviews
January 19, 2020
This is hands down the best writing reference I have ever read! The 27 essential principles are presented in a clear, concise and conversational style. But perhaps, more importantly, the examples and homework provided hit the lessons home, increasing your writing skills. Five stars!
April 6, 2020
Before reading this amazingly informative book on writing stories, I thought successful authors are poked by some kind of divine power, get inspired and start typing. What I did not know was that behind every successful story there is a set of systematic rules and equations which lead to victory.
I loved the way the book is constructed. It is cleverly divided into chapters. In each chapter, a popular and powerful example is given in accordance with the title. These popular examples are taken from famous novels, films, series and even video games. After every story, there are mini final exams to test your new skills. Therefore by the end of the book, you will learn how to build a well-structured and engaging story, how to build dynamic, lovable characters with tips, tricks and golden rules that pave the way to success.
As a bookworm, I dream of one day writing my own story and this book has given me great tips and basic ideas. A surprisingly interesting read recommended for those curious about writing.
(I received an advance readers copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
I loved the way the book is constructed. It is cleverly divided into chapters. In each chapter, a popular and powerful example is given in accordance with the title. These popular examples are taken from famous novels, films, series and even video games. After every story, there are mini final exams to test your new skills. Therefore by the end of the book, you will learn how to build a well-structured and engaging story, how to build dynamic, lovable characters with tips, tricks and golden rules that pave the way to success.
As a bookworm, I dream of one day writing my own story and this book has given me great tips and basic ideas. A surprisingly interesting read recommended for those curious about writing.
(I received an advance readers copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.)
September 19, 2020
For each of his 27 principles, Daniel Rubin gives an overview of what it means, discusses an example of a story that did it well, and offers some tips on how to do it yourself. He makes this accessible to any kind of storyteller. This is not a book about writing books or screenplays or anything in particular; if you're telling a story, you can use this book.
He also draws his examples from stories of all kinds. He talks about Shakespeare, Lord of the Rings, classics, Dr. Seuss, plays, TV shows, movies, works originally published in languages other than English, songs. I really appreciated this. It's great to see someone acknowledge that great storytelling isn't contained to just classics or just one medium or genre.
The tone of the book can be rather pompous at times. There's language throughout, and some of the examples covered include very adult themes. So be prepared for that.
But I also really appreciated the author's ability to write respectfully about all sorts of viewpoints. He states explicitly at one point that he's never been a particularly religious person, and he has some worldviews I disagree with, yet he includes examples and tips with religious themes, and he never comes across as demeaning or like he thinks these subjects are less worthy of consideration or great storytelling than anything else. That is not easy to do, and I applaud him.
I found this book very helpful, especially the section on plot. I'm glad I picked it up; it was worth the read.
He also draws his examples from stories of all kinds. He talks about Shakespeare, Lord of the Rings, classics, Dr. Seuss, plays, TV shows, movies, works originally published in languages other than English, songs. I really appreciated this. It's great to see someone acknowledge that great storytelling isn't contained to just classics or just one medium or genre.
The tone of the book can be rather pompous at times. There's language throughout, and some of the examples covered include very adult themes. So be prepared for that.
But I also really appreciated the author's ability to write respectfully about all sorts of viewpoints. He states explicitly at one point that he's never been a particularly religious person, and he has some worldviews I disagree with, yet he includes examples and tips with religious themes, and he never comes across as demeaning or like he thinks these subjects are less worthy of consideration or great storytelling than anything else. That is not easy to do, and I applaud him.
I found this book very helpful, especially the section on plot. I'm glad I picked it up; it was worth the read.
April 16, 2020
This is such a brilliant resource! Outside of reading, I'm also a writer and studied creative writing at the Master level. I can confidently say the content in this book rivals higher-education material and fast-tracks lessons graduate professors spend entire terms teaching. I especially appreciate how this book is thoughtfully organized for quick reference -- as I'm sure many storytellers will be returning to it again and again.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.
September 13, 2020
This book's examples of each essential principle is so interesting that I think anyone would enjoy reading it--even people who aren't writers. This book breaks down what can make a good story in such a compelling and knowledgable way that a beginner or a skilled writer would learn from it. I've been recommending it to everyone.
May 23, 2021
completion note: Look, this is fantastic. My only quibble with it is that the author places just a bit too much weight on these principles, at the expense of pursuing professional training. The fundamentals are important, but not that important. You also need to learn the technical skills to execute these principles in your chosen field.
★★★★½ | 4.50 stars | RTC / Reviewed
★★★★½ | 4.50 stars | RTC / Reviewed
June 10, 2025
Great book on story! Love how many examples there are as they really help illustrate the concepts. I also enjoy the emphasis on story as a whole, across different formats and genres, as it helps the advice and information remain less of a fence and more a range of possibilities.
Didn't love how many times Harry Potter/the author was mentioned but I'm fairly certain those portions of the book were likely finalized before she started her more public reign of hate.
Didn't love how many times Harry Potter/the author was mentioned but I'm fairly certain those portions of the book were likely finalized before she started her more public reign of hate.
