Writing skills

Typically when falling asleep in bed at night great thoughts enter the mind, long stringed and meaningful sentences trip over each other to receive attention at the front of the brain alongside all the brilliant findings, results, meanings that speak volumes and hard hitting phrases that are just the ticket to open the door to success. The last thought in the brain before sleep overrides this brilliant future work is, “must use that tomorrow”.

The next day as you stumble out of bed to clean the teeth with little enthusiasm and to sit staring inanely at a pot of hot water (the coffee machine that you had forgotten to put the coffee in yet again) these thoughts are still asleep. They are heaped and well obscured in other jumbled and nonsensical reasoning’s and justifications –Double Dutch without subtitles or translation.

In fact, as you opt for a cup-of tea (seeing as how the coffee machine makes the water) and you stub you toe on the stool that was in the way, absolutely no prose, ideas or means to move forward spring into the mind. It can even be said that after switching on the computer and after having shot down twenty spacecraft and been eaten up by a green alien sort of thingy, that not even a title or starting sentence seems worthy of being tapped into the keyboard.

It can justifiably be said that the whole day has been spent in totally useless fashion. Staring out of the window at the idyllic setting only makes lying on the bed seem very attractive: the walk to the corner shop to clear the head only brings anger over the prices these shops charge and the afternoon nap has now obliterated or obscured all that might have been dreamt up that morning – in short the head remains an empty void and a bottomless pit with no foundation..

There are two major periods of fantastic prose assembly and justifiable award-winning script construction. Had the results or product of these two periods of mind-boggling activity simply been recorded for posterity things would be very different. Even if they had been written on the back of a cereal box, on toilet paper or even dictated into a tape recorder (right over your friend’s favorite tape) these reams of cohesive cognitive and collective convictions would have been the beginning, the middle and the end of many an article, essay, poem, writing or story. They would have been the justification, the vindication and the rationalization; the crux, the core, and the essence; the plot, the storyline and the scenario; the speech to end all speeches, the thesis to bring in the top marks and the book that would sell more than any Harry Potter novel ever has.

Strangely enough the mind-boggling prose that springs out during these two periods in most writers’ lives is not often etched or embedded onto some scrap of paper or recorded for eternity on a Dictaphone – results that have been used the next day that is. In the first situation the thinker and brilliant script writer has unfortunately fallen asleep before the thoughts of the night could be transferred from brain to paper. And in the second case the new author and

Nobel Lauriat is blind drunk, so blind drunk and out of his tree that writing or talking is not really a feasible possibility – even though it seems like a good idea at the time.

Many forward thinking and desperate strugglers go to extremes to capture and to retain these mind-boggling and superb strings. Some fall asleep with Dictaphones switched on next to them so that they may talk out their thoughts before drifting off – sadly they typically replay to sounds of excessive grunts and snores that shock to the core. Other more desperate souls actually manage to struggle out of bed to write on the back of a cereal box, over their mum’s favorite recipe for peanut cookies or on some other scrap of paper.

The next morning, the ones that managed to write their thoughts down do have some success in thinking up new ideas, but only due to having had a good night’s sleep. Safe and sound in the knowledge that their wonderful thoughts had been recorded they fall asleep like babies, knowing that the morning will bring brilliance to light. Sadly, when waking up it is either found that ‘little brother’ has used that little scrap of toilet paper for what it was meant for or more commonly that the words that have been written make absolutely no sense what-so-ever. All of these pre-sleep thoughts that had been recorded look like the ramblings of an Egyptian Monk overdosed on Battery Acid.

The drunkard who manages to write something down is not a common occurrence. Usually at the point of aiming the pencil towards the paper at the start of what will be a lengthy diction and thus the subsequent lowering of the accumulated build-up in the brain, the pencil snaps. But drunkards certainly prefer to hear their own voices. One of their favorite methods of attempting to record such galvanic thoughts and ideas is to lean over to the next drunk and to recite in a loud voice all that they have amassed inside their heads. Having sprouted all out and after having warned the fellow drunk not to forget what he has been told they usually fall asleep, safe and sound in the knowledge that in the morning their friend will give back what they had received.

It never works! The average drunkard never can remember with whom he entrusted his precious thoughts. Over a beer the next evening it may come to light that one man remembers being entrusted with some important information, but for the life of him he cannot remember what the actual information is These two persons may even get together that evening but – it never comes back again.

