In my most recent post I introduced two types of characters, The Hero, (protagonist), and the Mentor, (Wizard, Wise Old Man / Wise Old Woman). Today, we’ll continue in the same vein and introduce additional character types for your novels.
Next in line of our universal characters is the Threshold Guardian.
As we know, our protagonist must traverse many obstacles while on his quest and in many instances some of those hurdles are watched over by Threshold Guardians. Its goal is to keep the unworthy from entering. The common placement of the Guardian, as you might expect, is as a gatekeeper, most often for the Big Enchilada. It is not necessary for these people to have an evil demeanor and attitude, but most authors seem to portray them in that light. In unusual circumstances they can even be secret helpers to your hero.
These sentinels can take most any form you wish. They can be fierce creatures ready to devour your hero or something as nonthreatening as a child who withholds a secret. When your hero encounters the various kinds of guardians, they can be overcome, bypassed or even turned into allies. They represent the hero’s inner demons or serve as training for more difficult tasks he has yet to face.
How is your hero supposed to deal with these impediments? The answer lies in the guardian’s unique nature or personality. Your protagonist must find a way to get under the beast’s skin. In some instances, they do so literally, as when Sam and Frodo dressed like the Eye’s warriors to traverse the badlands. With luck, your hero may simply ignore or bypass him. In most stories, however, the Threshold Guardian must be fought, bribed, educated, turned, appeased, convinced or killed.
Despite the looks of it, a Threshold Guardian is often a positive thing to your hero. After all, doesn’t he warn everyone the Big Bad Wolf is near? They can also help your hero in another fashion for as they test the good guy, your hero grows in strength and knowledge. The good guy might even pick up a weapon or two.
Our next key character is The Herald.
In studying how to write a book, you’ll find this guy brings two things to your hero. The first is an announcement of major change your hero is about to face. The other is motivation.
In the early telling of the typical story, the hero muddles through his life by way of current knowledge or dumb luck. All of a sudden, some new problem crops up that is beyond his skills and he can no longer get by on his own. This new imbalance, called The Call to Adventure, is delivered by none other than The Herald. This guy gets your hero’s great quest moving along.
Herald’s represent coming change. In “Star Wars – A New Hope,” who is The Herald? Who is it that brings Luke Skywalker an announcement of some great change that gets the story moving forward? It’s R2D2. He is the character that shows Luke the message from the princess, thus announcing the coming transformation in Luke’s life. Remember how Luke gets excited by the message? There’s his motivation.
What form does The Herald take? Like every character in your story, it takes whatever shape you wish it to take. It can be a person, a note, a feeling, a telegraph, an animal. It matters not. Just know as you learn how to write a story, a herald is necessary.
As with every character in your story, The Herald may be good, evil or neutral. In most stories, The Herald is brought in early to get your hero moving toward his quest, but his appearance depends on when and how you decide to have your hero’s quest started.
Now for one of my favorite characters, The Shapeshifter.
This powerful archetype is shifty, two-faced. You see him for the first time and he’s helping. Yet, the next time you cross his path he’s trying to destroy you. (Every see this type in real life?) The classic example of The Shapeshifter is found in the opposite sex, though this in not necessary.
The function of this creature is to confuse the hero and the reader. It is the bringer of doubt and the propagator of confusion. In our earlier example of “Star Wars,” a Shapeshifter is Lando Calrissian. Remember him? The boos on the cloud mining operation, he first comes out to meet Han Solo with a grimace and a complaint. He then hugs him, betrays him, then saves Solo and finally joined the Rebellion and is given the rank of general for the climactic battle scene. Boy does this guy alter his appearance – four times. He kept you guessing throughout most of the movie.
Shapeshifters may change in any way imaginable. They may alter their personality, form, allegiance, or just their clothes. Regardless, all these changes bring uncertainty and apprehension to your hero and your readers. Consider if you will, the Wicked Witch in “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.” She shifted from a queen, to a witch, to a dragon to a pile of ash as we progressed through that story. Wow!
Next comes The Shadow.