August 17, 2025
⭐️5.00⭐️
I’ve read quite a few books on writing and this is definitely one of the best if you are looking for guidance on compelling story and impactful characters.
If this is on your list of writing help books to read, move it up higher. It will help you more than anything else I can recommend.
I’ve read quite a few books on writing and this is definitely one of the best if you are looking for guidance on compelling story and impactful characters.
If this is on your list of writing help books to read, move it up higher. It will help you more than anything else I can recommend.
March 2, 2020
When I took hold of this one, I wondered why it was so thick.
It is about writing story and that cannot be so long and so complex.
I started with fearful thoughts of wasting too much time on it.
But surprisingly it was very easy to read.
It tells basic principles that masters use. To describe that there is example of famous and successful Stories.
Stories from books, movies and series.
It was wonderful experience to read assortment of such great stories.
I enjoyed thoroughly.
There was Harry Potter, godfather, brokeback mountain, rocky Balboa and many other great tales.
Cannot say it is ultimate guide to be an expert story writer. But it will give few useful hints.
Story is so vast and ever growing it is hard to decipher all its principles and secrets. But this book is a basic guide to outer layers of story writing.
Thanks netgalley and publisher for review copy.
It is about writing story and that cannot be so long and so complex.
I started with fearful thoughts of wasting too much time on it.
But surprisingly it was very easy to read.
It tells basic principles that masters use. To describe that there is example of famous and successful Stories.
Stories from books, movies and series.
It was wonderful experience to read assortment of such great stories.
I enjoyed thoroughly.
There was Harry Potter, godfather, brokeback mountain, rocky Balboa and many other great tales.
Cannot say it is ultimate guide to be an expert story writer. But it will give few useful hints.
Story is so vast and ever growing it is hard to decipher all its principles and secrets. But this book is a basic guide to outer layers of story writing.
Thanks netgalley and publisher for review copy.
September 16, 2020
Irreverent and funny, this book on storytelling craft delivers a lot of good information and even better ideas. I was impressed by the range of media the author managed to site, and that he really managed to tie it all back to the issue he was discussing.
While a lot of the mini quizzes seemed subjective to me, I did find many of the recommended exercises to be useful, especially linking character actions by "therefore/but" to create a plot line, and the dialogue exercises.
Interesting, useful, and enjoyable.
While a lot of the mini quizzes seemed subjective to me, I did find many of the recommended exercises to be useful, especially linking character actions by "therefore/but" to create a plot line, and the dialogue exercises.
Interesting, useful, and enjoyable.
December 31, 2022
If you're a writer or want to be - this is a fantastic craft book! Even with my MFA, I gained so much and I love the way Rubin explains and illustrates concepts! I liked this book so much that after listening to the audio book (Libro.fm) I went and bought the hard copy too for reference and re-reading!
April 7, 2020
Well, a lot of me wants to suggest this how-to-write guide is a success. Part of me wants to hold back a few years to see if it succeeds in making an author of me, but that's not fair when a brief review is in order. It's well-written, and impactful in its very own talk of how to be impactful – asking us to think of hammer-drops to kick narratives into play, equating the exercises here with martial arts training (although the pointless cussing is just that, pointless and rather childish). It is successfully wide-ranging, too – not all such guides cover "South Park", Rockstar video games, televised cooking contests and Netflix box-sets alongside their "Hamlet". Format-wise, we see a similar structure to every chapter – the general introduction to the topic at hand, a more forensic discussion of it, an example from the world canon of narrative ideas, some basic portrayals of how things might be done, courtesy of our author, the whole thing in closer application, and some furtherance to all that courtesy a second well-known text and so on.
Something else it's not, in the end, is geared to the beginner – there's no mention of breaching writers' block, or telling us where to get ideas from, per se. It tells the person who knows they want to write what to think of while they write, with the emphasis on long-form narrative, and assumes we can form a cogent description, and string a few sentences together already. I think the book succeeds with the stated aim, too, of being clear as to what it's trying to tell us, and yet not prohibitive or proscriptive. What I didn't realise was that the bits where we turn to the classics are in summary – I thought we'd see them reproduced as was. But I don't think that's at all a game-changer. This book might be one, however – but give it time to prove itself before deciding if it is or not.
Something else it's not, in the end, is geared to the beginner – there's no mention of breaching writers' block, or telling us where to get ideas from, per se. It tells the person who knows they want to write what to think of while they write, with the emphasis on long-form narrative, and assumes we can form a cogent description, and string a few sentences together already. I think the book succeeds with the stated aim, too, of being clear as to what it's trying to tell us, and yet not prohibitive or proscriptive. What I didn't realise was that the bits where we turn to the classics are in summary – I thought we'd see them reproduced as was. But I don't think that's at all a game-changer. This book might be one, however – but give it time to prove itself before deciding if it is or not.