There it is. Two occasions of superb idea formation and collation yet never do they seem to bear fruit when it matters most! In fact whilst sitting at the computer, keen and willing to progress further than the blank page, the brain fails miserably.

Welcome to the club!

About The Author

Author and Webmaster of Seamania (http://www.seadolby.com). As a Chief Engineer in the Merchant Navy he has sailed the world for fifteen years. Now living in Taiwan he writes about cultures across the globe and life as he sees it.

webmaster@seadolby.com

Writing is a personal and introspective process. To share with another what we wrote is to risk. Some of us are more hidden than others, some of us tolerate risk better than others. When you critique someone’s work you don’t know where on this continuum the writer stands.

In order to offer feedback, one needs to be prepared. First you must respect the writer. He (or she) put his soul into the work and probably cares about it more than he thinks he should.

Secondly, you must respect opinions, tastes and ways of navigating the world that differ from your personal preferences.

This respect for the writer leads to understanding the writer. Now you are ready to offer feedback.

1. First of all, tell the writer what works in her story. What did you like? What moved you, intrigued you, made you think, made you feel? Where does the writer’s strengths lie? In description, humor, drama, dialog?

In my 14 years of teaching creative writing, I have noticed that writers grow more from focusing on developing their strengths than trying to fix their weaknesses. This does not mean that we should pretend that writing weaknesses do not exist. When the strengths expand, however, they crowd out

the weaknesses. The more one writes, the more one can intuitively fix the writing up as she goes along.

2. Do you feel that something essential is missing? What do you wish was in the story?

3. Technical assistance: Were there parts that you didn’t understand?

Try to critique your own work also, following these guidelines.

To receive feedback also takes some preparation. Were you appreciated? Misunderstood? Did they find the one spot that you knew was weak, but you told yourself no one would ever notice? Was the part you loved the best the part they thought should be eliminated? There are two important points to remember:

1. Without honest feedback from others, how will you grow and improve as a writer?

2. Don’t give feedback-givers power over your writing, your self image and your emotions. Whether to accept their points and make actual changes based on them, is always Your decision.

If you find that feedback from others discourages you from writing, then stop seeking out feedback.

Esther Susan Heller is the director of The Jewish Writing Institue which offers email courses in writing, including poetry, comedy, creative nonfiction and fiction. She is a freelance editor creative writing teacher and magazine feature writer. Visit her website: http://www.jewishwriting.com/

“If you’re like me, than I’m sure you’re pretty familiar with the well-known writer’s block.

From time to time, when you have to start writing something, be it an article, an ebook, or just a letter, there is that moment when you just stare at the blank sheet of paper (or at the vibrant colors of your monitor) and nothing seems to come out from your mind.

The good news is that there is a cure for this disease.

American poet William Stafford offers this advice to poets who suffer from Writer’s Block: “”There is no such thing as writer’s block for writers whose standards are low enough.”"

But, this is not an incentive to write junk!

Perhaps the most important reason that leads to WB is the lack of an idea. You just sit down in front of your perfectly empty monitor and think about what should you be writing. “”There is nothing I can write about”" seems to be the only thing that you can think about.

This doesn’t happen to me anymore because now I have a text document right on my desktop where I note down any important thought, idea, question that comes into my mind during my daily habits. Every time I start writing about something, all I have to do is to open that (now pretty big) file and “”presto”", I know what to write about.

If you don’t have an “”ideas file”" on your computer yet, no problem, just take a look through some forums related to your niche market and look for questions.

Well, now that I have a great idea of what I want to write about, I just sit down again in front of my computer… and here

comes the block again.

How should I start?

Here is a tip for you: It’s OK to start writing at whatever point you like. You can begin with the final chapter. You can start writing the middle of the book. It’s OK if the introductory part of your book is the last thing you’ll write.

Another thing you can do is to talk over the subject with a friend. If you can’t do that, you should record yourself talking about the matter.

Anyway, you must force yourself to write down something, however poorly worded that approximates your thought and go on with the next idea.

Also, you can always try free writing. All you have to do is to choose one sentence in a paragraph and write a paragraph about it. Then, choose a sentence from that paragraph and do that again.

Whatever you do, it’s always a good idea to be flexible. Be willing to throw out sections of text that are causing problems or just don’t work.

Physical actions can move your brain in good directions so move around, stretch, or walk.