This guy is often your villain, though he need not be so. The Shadow represents your hero’s doubt. This character might not be a character at all, but a force, of sorts, that rises and falls within any or all characters as needed in your novel. It can shift from character to character but always plays the same role – one of slipping out of normalcy and into doubt.
Remember in the hobbit story when Frodo is about to drop the ring into the eternal fires of Mount Doom? He hesitates. He considers the power his is relinquishing and doubts if he can or even should toss the ring into oblivion. In that same series, doubt rears its ugly head in the good guys at the time when the Eye’s multitudes surround the king and his meager band of warriors just prior to the Eye’s ultimate end. If you remember, as soon as those massive gates open and the good guys see the number of bad guys they face, the good guys shy back a step, brows high and eyes wide in doubt.
Can The Shadow also be a formal character? Sure, and in fact he often is. In the movie, “Independence Day,” the president fires one of his advisors, (can’t remember his name), and the other characters as well as the viewing crowd almost cheer. Doubt has been erased and the president has risen to the role of confident hero in that instant. (Fanfare here.)
Shadows need not be of absolute evil. In contrast, they often make better characters if they hold some element of goodness. Think of a villain who, just as the hero is about to slay him, exhibits some level of goodness as with “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.” In this case, we see evil incarnate surrounded by a very real, and good person.
The Shadow may be internal or external. External Shadows are easy to spot, the Emperor in “Star Wars,” for example. Internal Shadows may be more difficult to visualize but you need only to look to Darth Vader to view internal shadow. After all, this once good, then evil creature turns against his puppet master to save Luke and transforms into something good again. (In this case, the Shadow is also a Shapeshifter.)
Our final character is The Trickster.
The typical Trickster is the comical sidekick. They are utilized to bring your hero down to earth, often by way of comic relief. They also like to stir up trouble for no reason other than to do so. They are what’s called “catalyst characters.” They that change others, but rarely change themselves.
Without them, the conflict in your story may lead to reader exhaustion. An old saw in drama tells us to “Make ‘em cry a lot; let ‘em laugh a little.” This “laugh a little” is the job of your Trickster. Tricksters can be cohorts of the hero, as with Giordano in “Sahara”, or may even be the villain. They also might not be related to either of them.
One of my favorites is the aforementioned Giordano. The hero is given a coin minted in limited quantity by the Confederate Government. He’s all excited about the implications of his find. Giordano’s response? “My father has a coin collection.” Giordano’s meaning, of course, is that coins travel the world all by themselves and the hero needs to get his head on straight as to the significance of this single coin he’s found.
A variation of the Trickster is the Trickster Hero. In fact, our very same Giordano is such a character. Not only does her provide the comic relief, but he is also a minor hero in his own right. He is, after all, the guy who finds and dismantles the bomb, is he not?
Well, there you have it, an outline of the various and interesting characters with which you may populate your novels. If you have any questions, please leave a comment and I’ll get back to you.
In the mean time, I wish you all best-sellers.
C. Patrick Schulze
Showing posts with label write a book. Show all posts
Showing posts with label write a book. Show all posts
Friday, November 20, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
A Dozen Ways to Create an Opening Scene
We’ve all heard readers must be caught up in your novel from the very first page if you wish them to finish this book and purchase your next. But how does one go about creating that initial burst of excitement?
There is any number of options open to us as authors, but here’s your list of a dozen that’ll work well, if crafted correctly. (Ah, the ever-present caveat!) See if any of these will work for you.
1. The proverbial Great Line. I once read and still remember this one. “When I was little, I would think of ways to kill my daddy.” How’s that for grabbing the imagination. To develop this Great Line, compress your novel’s major conflict into a single sentence, then polish.
2. Have the bad guy show up early and in a big way. Your opening might be something like, “The assassins bullet…”
3. The likeable hero can be introduced right away, but be certain to include his worthy goal. Think along the line of, “His mother understood early in Johnnie’s life he would need unique attention.”
4. Introduce humor in the opening paragraph. Make sure it fits your audience. Toilet humor might work in VYA, (Very Young Adult), but the church elders will probably, uh, “pass.”
5. Introduce a feeling of danger right away. “…he saw men on horseback, riding hard, their horses kicking up a swirl behind them.”