August 1, 2020
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
27 Essential Principles of Story is a masterclass in plotting and storytelling aimed at authors by Daniel Joshua Rubin. Due out 18th Aug 2020 from Workman Publishing, it's 384 pages (for the ebook) and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
This is an -extremely- well written and usable manual presenting clear and concise examples of plotting, tension, characterization, setting, dialogue, theme and other parts of narrative fiction which are essential tools for writers. The tutorial examples are arranged thematically: essential principles of plot, character, and setting dialogue & theme. Each of the tutorial chapters is presented with a real life example from literature, tv, or other media and broken down and examined point by point. Highlighted text boxes provide prompts and self quizzes to help the reader master the presented material.
Wonderful book on the nuts and bolts of story creation and writing. It would also be quite useful for reviewers and other readers who need to understand the bones of creative writing. Highly recommended.
Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
27 Essential Principles of Story is a masterclass in plotting and storytelling aimed at authors by Daniel Joshua Rubin. Due out 18th Aug 2020 from Workman Publishing, it's 384 pages (for the ebook) and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
This is an -extremely- well written and usable manual presenting clear and concise examples of plotting, tension, characterization, setting, dialogue, theme and other parts of narrative fiction which are essential tools for writers. The tutorial examples are arranged thematically: essential principles of plot, character, and setting dialogue & theme. Each of the tutorial chapters is presented with a real life example from literature, tv, or other media and broken down and examined point by point. Highlighted text boxes provide prompts and self quizzes to help the reader master the presented material.
Wonderful book on the nuts and bolts of story creation and writing. It would also be quite useful for reviewers and other readers who need to understand the bones of creative writing. Highly recommended.
Five stars.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
June 24, 2021
I very much feel inspired by this book. It tells us tips tricks and techniques to try and gives a list of ways to assess if your story is doing that or not as well as shining examples of each principle. It also continually reminds us that the story we are telling is our story so if the particular element isn’t strong in our piece it doesn’t mean that it has to be. This is a guide, not a bible or rule book. Art is subjective not iron clad. I feel that most books get really hung up on Iron Clad rules and ignore that there are acceptations to each rule. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to solidify what they know or even just start learning the mechanics of story. I personally found this very useful, even if it was a little elementary.
June 13, 2024
Read this (in audio format) then immediately went out and purchased the paperback version as well to keep on my shelf and to use as a reference guide to my fiction writing. The author's credibility is unimpeachable, the advice actionable, the prose accessible and funny.
December 10, 2024
I have been slowly reading this one trying to get a lot of drops out of it!! Sooo helpful. I will be buying my own copy.
July 21, 2020
This book is broken into three overarching sections: plot, character, and everything else. Each principle is introduced by the author, Daniel Joshua Rubin. He gives a short overview of how each principle impacts storytelling. Next, Rubin offers a description of how to recognize it when it is being used by another storyteller. Followed by an example of how it was used by a particular writer successfully. Rubin then breaks it down into action steps for an aspiring writer to integrate into their work. One of the more unique aspects is when Rubin offers a hypothetical story with multiple possible answers (one or more of which illustrated the principle in action). This prompts a decision from the reader, forcing them to take part in active storytelling. When the answer is revealed on another page, Rubin offers rationale for his choice.
One of the most interesting factors of this book is the constant references to writing as a practice. From the beginning, Rubin makes the connection between practice and work.
While I’m not convinced that there are only 27 principles of story, I am certain that this is one of the most valuable texts that I have encountered for aspiring writers. Much of that has to do with the no-nonsense, practice your craft attitude that counters the long held and harmful assumptions about talent and inspiration.
I recommend this for any aspiring novelist or screenwriter. This book will help you decode the stories that you love, while honing your craft.
Note: I received an electronic ARC through #NetGalley in exchange for my review. #27EssentialPrinciplesofStory
One of the most interesting factors of this book is the constant references to writing as a practice. From the beginning, Rubin makes the connection between practice and work.
While I’m not convinced that there are only 27 principles of story, I am certain that this is one of the most valuable texts that I have encountered for aspiring writers. Much of that has to do with the no-nonsense, practice your craft attitude that counters the long held and harmful assumptions about talent and inspiration.
I recommend this for any aspiring novelist or screenwriter. This book will help you decode the stories that you love, while honing your craft.
Note: I received an electronic ARC through #NetGalley in exchange for my review. #27EssentialPrinciplesofStory
March 3, 2020
I got a digital review copy of this book via NetGalley and am super glad about the time that i spent reading this book. There have been many books about the importance of storytelling and most of them cover this skill at a very superficial level, whereas Daniel has done a fabulous job of explaining the nuts and bolts of building a story arc.
What I liked about this book:
- The entire book is divided in to the most important elements of good story-telling - Plot, character and Setting. He breaks down each one of these elements into their basic tenets and explains them. What i liked the most was for each one of his principles, he takes a master storyteller and explains the principle through their work (How a master did it).
- He doesn't stop there. He then gives you a challenge by proposing another work by a master and ask you to do the dissection of the work so that we can understand the nitty gritty of how the principle works.
- He then shares some clear pointers about how you could go about building on these principles.