Get a snack or drink, talk to someone, or just relax for five minutes before you start to write again.

After you already have a few ideas written down it’s ok to reread and jot down ideas while doing so.

Relax! Because the more you worry, the harder it gets to think clearly.

And once you have your book ready, remember that you will need a cover for it.

I can help you with that at www.AbsoluteCovers.com”

About The Author

Ovi Dogar is specialized in the creation of professionally custom made covers that really sell. You can view some recent samples of his work at http://www.AbsoluteCovers.com

You can create a great headline, a dynamic first sentence, and a brilliant lead paragraph. But if you can’t hold readers during those middle paragraphs, they’ll never see your conclusion.

What can you do? Here are seven ways to anchor that wayward reader from your first paragraph to your last:

1. QUESTION – Ask a question in the last sentence of the opening paragraph. Example: “What did the three little pigs learn when they went out on their own?”

2. ANOTHER QUESTION – If you don’t ask a question as the last sentence of your opening paragraph, try asking it in the first sentence of a few middle paragraphs. Example: “What did Pig # 1 discover?”

3. BACKGROUND – Bring the reader up-to-date on a problem. Example: “As you might remember from the original fable, the three pigs wandered off in different directions, each with completely different plans.”

4. PROMISE – Offer a few specifics in a paragraph, and offer to reveal more details later. Example: “The three pigs each built separate houses, which we’ll

discuss in detail later.”

5. CLARIFY – Show the reader that you’re about to explain some previously unrevealed data. Example: “If Pig # 1 had built a stronger house, would he be out of danger?”

6. REMIND – Reinforce points made in earlier paragraphs. Example: “Remember that each pig needed to find a house quickly.”

7. LIST – Make a list of items previously discussed. Example: “Yes, the pigs left their original dwelling for three reasons: (a) Etc., etc.”

8. INVOLVE THE READER – Ask the reader what he or she would do in similar circumstances. Example: “What would you do if your house fell down, and a wolf began to chase you?”

Bottom line: A transitional paragraph is like a combination road map and compass. It should keep the reader headed in the right direction and simultaneously point toward a goal.

Rix Quinn covers all sorts of writing techniques in his book “Words That Stick: A Guide to Short Writing with Big Impact.” It’s available in your local bookstore, or http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580085768/qid/

The Hero’s Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon – understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.

The Hero’s Journey:

· Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

· Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

· Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.

The Hero’s Journey is also a study of repeating patterns in successful stories and screenplays. It is compelling that screenwriters have a higher probability of producing quality work when they mirror the recurring patterns found in successful screenplays.

Easy Treatments

By following the path of the Hero’s Journey, the screenwriter can easily construct a step-outline and a treatment (a treatment is an expanded step-outline).

The Hero’s Journey consists of 17 major stages (excluding the Afterlife Act) and more than 188 micro stages. A solid paragraph (or two) for each major stage and you’ve climbed the mountain.

The basic outline to follow is:

Call to Adventure. Introducing the hero’s status, capabilities, nature, ordinary world, inner challenge, outer challenge, romantic challenge, the antagonism and more.

Refusal of the Call. On many levels the call is refused, including the interdictor, doves and hawks, punishments and more.

Supernatural Aid. A mentor is sought to provide advice, guidance, direction, magical gifts and more.

First Threshold. Has many functions including No Return, meeting of allies, a shape shifter, back-stories and more.

Physical Separation. Also known as the Belly of the Whale. Includes resistances, obstacles, encouragements and conscious decision towards the transformation.

Transformation. Also known as The Road of Trials. Transformation can include growing, learning, maturing or similar.

The Ideal and Seizing the Sword. Also known as the Meeting with the Goddess. The hero encounters an ideal that results in him seeking and seizing a Sword.

Rebirth through Death and Reward. Also known as The Woman as Temptress. The hero is tempted (often, but not necessarily, by a female) into the depths where he undergoes a near death experience.

Atonement with the Father . Confronting limitations. Apotheosis . Attaining illumination and insight.

Ultimate

Boon . Achieving the Reward. Includes synergy, leadership and reward.

Refusal of the Return. Can include escape with the boon, refusal to release something valuable, refusal to confront the antagonism and other variations.

Magic Flight. Escape with the boon, pursuit, obstacles to the escape, change, recognition, the curse of the wizened one .