6. Write a scene that’s easy on the senses in a conversational tone. Make it natural but lyrical. Paint a picture with which your audience will identify. “The landscape looked as if an artist had brushed his fondest vision of nature on his canvas.”
7. Introduce an ominous foreshadowing. “Carrion birds floated in a languid circle off to the south. Something was about to die.”
8. Begin with formidable obstacles your hero must face and overcome. “Exhausted, he crested what he thought was his final obstacle but saw a snowcapped mountain range still to his fore.” (Hey, I’m working on the fly here, cut me some slack, huh?) They need not be physical barriers, of course, but you get the idea.
9. Use immediate action. Stuff blowing up is always fun, but it can just as readily be an argument, a personal conflict or even one having to face humility. Just make is pop right away.
10. Open with high level of tension. Use a heavy dose of emotion mixed with high drama. Think of the last argument you had before you demanded a divorce. That’ll get ‘em worked up.
11. A clear representation of an appealing setting might work for you. Consider your “safe place” in all its glory and invite your reader to join you.
12. An effective joining of humor and tension. “When the bullet ripped into his flesh, he knew the day was not going well.” Trite, I know, but use that as your example and get off my back.
So there ya go. A dozen easy openings to hook your reader and sell more books. Good luck.
So long for now and may all your books be best-sellers.
Patrick
There is any number of options open to us as authors, but here’s your list of a dozen that’ll work well, if crafted correctly. (Ah, the ever-present caveat!) See if any of these will work for you.
1. The proverbial Great Line. I once read and still remember this one. “When I was little, I would think of ways to kill my daddy.” How’s that for grabbing the imagination. To develop this Great Line, compress your novel’s major conflict into a single sentence, then polish.
2. Have the bad guy show up early and in a big way. Your opening might be something like, “The assassins bullet…”
3. The likeable hero can be introduced right away, but be certain to include his worthy goal. Think along the line of, “His mother understood early in Johnnie’s life he would need unique attention.”
4. Introduce humor in the opening paragraph. Make sure it fits your audience. Toilet humor might work in VYA, (Very Young Adult), but the church elders will probably, uh, “pass.”
5. Introduce a feeling of danger right away. “…he saw men on horseback, riding hard, their horses kicking up a swirl behind them.”
6. Write a scene that’s easy on the senses in a conversational tone. Make it natural but lyrical. Paint a picture with which your audience will identify. “The landscape looked as if an artist had brushed his fondest vision of nature on his canvas.”
7. Introduce an ominous foreshadowing. “Carrion birds floated in a languid circle off to the south. Something was about to die.”
8. Begin with formidable obstacles your hero must face and overcome. “Exhausted, he crested what he thought was his final obstacle but saw a snowcapped mountain range still to his fore.” (Hey, I’m working on the fly here, cut me some slack, huh?) They need not be physical barriers, of course, but you get the idea.
9. Use immediate action. Stuff blowing up is always fun, but it can just as readily be an argument, a personal conflict or even one having to face humility. Just make is pop right away.
10. Open with high level of tension. Use a heavy dose of emotion mixed with high drama. Think of the last argument you had before you demanded a divorce. That’ll get ‘em worked up.
11. A clear representation of an appealing setting might work for you. Consider your “safe place” in all its glory and invite your reader to join you.
12. An effective joining of humor and tension. “When the bullet ripped into his flesh, he knew the day was not going well.” Trite, I know, but use that as your example and get off my back.
So there ya go. A dozen easy openings to hook your reader and sell more books. Good luck.
So long for now and may all your books be best-sellers.
Patrick
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Writing Forward
I attended the September meeting of the James River Writers and wanted to pass along some of the insights and information I garnered there. The writers’ group held their usual speaker panel which included three published fiction authors, Ms. Carolyn Parkhurst, (The Dogs of Babel, Lost and Found),Ms. Leslie Pietrzyk, (Pears on a Willow Tree, A Year and a Day), and Ms. Susann Cokal, (Mirabilis, Breath and Bones.)
