There's Always Money in the Banana Stand (i.e. What Arrested Development Can Teach Us About Storytelling) - Part 1

For those of you who have never seen an episode of the show Arrested Development - which aired on Fox from 2003 to 2006...you have been missing out.

It's clever, it's intriguing, and it is mind-blowingly hilarious.

It is quite possibly the best show in the history of television.

Why is that?

1. The Characters are each so different and so captivating. They all have their quirks.

2. The Dialogue is fresh, quick, and nothing like people say in real life. But also everything like real life, at the same time.

3. The Plot is simple enough that it's never too difficult to follow, yet also complex enough that numerous situations can arise out of it.

In the next segments of this series, I'll be going into more detail about how the show can help us writers create a fantastic story engine. For now, I'll leave you with this:

Book of the Week: Delirium

Rating: 4 out of 5

Oh my, I've been reading so many amazing books recently. This one kept me going for five hours straight to see how it would end. Definitely check it out if you get a chance. Here's the blurb, courtesy of Goodreads:


Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.