Rescue from Without. Various forms of force and temptations or time pressures persuade the hero to return – resistance, obstacles, impossibility, final antagonism, encouragement are some processes that mark this stage.

Crossing the Return Threshold. Unusual confidence, a dangerous place, the magnitude of the task, increased intensity, assistance from sponsors and initial weakness of the hero are some elements that mark this stage.

Master of the Two Worlds. A final antagonism, a hand-to-hand battle, multiple catharses, and a final deception are some of the elements that mark this stage.

Freedom to Live. Physical expressions of joy, togetherness, celebration, and ascendance to the throne are some elements that mark this stage.

Afterlife Act. In many stories, the journey may not end there. The hero has an Afterlife of variations: as a ruler, through his children, his marriage to a high priestess, his rebirth after a physical death, his mentoring of new heroes, his fall, his exile, his burial, his legend, his rediscovery by future Gods and more.

The detailed, complete deconstruction and the Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and FREE 17 stage sample and other story structure templates can be found at http://managing-creativity.com/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at http://managing-creativity.com/

Compiling a list of the history’s ten best writers is like skating on a heated swimming pool. Just when you get started, you find yourself in hot water.

The reason is: writing’s completely subjective. What interests you may not interest me. We all read for different reasons.

But, here – in no particular order — is another list of the world’s top wordsmiths:

1. Aesop – Around 600 B.C. this Greek slave began to chronicle fables from around the world. His stories – like the one about the tortoise and hare – gave animals human qualities, and illustrated critical life lessons.

2. Aristophanes – Reportedly the first comedy writer, back in 400 B.C. He combined plays with song and repetition to provide entertainment for ancient Greeks.

3. Socrates – A contemporary of Aristophanes, he was likely history’s first “self-help” writer. He taught people to seek ultimate truths by questioning conventional wisdom and examining their own beliefs. He said folks shouldn’t accept opinion as fact.

4. Sophocles – Another guy with no last name. He created plays that usually centered on a single heroic character who chose an unpopular course of action.

5. William Shakespeare – This brilliant author’s plays and phrases will live forever. If historians ever prove a theory that he was

a composite of three dramatists, the list of “top ten” authors will immediately expand to 12.

6. Benjamin Franklin – This multi-talented American championed succinct writing, and his epigrams became part of our national heritage. Ben warned, “He that speaks much is much mistaken.”

7. Abraham Lincoln – Sure, he nearly always heads the list of “best Presidents.” But this Illinois native crafted some of this country’s finest speeches, including the Gettysburg Address.

8. Mark Twain – He’s been called America’s finest author because he wrote in American dialect, using phrases and speech unique to the United States. He punctured pompous prose, and laced his stories with regional references.

9. Winston Churchill/Franklin Roosevelt – These Allied leaders led their countries through World War II, and their vivid words inspired millions.

10. You or me? – Who knows? There’s an old saying that “there’s always room at the top.” Good writing can change minds, and great writing can change the world.

Rix Quinn wrote “Words That Stick: A Guide to Short Writing with Big Impact.” It’s a writing book to help people who hate to write… and it’s available from your local bookstore, or from Amazon.com.

He speaks frequently to education and business groups, and may be contacted at his office, phone 817-920-7999.

Copyright is the writer’s security blanket. It just makes you feel better to know your words are protected. I once knew a writer who was so scared his work would be stolen, he never sent it anywhere. Talk about counterproductive! But if you can understand these four simple copyright keys, you can rest easy and submit at will.

1. Create!

That’s all you have to do to copyright something: write it. You don’t have to publish it and you don’t have to register it with the United States Copyright Office, although there are certain advantages to registration (see below). The moment a piece is written down, it automatically gains copyright and that copyright is owned by the author.

2. Give Notice.

That’s when you put that little encircled “c” on the work. You can also use the word “Copyright”, then your name and the year of first publication. For instance, this article is “Copyright 2005 Sophfronia Scott”. It tells the world that the work is protected so someone can’t show up in court and claim they didn’t know it was. Speaking of court…

3. Register Your Copyright.

Again, registering with the United States Copyright Office is really just a legality. You don’t have to do it. But you do get a few benefits for the $30 fee that are worth considering.