One interesting recommendation that came to light I had instinctively followed, but hadn’t quite put into words. The idea was to Write Forward. All three speakers agreed great books are often allowed to develop this way. Basically, it means to give your story permission to write itself – allow the story to be part of the process.
As I recall, each writer went into a project with nothing more than a rough idea of how the story might develop and with little more than a basic concept of the ending. They typically had little more than an idea of the characters they would create, a rudimentary central theme they wished developed and a sense of the ending. With this, they would begin writing and see how their imaginations would allow the story to develop.
They didn’t have each and every chapter outlined, there were no storyboards or index cards taped to the wall in chronological order, there was nothing of that ilk. They sat down, started writing and waited for that wondrous muse we call “Story” to fly from their fingertips and onto their computer screens - almost by itself.
An example Ms. Parkhurst gave was a sugar bowl with a note in it. She had no idea of where or how the crockery would come into play, she simply felt it belonged in the story. As with the concept of Writing Forward, it found its way into the storyline of its own accord.
Personally, I do about the same, though I usually have only one character in mind. I think I know how the story is going to end and I start with little else. By the time I get to “The End”, the character is still there, but the ending has morphed into something much better than I’d imagined when I started. As I write, I “feel” where I have to go and then figure out how to get there. A recent example in my new novel, “Born to be Brothers” is a pocket watch. The story is set in the mid-nineteenth century when pocket watches were the norm. I understand how men feel their individual timepieces are a representation of themselves and knew I needed a watch to help fill in the story. So, as the story fell onto the page, I kept the watch in the back of my mind. When it needed to show up, it did. And when it did, it changed the entire story.
So, when you sit down to write, many writers find it useful not to have the story too complete from the start. Allow your creativity to write your story, and don’t be afraid to let loose of the intuition within you. I’ll bet your writing will be a better for it.
Until we post again, good writing.
Patrick
One interesting recommendation that came to light I had instinctively followed, but hadn’t quite put into words. The idea was to Write Forward. All three speakers agreed great books are often allowed to develop this way. Basically, it means to give your story permission to write itself – allow the story to be part of the process.
As I recall, each writer went into a project with nothing more than a rough idea of how the story might develop and with little more than a basic concept of the ending. They typically had little more than an idea of the characters they would create, a rudimentary central theme they wished developed and a sense of the ending. With this, they would begin writing and see how their imaginations would allow the story to develop.
They didn’t have each and every chapter outlined, there were no storyboards or index cards taped to the wall in chronological order, there was nothing of that ilk. They sat down, started writing and waited for that wondrous muse we call “Story” to fly from their fingertips and onto their computer screens - almost by itself.
An example Ms. Parkhurst gave was a sugar bowl with a note in it. She had no idea of where or how the crockery would come into play, she simply felt it belonged in the story. As with the concept of Writing Forward, it found its way into the storyline of its own accord.
Personally, I do about the same, though I usually have only one character in mind. I think I know how the story is going to end and I start with little else. By the time I get to “The End”, the character is still there, but the ending has morphed into something much better than I’d imagined when I started. As I write, I “feel” where I have to go and then figure out how to get there. A recent example in my new novel, “Born to be Brothers” is a pocket watch. The story is set in the mid-nineteenth century when pocket watches were the norm. I understand how men feel their individual timepieces are a representation of themselves and knew I needed a watch to help fill in the story. So, as the story fell onto the page, I kept the watch in the back of my mind. When it needed to show up, it did. And when it did, it changed the entire story.
So, when you sit down to write, many writers find it useful not to have the story too complete from the start. Allow your creativity to write your story, and don’t be afraid to let loose of the intuition within you. I’ll bet your writing will be a better for it.
Until we post again, good writing.
Patrick
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
New, Interesting Site for Writers
I ran across a new site for writers this afternoon called Publetariat.com.
Once I clicked on the link, however, I had this flashback to my days in Catholic Schools! I thought I was reading one of those newspapers the good nuns warned us about! This place has the whole "Mother Russia" thing going on, but boy it did look like fun.
At first blush, it appears I've found a winner.
Writers should check it out at http://www.publetariat.com/.
Let me know what you think.