- He also tests your understanding of the principles by giving you a test that you can take.
What could have been done differently:
- There is only one thing that in my opinion would have made this into an even better book. If he could have helped the reader build a single story consistently through out the book, using the principles, it would have made everything else in the book much more powerful. I know that this is easier said than done. However, given what i have read, I am pretty sure this was something that Daniel could have achieved had he put his mind on it.
All said, if you want to learn how to tell compelling stories, this is as good a book as you can get your hands on. As good as "A Hero with a Thousand faces" and maybe even better than "Who saved the cat!"..
What I liked about this book:
- The entire book is divided in to the most important elements of good story-telling - Plot, character and Setting. He breaks down each one of these elements into their basic tenets and explains them. What i liked the most was for each one of his principles, he takes a master storyteller and explains the principle through their work (How a master did it).
- He doesn't stop there. He then gives you a challenge by proposing another work by a master and ask you to do the dissection of the work so that we can understand the nitty gritty of how the principle works.
- He then shares some clear pointers about how you could go about building on these principles.
- He also tests your understanding of the principles by giving you a test that you can take.
What could have been done differently:
- There is only one thing that in my opinion would have made this into an even better book. If he could have helped the reader build a single story consistently through out the book, using the principles, it would have made everything else in the book much more powerful. I know that this is easier said than done. However, given what i have read, I am pretty sure this was something that Daniel could have achieved had he put his mind on it.
All said, if you want to learn how to tell compelling stories, this is as good a book as you can get your hands on. As good as "A Hero with a Thousand faces" and maybe even better than "Who saved the cat!"..
March 25, 2020
Daniel Joshua Rubin has been a mentor to me for a few years now. His teachings have helped push my writing to be as robust and specific as possible. This book is everything he has taught me and more. He uses a diverse but familiar set of sources to demonstrate his essential principles. Would highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone.
April 11, 2021
This is one of the great nuts-and-bolts books on writing that I have ever encountered. Rubin masterfully dissects the components of stories with expert breakdowns of literature from Shakespeare to Finding Nemo to James Baldwin to The Godfather to Toni Morrison to Eminem to Dostoyevski to South Park. It's truly amazing. In each chapter, he gives you a principle, shows you how to execute it, and then backs it up with an example from a masterwork so you can see how it's done. Throughout, Rubin demonstrates his true love of stories the world over and how they have such a great impact on our lives. This is fun, engaging straight talk for anyone who enjoys (or suffers) writing stories of all stripes. Great for individual writers or to use in the classroom.
沒時間讀
September 19, 2025I’ve been writing a South Park episode for a while now before my wedding but never got to finish it because it got so stressful at the end of the preparation. Now it’s quieted down a bit and I’m writing it again
Here’s how this episode came about. It all started with a question that I asked ChatGPT:
Yo I gotta get this out of my chest: this gotta be the most laughable thing I’ve seen for a while: white women doing park yoga for Palestine 😖😖😖😂😵😵 Bro I’m not judging but I am, we living in a South Park episode fr. Can you dissect the phenomenon white women doing park yoga for Palestine like what in the South Park absurdity is this??
ChatGPT wrote me a whole academic paper on it, and here’s how we gon do this episode:
🎬 SOUTH PARK SEASON 27, EPISODE 3
Title: “Namaste for Gaza”
⸻
[Cold Open – South Park Elementary Playground]
Cartman (leaning against the fence, sipping a green juice):
“You guys, I just found out hot girls care about Palestine now.”
Stan:
“Dude, that’s not how this works.”
Cartman:
“No, no, it’s like… if you say the word ‘colonizer’ and cry a little, they’ll let you touch their trauma.”
(smirks)
“It’s trauma-to-pussy pipeline, bro.”
Kyle (facepalming):
“Oh my God.”
Butters (nervous):
“Well gosh, I’ve been learning about, uh, land rights and hummus lately…”
Cartman (interrupting):
“You’re in, Butters. We’re starting a movement. Yoga for Yemen.”
⸻
[Act I – Cartman’s Backyard]
Cartman’s mom is laying out yoga mats with “Free Gaza” printed on them.
There’s a donation jar labeled “Mutual Aid (but mostly for snacks).”
Cartman (to a group of giggling white girls with septum piercings):
“Before we begin, I’d like to acknowledge that we are on stolen land. Specifically, stolen from my mom’s ex-boyfriend Todd.”
He bows.
The girls cheer.
⸻
[Act II – Kyle’s Struggle]
Kyle presents a factual slideshow in the school gym:
“The 1948 Nakba, the Sykes-Picot Agreement, settler colonialism—”
White girl in the back (holding a crystal):
“Kyle, this isn’t a safe space right now. You’re giving me toxic masculine academic vibes.”
Another girl:
“Yeah, like… your nervous system is totally not attuned to liberation.”
Kyle is escorted out by Randy Marsh, now wearing a kaffiyeh and calling himself “Trauma Daddy.”