Registration makes your copyright a matter of public record and–get this–if you register and someone later infringes on your copyright and you take them to court, you will be able to sue for “statutory damages and attorney’s fees”. With an unregistered work you can only get an award

of actual damages and profit. To learn more on how to register your literary work go to http:// www.copyright.gov/register/literary.html.

4. Send Copies to the Library of Congress.

Once your book is published, you’re required to send two copies to the Library of Congress. It’s called a “mandatory deposit of published works”. If your book is produced by a traditional publisher, the people there will do this for you, but if you are self publishing, keep in mind that you have to do this yourself. You have three months after publication. It doesn’t hurt your copyright if you don’t do it but, according to the Copyright Office, “failure to make the deposit can result in fines and other penalties.”

That’s it! Pretty simple, really, but all the more reason why it should not become an artificial roadblock to your continuing and submitting your work. One last note: you can’t copyright an idea. I have heard writers say they submitted a story or book proposal and someone else came out with a book just like it, so the agent/editor/writer must have stolen their idea. Well, not quite. It is highly likely that someone else just had the same idea. It does happen. And yes, it is possible for someone to steal your idea–just make REALLY sure that they have done so before you make the accusation.

© 2005 Sophfronia Scott

Author and Writing Coach Sophfronia Scott is “The Book Sistah”. Get her FREE REPORT, “The 5 Big Mistakes Most Writers Make When Trying to Get Published” and her FREE online writing and publishing tips at http://www.TheBookSistah.com

The Hero’s Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.

The Hero’s Journey:

• Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

• Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

• Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.

The Hero’s Journey is also a study of repeating patterns in successful stories and screenplays. It is compelling that screenwriters have a higher probability of producing quality work when they mirror the recurring patterns found in successful screenplays.

Consider this:

• Titanic (1997) grossed over $600,000,000 – uses the Hero’s Journey as a template.

• Star Wars (1977) grossed over $460,000,000 – uses the Hero’s Journey as a template.

• Shrek 2 (2004) grossed over $436,000,000 – uses the Hero’s Journey as a template.

• ET (1982) grossed over $434,000,000 – uses the Hero’s Journey as a template.

• Spiderman (2002) grossed over $432,000,000 – uses the Hero’s Journey as a template.

• Out of Africa (1985), Terms of Endearment (1983), Dances with Wolves (1990), Gladiator (2000) – All Academy Award Winners Best Film are based on the Hero’s Journey.

• Anti-hero stories (Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas (1990) etc) are all based on the Hero’s Journey.

• Heroine’s Journey stories (Million Dollar Baby (2004), Out of Africa (1980) etc) are all based on the Hero’s Journey.

A B C Story

Sitcoms usually have A, B and C stories. For example, in “Friends,” it is normal for the six to pair up and undergo a particular challenge. Often Phoebe and Joey, Ross

and Rachel and Chandler and Monica.

Generally, the A B C story approach is helpful – it allows the screenwriter to enhance the degree of cohesion:

It is not unreasonable to think of the Seizing the Sword and the Rebirth through Death stages as the B-story and the Atonement with the Father and Apotheosis as the A-story:

In Star Wars (1977), Luke rescues Leia (B-story) and then Ben’s confrontation with Vader and subsequent death leads Luke to realise that he will have to go on alone (A-story).

In Raging Bull (1980), Jake’s journey to the Title Fight can be seen as the B-story and his confrontation with Joey and the discovery that Vickie is sleeping with Joey et al as the culmination of the A-story.

From another perspective, it is not unreasonable to see the Hero’s Journey as the A-Story, the Antagonist’s as the B-story and other major archetypes (shape shifter, supernatural aid etc) as the C-Story.

Learn more…

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and FREE 17 stage sample and other story structure templates can be found at http://managing-creativity.com/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at http://managing-creativity.com/

What is this annoying, insidious angst that permeates my psyche? In all other regards, I’m a moderately confident guy. I’m secure in my abilities to be a good father, husband, employee, friend, gardener, etc. And, heck! Lots of folks tell me I’m a good writer. I’m passionate about my writing. I consumed by my stories. I can’t stop, can’t envision life without it.

Yet, I have this persistent fear that I will be “outed” as a fraud by the next highbrow literary critic that comes upon my work. Even though complete strangers have given surprisingly glowing reviews to my first (and worst) book, even though my readers tell me otherwise, I can’t get over the fear that a “real” writer will some day come along and renounce me, sending banishing me into the netherworld of faux writer fools who tumble around with ridiculous stories and are woefully inadequate when put to the task.