Patrick
Once I clicked on the link, however, I had this flashback to my days in Catholic Schools! I thought I was reading one of those newspapers the good nuns warned us about! This place has the whole "Mother Russia" thing going on, but boy it did look like fun.
At first blush, it appears I've found a winner.
Writers should check it out at http://www.publetariat.com/.
Let me know what you think.
Patrick
Wife is Out of Town.
Katy, my lovely wife, is out of town on business until Friday.
She's worried I won't eat. I keep telling her nobody fed me between the time I left home at seventeen until we married some forty years later. I think I'll survive.
(Toast is a food group, right?)
Do miss her already, though.
She's worried I won't eat. I keep telling her nobody fed me between the time I left home at seventeen until we married some forty years later. I think I'll survive.
(Toast is a food group, right?)
Do miss her already, though.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Strange Dream
I dreamed the first scene of my next manuscript last night.
That is either the start of a disturbing trend or the beginning of a new level of writing in my life.
Personally, I hope the latter...
That is either the start of a disturbing trend or the beginning of a new level of writing in my life.
Personally, I hope the latter...
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Looking to Sell More of Your Books?
Maybe you should buy this one first. http://www.happilypublished...
Friday, September 11, 2009
Love Story by way of The Hero's Journey
Good day, writers,
I promised I'd write a couple stories using The Hero's Journey as the basis for creating a storyline and here is the first installment. Next week I'll post a different type of story based on The Hero's Journey. (Though I have yet to determine what that might be.)
In any case, this exercise is to show how easy it is to write with The Hero's Journey as your model.
Here goes...
The ORDINARY WORLD
Joe and Mindy are in love, married with two children, living in a home in the suburbs of Richmond, VA. The children are Mike, twelve and Mary fourteen. Mike loves baseball and Cindy is just finding out about boys. Joe is a stockbroker and Mindy spends her time raising the children. She’s the president of the PTA and is as happy as she has ever been.
THE CALL TO ADVENTURE
At a PTA meeting Mindy overhears two women talking about Joe. They suddenly quiet when Mindy walks up and act embarrassed at her arrival. They walk away without saying much to her, but the both look back at Mindy over their shoulders and whisper to each other as they depart. Mindy is surprised by their actions but thinks little of it.
REFUSAL OF THE CALL
Joe, usually home around 7 PM, starts to call a few times a week saying he must work late. Some of his excuses sound odd to Mindy but she ignores her intuition which tells her something is wrong.
MENTOR (THE WISE OLD MAN OR WOMAN)
After weeks of his not coming home on time, and another odd encounter with friends, Mindy speaks with her best friend, Margaret, about her concerns. Margaret tells her not to worry until Joe comes home late and the first thing he does in take a shower - a sure sign of infidelity.
CROSSING THE FIRST THRESHOLD
The next night Joe comes home and takes a shower as soon as he enters the house. Mindy now knows the jig is up, (well something is up anyway), and accepts the fact Joe is being unfaithful.
TESTS, ALLIES AND ENEMIES
Mindy and Margaret talk to their friends at the baseball field and PTA but most know nothing. Those who seem to be in the know won’t talk. Mindy hires a detective to follow Joe. He takes photos of Joe’s encounters and passes them to Mindy.
APPROACH TO THE INMOST CAVE
Mindy is distraught but refuses to believe her marriage cannot be saved. She confronts Joe with the photos and he admits everything saying he still loves Mindy and was swayed by a young lady who took advantage of him. He promises never to see the woman again. Though suspicious of his promise, she gives him the benefit of the doubt and they work at patching the holes in their marriage.
THE SUPREME ORDEAL
Things are fine for a time, but soon, Joe is coming home from work late again. A big fight ensues and Mindy kicks Joe out.
REWARD (SEIZING THE SWORD)
Mindy and Joe go through a trying divorce. She gets the children and the house, and the money, and the furniture and he gets the clothes on his back. (They live in Virginia, you know…)
THE ROAD BACK
The divorce is finalized and Mindy realizes she will be able to survive without Joe, physically, emotionally and financially.
