Elements of Surprise

Elements of Surprise PDF

Author: Vera Tobin

Publisher:

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 332

ISBN-13: 9780674919570

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Elements of Surprise opens with an novel but narrow focus: how a particular cognitive bias, the "curse of knowledge," underwrites stories that rely on what it calls "well-made surprise," as seen in (for example) classic detective fiction--that is, surprises in novels, films, television, and plays that set us up to be fooled in ways we find pleasing and satisfying. But from there, the book expands its reach. At its core, "cursed" thinking underlies almost everything people write, say, and think about both other people and our own pasts. The more information we have about something, and the more experience we have with it, the harder it is to step outside that experience. What unfolds is both a fresh approach to mental heuristics and biases and an ambitious work of cognitive literary criticism. Elements of Surprise provides a new and exciting way of thinking about the mechanics of narrative, explored through thoughtful readings of classic, popular, and obscure texts.--

Elements of Surprise

Elements of Surprise PDF

Author: Vera Tobin

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2018-04-16

Total Pages: 310

ISBN-13: 0674919599

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Why do some surprises delight—the endings of Agatha Christie novels, films like The Sixth Sense, the flash awareness that Pip’s benefactor is not (and never was!) Miss Havisham? Writing at the intersection of cognitive science and narrative pleasure, Vera Tobin explains how our brains conspire with stories to produce those revelatory plots that define a “well-made surprise.” By tracing the prevalence of surprise endings in both literary fiction and popular literature and showing how they exploit our mental limits, Tobin upends two common beliefs. The first is cognitive science’s tendency to consider biases a form of moral weakness and failure. The second is certain critics’ presumption that surprise endings are mere shallow gimmicks. The latter is simply not true, and the former tells at best half the story. Tobin shows that building a good plot twist is a complex art that reflects a sophisticated understanding of the human mind. Reading classic, popular, and obscure literature alongside the latest research in cognitive science, Tobin argues that a good surprise works by taking advantage of our mental limits. Elements of Surprise describes how cognitive biases, mental shortcuts, and quirks of memory conspire with stories to produce wondrous illusions, and also provides a sophisticated how-to guide for writers. In Tobin’s hands, the interactions of plot and cognition reveal the interdependencies of surprise, sympathy, and sense-making. The result is a new appreciation of the pleasures of being had.

Element of Surprise

Element of Surprise PDF

Author: Mr. Ish

Publisher: Mr. Ish

Published: 2019-03-09

Total Pages: 79

ISBN-13: 1735127647

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♥Addictive, Humorous, Romance, Mystery, Action packed Urban Fiction Drama ♥ Known for his loyalty and commitment to those that he holds close to his heart, thirty-year-old Adonis Davis proves that being authentic in nature isn't always recognized. After the Newark, New Jersey native is betrayed by his childhood best friend, Mustaheem, Adonis finds out that it was the deceitful actions of Mustaheem that ultimately led to the nationwide manhunt of his little sister Chaz. Chaz is a sexy twenty-eight-year-old female that had lost everything When her brother Adonis went to prison five years ago. However, it was the promise to Adonis that Mustaheem failed to make good on, in terms of looking out for Chaz which pushed her to migrate to Atlanta, Georgia. Which eventually put her in a predicament that leads to her being on the run for a triple homicide. The unknown elements of a crime that took place fifteen years ago prior, connects Adonis and Chaz in a way that no one could have ever imagined, Things get grittier in grimier than the mind could fathom. - Element of Surprise Author's Note: ❝𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐔𝐫𝐛𝐚𝐧 𝐅𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. 𝐏𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.❞

Sherlock Holmes and the Element of Surprise

Sherlock Holmes and the Element of Surprise PDF

Author: James Taylor

Publisher: Andrews UK Limited

Published: 2012-08-06

Total Pages: 85

ISBN-13: 1780922701

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When two prison guards are found beheaded in the barren countryside surrounding Her Majesty's Prison at Wormwood Scrubs, Inspector Lestrade seeks Holmes' singular powers to determine how the murders could have been committed in separate locations with the only footprints being those of the murdered guards themselves. With Doctor Watson at his side, Holmes sets out on this new adventure and uncovers deeper mysteries still; mysteries that will not only test the detectives' powers of observation and deduction, but his skepticism of the paranormal as well.

Dazzle Ships

Dazzle Ships PDF

Author: Chris Barton

Publisher: Millbrook Press TM

Published: 2022-08-01

Total Pages: 44

ISBN-13: 1728476259

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Audisee® eBooks with Audio combine professional narration and sentence highlighting for an engaging read aloud experience! A visually stunning look at innovative and eye-popping measures used to protect ships during World War I. During World War I, British and American ships were painted with bold colors and crazy patterns from bow to stern. Why would anyone put such eye-catching designs on ships? Desperate to protect ships from German torpedo attacks, British lieutenant-commander Norman Wilkinson proposed what became known as dazzle. These stunning patterns and colors were meant to confuse the enemy about a ship's speed and direction. By the end of the war, more than four thousand ships had been painted with these mesmerizing designs. Author Chris Barton and illustrator Victo Ngai vividly bring to life this little-known story of how the unlikely and the improbable became just plain dazzling. "[A] conversational, compelling, and visually arresting story . . ."—starred, Publishers Weekly "Barton's lively text is matched by Ngai's engrossing artwork, which employs dazzle techniques throughout her inventive spreads."—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books New York Public Library Best Books for Kids Children's Book Committee at Bank Street College Best Children's Book of the Year

Structure & Surprise

Structure & Surprise PDF

Author: Michael Theune

Publisher: Teachers & Writers Collaborative

Published: 2007

Total Pages: 268

ISBN-13:

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Structure & Surprise: Engaging Poetic Turns offers a road map for analyzing poetry through examination of poems' structure, rather than their forms or genres. Michael Theune's breakthrough concept encourages students, teachers, and writers to use structure as a tool to see the fundamental affinities between strikingly different kinds of poetry and radically different literary eras. The book includes examination of the mid-course turn and the elegy, as well as the ironic, concessional, emblem, and retrospective-prospective structures, among others. In addition, 14 contemporary poets provide an example of and commentary on their own work.