I know it’s absurd. I’ve told friends, many friends, who write beautifully, that they are writers simply due to the process. If it’s in your blood, if you can’t stop, if your day is filled with the details of the next chapter, if you write for therapy, then you are a writer! You don’t need a degree in English Lit or Composition to qualify. Heck, my degree is in Engineering. You don’t need a degree, period! And yet, I have trouble applying that philosophy to myself.

I guess I have been slowly improving. Having taken part in an author’s fair, having been called a “local author” by newspapers and radio hosts, having been dubbed “Genesee Valley Writer,” has helped. As I

receive more and more reviews from strangers (those who don’t “have” to tell me I’m good), the anxiety has lessened a tad. But still, each time I know someone is reading the book, this annoying worry niggles around in brain. Will they like it? Will they see through me and spotlight the flaws? Will my still-fragile author ego be smashed?

It’s so silly. I really hate it. I have to stop caring that when I’ve bared my soul to the world, it might get trounced on, smashed, and spattered with criticism. I guess it’s time to admit… I am a “real” writer. And that’s a step in the “write” direction.

Aaron Paul Lazar

www.legardemysteries.com

Aaron Paul Lazar resides in Upstate New York with his wife, three daughters, two grandsons, mother-in- law, two dogs, and three cats. After writing in the early morning hours, he works as an electrophotographic engineer at NexPress Solutions Inc., part of Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group, in Rochester, New York. Additional passions include vegetable, fruit, and flower gardening; preparing large family feasts; photographing his family, gardens, and the breathtakingly beautiful Genesee Valley; cross-country skiing across the rolling hills; playing a distinctly amateur level of piano, and spending “time” with the French Impressionists whenever possible.

Although he adored raising his three delightful daughters, Mr. Lazar finds grandfathering his “two little buddies” to be one of the finest experiences of his life. Double Forte’, the first in the series, was published in January 2005. Upstaged, number two, is in production. With eight books under his belt, Mr. Lazar is currently working on the ninth, which features Gus LeGarde and his family. http://www.legardemysteries.com

The Hero’s Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.

The Hero’s Journey:

• Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

• Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

• Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.

The Hero’s Journey is also a study of repeating patterns in successful stories and screenplays. It is compelling that screenwriters have a higher probability of producing quality work when they mirror the recurring patterns found in successful screenplays.

Consider this:

• Titanic (1997) grossed over $600,000,000 – uses the Hero’s Journey as a template.

• Star Wars (1977) grossed over $460,000,000 – uses the Hero’s Journey as a template.

• Shrek 2 (2004) grossed over $436,000,000 – uses the Hero’s Journey as a template.

• ET (1982) grossed over $434,000,000 – uses the Hero’s Journey as a template.

• Spiderman (2002) grossed over $432,000,000 – uses the Hero’s Journey as a template.

• Out of Africa (1985), Terms of Endearment (1983), Dances with Wolves (1990), Gladiator (2000) – All Academy Award Winners Best Film are based on the Hero’s Journey.

• Anti-hero stories (Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas (1990) etc) are all based on the Hero’s Journey.

• Heroine’s Journey stories (Million Dollar Baby (2004), Out of Africa (1980) etc) are all based on the Hero’s Journey.

Multiple Mentors or Supernatural Aids

One critical element of the Hero’s Journey is the Meeting with the Supernatural Aid. However, it is not uncommon for there to be

multiple mentors, one to help through the First Threshold and the Physical Separation and another to help during the Transformation.

What this indicates (even if there is only one mentor) is that s/he is normally called upon by the hero during specific periods of the Journey. Additionally, it is not uncommon for the initial (or at least one) mentor to play the part of other archetypes:

a) In Gladiator (2000), an initial Mentor (also playing the Herald) is Marcus Aurelius, who provides Maximus with the Call to Adventure. The second mentor is Proximo – his gladiator trainer.

b) In Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Marcus guides Indy to the government agents (playing the Heralds) and warns him of the dangers of uncovering the Ark. Sallah is Indy’s Mentor in Egypt.

c) In Goodfellas (1990), Henry is initially first mentored by Paul Cicero and then Jimmy Conway (who also plays the Shape Shifter).

Learn more…

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and FREE 17 stage sample and other story structure templates can be found at http://managing-creativity.com/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at http://managing-creativity.com