RESURRECTION
Mindy finds happiness despite being forced back to work and raising her children on her own. Though things are difficult, she and her children do survive, though without much of their earlier wealth.
RETURN WITH ELIXIR
They live happily ever after.
Everyone except Joe, of course, he remarries a shrew and she sucks every bit of life from him.)
The End
With this outline, you now know how to use The Hero’s Journey to formulate your story. From here you fill in the details and, voila, you’re an author!
Is it time to get to work?
In my next posting, I’ll outline another type of story using The Hero’s Journey. Are there any requests?
Until then, good writing.
Patrick
Author of Born to be Brothers
I promised I'd write a couple stories using The Hero's Journey as the basis for creating a storyline and here is the first installment. Next week I'll post a different type of story based on The Hero's Journey. (Though I have yet to determine what that might be.)
In any case, this exercise is to show how easy it is to write with The Hero's Journey as your model.
Here goes...
The ORDINARY WORLD
Joe and Mindy are in love, married with two children, living in a home in the suburbs of Richmond, VA. The children are Mike, twelve and Mary fourteen. Mike loves baseball and Cindy is just finding out about boys. Joe is a stockbroker and Mindy spends her time raising the children. She’s the president of the PTA and is as happy as she has ever been.
THE CALL TO ADVENTURE
At a PTA meeting Mindy overhears two women talking about Joe. They suddenly quiet when Mindy walks up and act embarrassed at her arrival. They walk away without saying much to her, but the both look back at Mindy over their shoulders and whisper to each other as they depart. Mindy is surprised by their actions but thinks little of it.
REFUSAL OF THE CALL
Joe, usually home around 7 PM, starts to call a few times a week saying he must work late. Some of his excuses sound odd to Mindy but she ignores her intuition which tells her something is wrong.
MENTOR (THE WISE OLD MAN OR WOMAN)
After weeks of his not coming home on time, and another odd encounter with friends, Mindy speaks with her best friend, Margaret, about her concerns. Margaret tells her not to worry until Joe comes home late and the first thing he does in take a shower - a sure sign of infidelity.
CROSSING THE FIRST THRESHOLD
The next night Joe comes home and takes a shower as soon as he enters the house. Mindy now knows the jig is up, (well something is up anyway), and accepts the fact Joe is being unfaithful.
TESTS, ALLIES AND ENEMIES
Mindy and Margaret talk to their friends at the baseball field and PTA but most know nothing. Those who seem to be in the know won’t talk. Mindy hires a detective to follow Joe. He takes photos of Joe’s encounters and passes them to Mindy.
APPROACH TO THE INMOST CAVE
Mindy is distraught but refuses to believe her marriage cannot be saved. She confronts Joe with the photos and he admits everything saying he still loves Mindy and was swayed by a young lady who took advantage of him. He promises never to see the woman again. Though suspicious of his promise, she gives him the benefit of the doubt and they work at patching the holes in their marriage.
THE SUPREME ORDEAL
Things are fine for a time, but soon, Joe is coming home from work late again. A big fight ensues and Mindy kicks Joe out.
REWARD (SEIZING THE SWORD)
Mindy and Joe go through a trying divorce. She gets the children and the house, and the money, and the furniture and he gets the clothes on his back. (They live in Virginia, you know…)
THE ROAD BACK
The divorce is finalized and Mindy realizes she will be able to survive without Joe, physically, emotionally and financially.
RESURRECTION
Mindy finds happiness despite being forced back to work and raising her children on her own. Though things are difficult, she and her children do survive, though without much of their earlier wealth.
RETURN WITH ELIXIR
They live happily ever after.
Everyone except Joe, of course, he remarries a shrew and she sucks every bit of life from him.)
The End
With this outline, you now know how to use The Hero’s Journey to formulate your story. From here you fill in the details and, voila, you’re an author!
Is it time to get to work?
In my next posting, I’ll outline another type of story using The Hero’s Journey. Are there any requests?
Until then, good writing.
Patrick
Author of Born to be Brothers
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Return with the Elixir
Hello, writers.