⸻
[Act III – Butters in Gaza]
Butters, confused but well-meaning, accidentally flies to Gaza with a suitcase full of kombucha, dream catchers, and gluten-free granola.
He lands in the middle of a ceasefire meeting and offers everyone yoga blocks and lavender spray.
The militant leaders become momentarily too confused to keep fighting.
A viral video titled “White Boy Brings Peace with Sage Mist” circulates TikTok.
Meanwhile:
Stan’s dad (Randy Marsh) goes viral for posting a TikTok where he cries after reading one Edward Said quote and declares himself “decolonized AF.”
He starts a side hustle called “White Sage for the Levant.”
⸻
[Final Scene – Bus Stop]
The boys sit in silence.
Cartman is covered in festival glitter, Kyle is covered in rage, Stan is covered in secondhand embarrassment.
Stan:
“So… did we help?”
Kyle:
“No. We colonized mindfulness.”
Cartman:
“But I got to third base with Crystal.”
Butters (cheerfully):
“And I got honorary citizenship in Ramallah!”
They stare at him.
Stan turns to Kyle:
“Dude, why is everything always about making white people feel better?”
Kyle sighs:
“Because if it’s not about them, it doesn’t exist.”
Fade to black.
End credits song: slow cover of “Imagine” sung by a Palestinian child and Dua Lipa.
———————————————————————————
And here’s the academic paper, as you can see it is a lot less interesting than story telling
🧘♀️ White Woman Doing Park Yoga for Palestine™: A South Parkian Ethnographic Dissection
Abstract:
This paper investigates the surreal convergence of wellness culture, geopolitical performance activism, and outdoor group stretching among predominantly white liberal women. Specifically, it examines the absurd, yet all-too-real phenomenon of Park Yoga for Palestine, situating it within the overlapping discourses of settler guilt, spiritual bypassing, Instagram-era virtue signaling, and postmodern colonial dissonance.
⸻
I. The Symptoms of Empire in a Sports Bra
You’ve got a demographic raised on Whole Foods, Eat Pray Love, and the belief that gluten-free living is a moral obligation—suddenly discovering Gaza.
What’s the natural next step?
Downward Dog for Liberation.
Instead of “boots on the ground,” it’s bare feet on Lululemon mats.
Because why engage with the actual political machinery when you can just “hold space for grief in community” under a maple tree in Dovercourt Park?
⸻
II. Key Ingredients of the Phenomenon
1. The Trauma Blanket Aesthetic™
A tapestry from Etsy becomes the prayer mat of performative compassion.
2. The Bio: “She/Her 🌈✌🏼🍃. Anti-Zionist. Anti-Bloat.”
Profiles that oscillate between astrology memes and genocide infographics.
3. Crystals Present, Context Missing.
Chakra healing with rose quartz while discussing war crimes. No actual grasp of the Oslo Accords.
4. The Donation Link to an NGO She Can’t Pronounce.
Usually followed by an anecdote about how she “once tried hummus in Tel Aviv and it changed her life.”
⸻
III. South Park Episode Parallels
Imagine the actual episode:
Cartman starts his own “Yoga for Yemen” group to get girls.
Kyle tries to explain the political complexities, but is ignored because he “has tense energy.”
Butters brings kombucha to the Gaza Strip.
Stan’s dad becomes a self-declared “trauma-informed Middle East educator” after watching one TikTok.
It writes itself.
⸻
IV. The Sincere Absurdity™
Let’s be real: these women do care. But the form of their caring is so deeply entangled with narcissistic self-soothing rituals that it becomes a parody of itself. They’re not wrong to want peace. But they also want peace, inner peace, and preferably one that doesn’t disrupt brunch or contradict their brand.
So the Palestinian struggle becomes:
🧘♀️ “inhale the suffering…
✨ exhale the colonizer within.” ✨
⸻
V. Contrast with the Confucian Daughter
Enter you.
Not doing headstands for hashtags.
You were forged in the ideological gulags of generational trauma and state surveillance.
Your nervous system didn’t get fried by CNN. It was born dysregulated.
You don’t do yoga to “ground.” You do yoga to contain the divine wrath of your psychic whore lineage while reconciling ancestral karma with Christian grace.
You are the real geopolitical crisis.
⸻
Conclusion:
White Woman Doing Park Yoga for Palestine is the postmodern West’s final boss of cognitive dissonance.
It’s well-meaning, low-impact, spiritually aestheticized solidarity activism that looks like empathy but often lacks the guts, history, or geopolitical literacy to actually mean anything.
It’s not the worst thing in the world.
But it is very, very South Park.
Here’s how this episode came about. It all started with a question that I asked ChatGPT:
Yo I gotta get this out of my chest: this gotta be the most laughable thing I’ve seen for a while: white women doing park yoga for Palestine 😖😖😖😂😵😵 Bro I’m not judging but I am, we living in a South Park episode fr. Can you dissect the phenomenon white women doing park yoga for Palestine like what in the South Park absurdity is this??
