Tag Archives: story

Story, simplicity and wormholes

Posted on December 2, 2014 by Jim Killam

I saw “Interstellar” with one of my sons last week. Up until the last 30 minutes I thought it was one of the best movies I’d ever seen. But the ending made my head explode. Here’s a good line from a … Continue reading →

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When spectacle obscures story

Posted on July 29, 2014 by Jim Killam

Everything is Awesome!!! If you’ve seen “The Lego Movie,” I’ve just triggered that obnoxious, earworm of a song to start playing again in your head. You’re welcome. I’m aware that most critics loved this movie. It’s smart, cynical, funny and … Continue reading →

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Aristotle’s eye for story

Posted on July 22, 2014 by Jim Killam

The Greek philosopher Aristotle identified six elements of drama: plot, characters, theme, dialogue, rhythm and spectacle. Those elements still apply today, whether we’re talking about a stage play, a written feature story or a YouTube video. Here’s a quick look … Continue reading →

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The call of adventure

Posted on July 16, 2014 by Jim Killam

If you haven’t noticed, story is big right now. Tell your story. Tell your company’s story. Live a better story. As a writer, I like this trend. I’m predisposed to see life as a series of story ideas. The best … Continue reading →

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In disaster aftermath, God’s stories don’t stop

Posted on June 6, 2014 by Jim Killam

I’m writing this on an airplane after spending the past two days in Covington, Louisiana, helping to train ReachGlobal’s Crisis Response staff to be reporters. Of all mission work, crisis response offers some of the best opportunity for bragging on … Continue reading →

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The stream and the banks

Posted on May 28, 2014 by Jim Killam

Historian and philosopher Will Durant liked to see the big picture. The history of the whole world, for instance. Between the 1930s and the 1970s, he and his wife, Ariel, wrote an 11-volume opus called “The Story of Civilization.” They … Continue reading →

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Story criteria: Urgency of need

Posted on May 19, 2014 by Jim Killam

Before 24-hour cable news networks that label anything from a terrorist bombing to a celebrity divorce as “Breaking News,” news editors relied on The Associated Press. A big story would crossed the wire with the label, “URGENT.” Meaning: Pay attention … Continue reading →

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Blessed assurance

Posted on May 16, 2014 by Jim Killam

Editor’s note: This guest post is by our friend Jennie Anderson, who recently attended the Evangelical Press Association convention in Anaheim, Calif. What did I learn at the convention? To be completely honest, what I learned was not gleaned from … Continue reading →

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Elements of a good story

Posted on May 12, 2014 by Jim Killam

We’ve gained a few new audience members lately, so this might be a good time to run through some basics of how we do what we do at Crossfield News, and how anyone can better identify stories worth telling. Our mission: … Continue reading →

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Is this heaven? No, it’s journalism

Posted on April 23, 2014 by Jim Killam

It helps that the topic is one my favorite movies. But what the Des Moines Register has accomplished with its “Field of Dreams at 25” package of stories, videos, photos and graphics is pretty special. Take a few minutes to … Continue reading →

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