A good story has the ability to transport the reader/listener/viewer to another

place. When done right, storytelling can be the greatest escape from the world. In this

thesis, I detail my journey from listener, to lover, to learner and creator of stories.

The primary story I follow is a piece I created entitled, Perception is Everything.

Inspired by the William Blake quote, “If the doors of perception were cleansed every

thing would appear to man as it is, Infinite. For man has closed himself up, till he sees all

things thro’ narrow chinks of his cavern,” this story is the fantastical trip of a man named

Gregory Jameson as he is jolted out of his mundane life and thrust into an unfamiliar

version of the world. Here, Greg is forced to trust in a strange being only he seems able to

see. This story embodies the fear and confusion inherent within every new endeavor in

life.

I also show the path I have followed to create the story and help myself learn to

become a better storyteller. One tool I use to achieve a better mastery of storytelling is a

system of analytic analysis. I adapted this system as a way to dissect both my work and

other works I admire in order to see what makes these stories tick.

The feeling of reading or creating a good story is one of my favorite feelings and

one which was instilled in me from a young age. My desire is to pass along that joy and

to inspire others to love and create good stories as well.