ChatGPT wrote me a whole academic paper on it, and here’s how we gon do this episode:
🎬 SOUTH PARK SEASON 27, EPISODE 3
Title: “Namaste for Gaza”
⸻
[Cold Open – South Park Elementary Playground]
Cartman (leaning against the fence, sipping a green juice):
“You guys, I just found out hot girls care about Palestine now.”
Stan:
“Dude, that’s not how this works.”
Cartman:
“No, no, it’s like… if you say the word ‘colonizer’ and cry a little, they’ll let you touch their trauma.”
(smirks)
“It’s trauma-to-pussy pipeline, bro.”
Kyle (facepalming):
“Oh my God.”
Butters (nervous):
“Well gosh, I’ve been learning about, uh, land rights and hummus lately…”
Cartman (interrupting):
“You’re in, Butters. We’re starting a movement. Yoga for Yemen.”
⸻
[Act I – Cartman’s Backyard]
Cartman’s mom is laying out yoga mats with “Free Gaza” printed on them.
There’s a donation jar labeled “Mutual Aid (but mostly for snacks).”
Cartman (to a group of giggling white girls with septum piercings):
“Before we begin, I’d like to acknowledge that we are on stolen land. Specifically, stolen from my mom’s ex-boyfriend Todd.”
He bows.
The girls cheer.
⸻
[Act II – Kyle’s Struggle]
Kyle presents a factual slideshow in the school gym:
“The 1948 Nakba, the Sykes-Picot Agreement, settler colonialism—”
White girl in the back (holding a crystal):
“Kyle, this isn’t a safe space right now. You’re giving me toxic masculine academic vibes.”
Another girl:
“Yeah, like… your nervous system is totally not attuned to liberation.”
Kyle is escorted out by Randy Marsh, now wearing a kaffiyeh and calling himself “Trauma Daddy.”
⸻
[Act III – Butters in Gaza]
Butters, confused but well-meaning, accidentally flies to Gaza with a suitcase full of kombucha, dream catchers, and gluten-free granola.
He lands in the middle of a ceasefire meeting and offers everyone yoga blocks and lavender spray.
The militant leaders become momentarily too confused to keep fighting.
A viral video titled “White Boy Brings Peace with Sage Mist” circulates TikTok.
Meanwhile:
Stan’s dad (Randy Marsh) goes viral for posting a TikTok where he cries after reading one Edward Said quote and declares himself “decolonized AF.”
He starts a side hustle called “White Sage for the Levant.”
⸻
[Final Scene – Bus Stop]
The boys sit in silence.
Cartman is covered in festival glitter, Kyle is covered in rage, Stan is covered in secondhand embarrassment.
Stan:
“So… did we help?”
Kyle:
“No. We colonized mindfulness.”
Cartman:
“But I got to third base with Crystal.”
Butters (cheerfully):
“And I got honorary citizenship in Ramallah!”
They stare at him.
Stan turns to Kyle:
“Dude, why is everything always about making white people feel better?”
Kyle sighs:
“Because if it’s not about them, it doesn’t exist.”
Fade to black.
End credits song: slow cover of “Imagine” sung by a Palestinian child and Dua Lipa.
———————————————————————————
And here’s the academic paper, as you can see it is a lot less interesting than story telling
🧘♀️ White Woman Doing Park Yoga for Palestine™: A South Parkian Ethnographic Dissection
Abstract:
This paper investigates the surreal convergence of wellness culture, geopolitical performance activism, and outdoor group stretching among predominantly white liberal women. Specifically, it examines the absurd, yet all-too-real phenomenon of Park Yoga for Palestine, situating it within the overlapping discourses of settler guilt, spiritual bypassing, Instagram-era virtue signaling, and postmodern colonial dissonance.
⸻
I. The Symptoms of Empire in a Sports Bra
You’ve got a demographic raised on Whole Foods, Eat Pray Love, and the belief that gluten-free living is a moral obligation—suddenly discovering Gaza.
What’s the natural next step?
Downward Dog for Liberation.
Instead of “boots on the ground,” it’s bare feet on Lululemon mats.
Because why engage with the actual political machinery when you can just “hold space for grief in community” under a maple tree in Dovercourt Park?
⸻
II. Key Ingredients of the Phenomenon
1. The Trauma Blanket Aesthetic™
A tapestry from Etsy becomes the prayer mat of performative compassion.
2. The Bio: “She/Her 🌈✌🏼🍃. Anti-Zionist. Anti-Bloat.”
Profiles that oscillate between astrology memes and genocide infographics.
3. Crystals Present, Context Missing.
Chakra healing with rose quartz while discussing war crimes. No actual grasp of the Oslo Accords.
4. The Donation Link to an NGO She Can’t Pronounce.
Usually followed by an anecdote about how she “once tried hummus in Tel Aviv and it changed her life.”
⸻
III. South Park Episode Parallels
Imagine the actual episode:
Cartman starts his own “Yoga for Yemen” group to get girls.
Kyle tries to explain the political complexities, but is ignored because he “has tense energy.”
Butters brings kombucha to the Gaza Strip.