We’ve finally come to the end of The Hero’s Journey, The Return with the Elixir. Our hero is on his way home to his now not so Ordinary World, having defeated every imaginary bad guy in creation. There will be no more conflicts to resolve, no more challenges to face and no more evil-doers with which to contend. In this portion of your manuscript he is the acknowledged hero in both his Ordinary World and the world from which he is emerging. This is where your reader shouts, “Wow! That was great!” and talks to all his friends about your book. (We hope they do anyway, for if they don’t this book is DIW - dead in the water.)
Considering our now familiar Luke Skywalker, think about the celebration after the destruction of the Death Star. He and Han Solo walk up to Princess Leia to receive their medals amidst the adulation of all the rebellion. Everybody smiles and the guy in the white hat rides off into the sunset to great fanfare. Yipee!
We know what happens here, but why does it need to happen this way? Some say it is to wrap things up, finish the circle of your story. (Blah…) Others say it is the representation of life where one must learn to lick their wounds, if you will, and carry on with life. (Give me a break! This is a story!) Some have even said it is to show us how to live our own lives with a sense of responsibility. (Not my fiction…)
We’re writing fiction, right? In my mind, the Return with the Elixir is all about entertaining our reader. Nothing more. It is a reward to your readers for their time spent in reading your story. They deserve to sit back, close the book and feel good. Everything is right with the world and your reader feels the satisfaction of a book well written and enjoyed.
What is this elixir, by the way? It can be anything you wish it to be. Your protagonist may return home with a physical treasure, or knowledge, or love, or wisdom, or whatever he needed to succeed in his quest. It can be anything, as long as it is necessary for your hero to become what he needs to become.
Without doubt, however, what is necessary is for the reader to sit back having enjoyed your work. That is what it’s all about anyway, isn’t it?
Okay, boys and girls, in these twelve postings, we seen how your hero traverses from his Ordinary World into the depths and back. I hope you see how this will make for a good story every time. (Which is what fiction is all about anyway - a good story.)
If you’ll take the time to learn how to use The Hero’s Journey in your fiction, you’ll become a good storyteller and have the primary step under your belt in having people want to read your work.
In subsequent postings I plan to do two things: one is to show how The Hero’s Journey will apply to any type of fiction and, two, to show you how you can ignore large parts of The Hero’s Journey in your writing. (Bet you weren’t expecting that!)
Until my next posting, good writing.
Patrick
Author of “Born to be Brothers”
Twitter.com/CPatrickSchulze
We’ve finally come to the end of The Hero’s Journey, The Return with the Elixir. Our hero is on his way home to his now not so Ordinary World, having defeated every imaginary bad guy in creation. There will be no more conflicts to resolve, no more challenges to face and no more evil-doers with which to contend. In this portion of your manuscript he is the acknowledged hero in both his Ordinary World and the world from which he is emerging. This is where your reader shouts, “Wow! That was great!” and talks to all his friends about your book. (We hope they do anyway, for if they don’t this book is DIW - dead in the water.)
Considering our now familiar Luke Skywalker, think about the celebration after the destruction of the Death Star. He and Han Solo walk up to Princess Leia to receive their medals amidst the adulation of all the rebellion. Everybody smiles and the guy in the white hat rides off into the sunset to great fanfare. Yipee!
We know what happens here, but why does it need to happen this way? Some say it is to wrap things up, finish the circle of your story. (Blah…) Others say it is the representation of life where one must learn to lick their wounds, if you will, and carry on with life. (Give me a break! This is a story!) Some have even said it is to show us how to live our own lives with a sense of responsibility. (Not my fiction…)
We’re writing fiction, right? In my mind, the Return with the Elixir is all about entertaining our reader. Nothing more. It is a reward to your readers for their time spent in reading your story. They deserve to sit back, close the book and feel good. Everything is right with the world and your reader feels the satisfaction of a book well written and enjoyed.
What is this elixir, by the way? It can be anything you wish it to be. Your protagonist may return home with a physical treasure, or knowledge, or love, or wisdom, or whatever he needed to succeed in his quest. It can be anything, as long as it is necessary for your hero to become what he needs to become.
Without doubt, however, what is necessary is for the reader to sit back having enjoyed your work. That is what it’s all about anyway, isn’t it?