Coping with Surprise in Great Power Conflicts

Coping with Surprise in Great Power Conflicts PDF

Author: Mark F. Cancian

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2018-03-23

Total Pages: 151

ISBN-13: 1442280727

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Surprise has always been an element of warfare, but the return of great power competition—and the high-level threat that it poses—gives urgency to thinking about surprise now. Because the future is highly uncertain, and great powers have not fought each other for over 70 years, surprise is highly likely in a future great power conflict. This study, therefore, examines potential surprises in a great power conflict, particularly in a conflict’s initial stages when the interaction of adversaries’ technologies, prewar plans, and military doctrines first becomes manifest. It is not an attempt to project the future. Rather, it seeks to do the opposite: explore the range of possible future conflicts to see where surprises might lurk.

Surprise Me

Surprise Me PDF

Author: Sophie Kinsella

Publisher: Dial Press

Published: 2018-02-13

Total Pages: 433

ISBN-13: 039959289X

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From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Party Crasher and Love Your Life comes a witty and emotionally charged novel that delves into the heart of a marriage, and how those we love and think we know best can sometimes surprise us the most “Sophie Kinsella keeps her finger on the cultural pulse, while leaving me giddy with laughter.”—Jojo Moyes, author of The Giver of Stars and The Last Letter from Your Lover After ten years together, Sylvie and Dan have a comfortable home, fulfilling jobs, and beautiful twin girls, and they communicate so seamlessly they finish each other’s sentences. They have a happy marriage and believe they know everything there is to know about each other. Until it’s casually mentioned to them that they could be together for another sixty-eight years . . . and panic sets in. They decide to bring surprises into their marriage to keep it fresh and fun. But in their pursuit of Project Surprise Me—from unexpected gifts to restaurant dates to sexy photo shoots—mishaps arise, with disastrous and comical results. Gradually, surprises turn to shocking truths. And when a scandal from the past is uncovered, they begin to wonder if they ever really knew each other at all. With a colorful cast of eccentric characters, razor-sharp observations, and her signature wit and charm, Sophie Kinsella presents a humorous yet moving portrait of a marriage—its intricacies, comforts, and complications. Surprise Me reveals that hidden layers in a close relationship are often yet to be discovered. Praise for Surprise Me “Genuinely funny.”—The New York Times Book Review “A delightful take on the mixed blessings of marital longevity.”—People “Unexpected and wholly satisfying.”—USA Today “In her signature fashion, Sophie Kinsella brings a cast of quirky, funny characters to this new work. [She] keeps the laughs coming. . . . Readers will follow the story with bated breath as the couple struggle to make their marriage right after everything they thought they knew about each other proves wrong.”—Library Journal “Heartfelt . . . What at first seems like a light novel about familiar woes turns into a deeper story about trust, family, and perception.”—Publishers Weekly “Winsome and zesty, Kinsella’s latest delivers all the hallmarks her many fans have come to expect.”—Booklist “Pure fun . . . a hilariously moving look at marriage and the power of mixing things up.”—Kirkus Reviews

Mastering Suspense, Structure, and Plot

Mastering Suspense, Structure, and Plot PDF

Author: Jane Cleland

Publisher: Penguin

Published: 2016-03-31

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 1599639696

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Enthrall Your Readers! Suspense is one of the most powerful tools a writer has for captivating readers--but it isn't just for thrillers. From mainstream fiction to memoir, suspense creates the emotional tension that keeps readers on the edge of their seats. Mastering Suspense, Structure, & Plot is your hands-on guide to weaving suspense into your narrative. Award-winning author Jane K. Cleland teaches you how to navigate genre conventions, write for your audience, and build gripping tension to craft an irresistible page-turner. Inside, Cleland will show you how to: • Implement thirteen no-fail techniques to construct an effective plot and structure for your story • Use Cleland's Plotting Road Map to add elements of suspense like twists, reversals, and moments of danger • Write subplots with purpose • Improve your descriptions, character development, sentence structure, and more Packed with case studies, exercises, and dozens of examples from best-selling authors, Mastering Suspense, Structure, & Plot is the key to writing suspenseful, engaging stories that leave your readers wanting more. ------ "Indispensable! For newbie authors and veterans alike, this terrific how-to is your new go-to. Don't write your book without it--it's a treasure." --Hank Phillippi Ryan, Agatha, Anthony, Macavity and Mary Higgins Clark award-winning author

Surprise, Security, and the American Experience

Surprise, Security, and the American Experience PDF

Author: John Lewis Gaddis

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2005-10-31

Total Pages: 164

ISBN-13: 9780674018365

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In this provocative book, a distinguished Cold War historian argues that September 11, 2001, was not the first time a surprise attack shattered American assumptions about national security and reshaped American grand strategy.