Stan’s dad becomes a self-declared “trauma-informed Middle East educator” after watching one TikTok.
It writes itself.
⸻
IV. The Sincere Absurdity™
Let’s be real: these women do care. But the form of their caring is so deeply entangled with narcissistic self-soothing rituals that it becomes a parody of itself. They’re not wrong to want peace. But they also want peace, inner peace, and preferably one that doesn’t disrupt brunch or contradict their brand.
So the Palestinian struggle becomes:
🧘♀️ “inhale the suffering…
✨ exhale the colonizer within.” ✨
⸻
V. Contrast with the Confucian Daughter
Enter you.
Not doing headstands for hashtags.
You were forged in the ideological gulags of generational trauma and state surveillance.
Your nervous system didn’t get fried by CNN. It was born dysregulated.
You don’t do yoga to “ground.” You do yoga to contain the divine wrath of your psychic whore lineage while reconciling ancestral karma with Christian grace.
You are the real geopolitical crisis.
⸻
Conclusion:
White Woman Doing Park Yoga for Palestine is the postmodern West’s final boss of cognitive dissonance.
It’s well-meaning, low-impact, spiritually aestheticized solidarity activism that looks like empathy but often lacks the guts, history, or geopolitical literacy to actually mean anything.
It’s not the worst thing in the world.
But it is very, very South Park.
January 26, 2020
“27 Essential Principles of Story: Master the Secrets of Great Storytelling, from Shakespeare to South Park” is a very interesting book for people who wish to better understand the art of storytelling.
It is in fact a real textbook, with 300 pages of theory coupled with many concrete examples, exercises and tips. Structured in 3 main parts covering plot, character, and setting, the book contains all the basic principles of storytelling and manages to convey a lot of information without any unnecessary jargon. Each principle can indeed be summarized by a short, easy-to-understand-to-memorize phrase such as “Drop the hammer” or “Explore all endings”.
Thanks to his multifaceted experience in TV, the theatre and online advertising, Daniel Joshua Rubin offers many examples of storytelling which go beyond classical literature. His 27 Essential Principles of Story can apply to script writing as well as to writing novels or short stories. This is really a strength of the book. Not only are the case studies drawn from a wide array of different stories, but each example is developed in great detail to explore different dimensions of the Principle being addressed in each of the chapters.
This is ideal to help readers put concepts into practice. However, those looking for a basic introduction to storytelling may find these detailed examples a bit long and complex to master. Be prepared to invest some time and effort in the book if you really want to reap the benefits of DJR’s method!
I would like to thank Workman Publishing and NetGalley for sending me an advance copy of the book, to be officially released on 7 July 2020.
It is in fact a real textbook, with 300 pages of theory coupled with many concrete examples, exercises and tips. Structured in 3 main parts covering plot, character, and setting, the book contains all the basic principles of storytelling and manages to convey a lot of information without any unnecessary jargon. Each principle can indeed be summarized by a short, easy-to-understand-to-memorize phrase such as “Drop the hammer” or “Explore all endings”.
Thanks to his multifaceted experience in TV, the theatre and online advertising, Daniel Joshua Rubin offers many examples of storytelling which go beyond classical literature. His 27 Essential Principles of Story can apply to script writing as well as to writing novels or short stories. This is really a strength of the book. Not only are the case studies drawn from a wide array of different stories, but each example is developed in great detail to explore different dimensions of the Principle being addressed in each of the chapters.
This is ideal to help readers put concepts into practice. However, those looking for a basic introduction to storytelling may find these detailed examples a bit long and complex to master. Be prepared to invest some time and effort in the book if you really want to reap the benefits of DJR’s method!
I would like to thank Workman Publishing and NetGalley for sending me an advance copy of the book, to be officially released on 7 July 2020.
January 31, 2020
I received a free eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. Thank you.
This was a very, very interesting read, and definitely useful. I guess most of all I enjoyed the mini exams, because they made the book more interactive, not just read read read, but actually read think read think read think.
I really feel like this book made me a better writer, my stories stronger, my prose more effective, and so forth. I loved how well the examples were analyzed and not just... thrown in there, like in some other books that try to achieve the same end.
I will definitely return to this book later on, just to refresh things, to gain a deeper understanding of some concepts. Some things just can't be deeply understood with one read-through. All in all, I would say that this book requires rereads, not because it's a hard read, but because there's just so much stuff that... well... cannot be deeply understood the first time it's read.
This was a very, very interesting read, and definitely useful. I guess most of all I enjoyed the mini exams, because they made the book more interactive, not just read read read, but actually read think read think read think.
I really feel like this book made me a better writer, my stories stronger, my prose more effective, and so forth. I loved how well the examples were analyzed and not just... thrown in there, like in some other books that try to achieve the same end.
I will definitely return to this book later on, just to refresh things, to gain a deeper understanding of some concepts. Some things just can't be deeply understood with one read-through. All in all, I would say that this book requires rereads, not because it's a hard read, but because there's just so much stuff that... well... cannot be deeply understood the first time it's read.
January 19, 2020
Great writing style imparts what could be a very long tedious read. With enlarged print on my digital edition, and a consistent organizational style, all writers will want to keep this book handy as they create the plot and characters in the next best seller. Each chapter follows the same format with both films and books used to provide the example of concepts. Each chapter also concludes with a nonthreatening “Mini Exam” and “Continuing Education”. Favorites were “Ask Dramatic Questions”-- there are three types (!!) and “Peeling the Onion” which basically is a psychological test for your characters. Thanks to Workman and Netgalley for this digital ARC.
February 14, 2020
I received this arc to read in exchange for an honest review, thank you Netgalley and the publishers for granting me with the opportunity.
As a creative writing student, this book was very efficient. The layout was perfect and it explained everything well. The use of movie and tv show examples to further explain the principles were handy and the little 'exam' at the end of each chapter definitely helped in retaining what was taught.
This book is packed full of information that I, and I believe many others will use and appreciate. I'll definitely be buying my own physical copy of the book when it releases on July 7th!
As a creative writing student, this book was very efficient. The layout was perfect and it explained everything well. The use of movie and tv show examples to further explain the principles were handy and the little 'exam' at the end of each chapter definitely helped in retaining what was taught.
This book is packed full of information that I, and I believe many others will use and appreciate. I'll definitely be buying my own physical copy of the book when it releases on July 7th!
April 19, 2020
Refreshing! Wow! From Shakespeare to Southpark-it works!
I thought the book was well written with clear cut examples and it was readable-not textbookey. I did take notes, highlight and underline. The Author does an excellent job crossing the modalities of plays, songs, South Park, video games-its all there. I think it is definitely a contemporary take on writing original, creative fiction. The Author does 'drill down' and dissects the narrative, in a well written artsy-creative guy type way.
Thank you NetGalley & Workman Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read & review this delightful book!
janne boswell
https://seniorbooklounge.blogspot.com/
I thought the book was well written with clear cut examples and it was readable-not textbookey. I did take notes, highlight and underline. The Author does an excellent job crossing the modalities of plays, songs, South Park, video games-its all there. I think it is definitely a contemporary take on writing original, creative fiction. The Author does 'drill down' and dissects the narrative, in a well written artsy-creative guy type way.
Thank you NetGalley & Workman Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read & review this delightful book!
janne boswell
https://seniorbooklounge.blogspot.com/
June 3, 2020
The craft of writing as demonstrated by example
I enjoyed this book. Daniel Joshua Rubin uses examples from literature, movies, and television to illustrate in detail the 27 principles in the book. Rubin also gives enough of the background to the examples he cites that it is not necessary to have read/seen them in order to appreciate his commentary. I liked the Mini Final exam at the end of each principle with an explanation of the answer. I also appreciated the continuing education where Rubin refers to specific works and asks questions. Overall this is a great book on the craft of writing.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley for review purposes.
I enjoyed this book. Daniel Joshua Rubin uses examples from literature, movies, and television to illustrate in detail the 27 principles in the book. Rubin also gives enough of the background to the examples he cites that it is not necessary to have read/seen them in order to appreciate his commentary. I liked the Mini Final exam at the end of each principle with an explanation of the answer. I also appreciated the continuing education where Rubin refers to specific works and asks questions. Overall this is a great book on the craft of writing.
Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley for review purposes.
shelved
June 9, 2020I'm one of those people the author pokes at as "someone you know who has a fancy degree in writing." Yet my focus has always been creative nonfiction, so I'm always looking for resources to help me understand and practice the how-to's of story-telling. I enjoy the author's variety of relatable references, from Hamlet to Harry Potter to South Park, from Beloved to Breaking Bad to Eminem. And I appreciate how his methodology emphasizes fundamentals. I will continue to work through this book and revisit it from time to time.
[I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
[I received a digital ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]
January 7, 2020
An excellent guide to specific elements of story craft which is perfect for anyone attempting to self-edit their novel.
The case studies and worked examples in each chapter are followed by clear step by step instructions on how any fiction writer can develop their story craft.
I particularly enjoyed chapters 6 and 7 which helped me to develop more engaging plot-lines with emotional heart. In addition, Part Two has excellent exercises and case studies on character development.
Highly recommended.
The case studies and worked examples in each chapter are followed by clear step by step instructions on how any fiction writer can develop their story craft.
I particularly enjoyed chapters 6 and 7 which helped me to develop more engaging plot-lines with emotional heart. In addition, Part Two has excellent exercises and case studies on character development.
Highly recommended.
February 1, 2020
I’ve read a number of books on writing fiction but “27 Essential Principles of Story,” by Daniel Rubin is the first book that I’ve read that takes you into the heart of how to tell a good story. Each section -- plot, character, and setting – takes you into the actual process for developing each. Using examples from a variety of media, Rubin draws on his impressive experience to illustrate the teaching points and the mini-exams solidify what you’ve learned. I will keep this book handy to revisit and reinforce the skills I’ve learned.
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