Okay, boys and girls, in these twelve postings, we seen how your hero traverses from his Ordinary World into the depths and back. I hope you see how this will make for a good story every time. (Which is what fiction is all about anyway - a good story.)
If you’ll take the time to learn how to use The Hero’s Journey in your fiction, you’ll become a good storyteller and have the primary step under your belt in having people want to read your work.
In subsequent postings I plan to do two things: one is to show how The Hero’s Journey will apply to any type of fiction and, two, to show you how you can ignore large parts of The Hero’s Journey in your writing. (Bet you weren’t expecting that!)
Until my next posting, good writing.
Patrick
Author of “Born to be Brothers”
Twitter.com/CPatrickSchulze
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
The Secrets of Book Marketing
If you're a writer and have written a novel, and would like those lessons necessary to get your book published, check out the great marketing tips for authors by clicking the title above. Bookgal seems to have this thing under control.
Bet you'll find useful information even if you're not a writer.
Bet you'll find useful information even if you're not a writer.
Friday, August 28, 2009
The Resurrection
Good day, Writers,
We’re almost home with our study of The Hero’s Journey and find ourselves facing The Resurrection, which many think is the uplifting section of a story. Of course, that isn’t true. The Resurrection is one last another opportunity for action and suspense within your story. This part of your novel is the last life-or-death struggle for your hero, yet another confrontation with the evil ones. In fact, it is often the protagonists’ most dangerous meeting with death, or whatever it is he faces.
In many stories, this section takes place just before he returns home. It’s often considered a cleansing or purification to which your hero must submit before returning to his Ordinary World. However, the hero now has an additional arrow in his quiver, so to speak, for he is now armed with the hard-won knowledge gained from earlier encounters. It is here your hero pulls out that new arrow and smites this final aggressor, thus proving his acceptance of The Reward and his worthiness of ownership.
Sometimes the hero is pushed toward The Resurrection or even pulled, but regardless, the enemy has one last attempt to undo your hero, a final exam, if you will. One in which he proves he has learned and can apply the lessons of The Supreme Ordeal.
It is similar to The Supreme Ordeal faced earlier. Often more than just the hero is involved in this ordeal. Maybe his entire village is in danger, for one final challenger arises and he is forced to use the knowledge he gained during his trial to save more than just himself.
To me as a writer, it is one last opportunity to excite your readers when they least expect it.
Although we are using Luke and The Last Hope of the Star Wars saga as our model, I’ve always liked The Resurrection in Under the Tuscan Sun. The heroine does not hear from THE man in her life for a while so she travels to see him. It is in this part of that story where she finds she is not THE woman in his life, but merely A woman. (Talk about a trial!) So what does she do? She marshals all she has learned and falls in love with another man. Great Resurrection, don’t you think?
In Luke’s case, he’s already accomplished his mission of saving Princess Leia, but his final test is defeating the Death Star. In this scene, Luke is attacking in his X-Wing fighter and Obi Wan speaks to him from the afterlife. He tells Luke to, “Trust the Force.” Luke does, thus employing all his learning and experience, and destroys the Death Star and the Emperor to boot.
You see in this scene, Luke has garnered all he has learned, proved himself worthy of The Reward, destroys the REALLY BIG enemy and saves untold thousands in the process. (Explosions of a planetary scale! Now that is a dramatic Resurrection!)
In doing my research for this posting, one person said this was a time of peace and tranquility before he returns to his doorstep. Don’t believe it! This is a time of great, often ultimate, challenges. It’s a wonderful opportunity to again engage your readers and prove your hero worthy. Take advantage of this. You want your readers to be surprised by this and so entwined in your hero’s trial they almost lose heart for him. Use this time to ramp up the intensity of your work and have your readers sweat one last time.
Okay, we again have the bad guys’ defeat and our hero rises even higher in status and proves he is worthy of The Reward. Now, after your reader has caught his breath, you let them relax and feel good about everything. This is accomplished by way of The Return. We’ll get into that next week.
My plan is to finish with these lessons of The Hero’s Journey then outline a couple quick stories showing how to put this entire concept in use. (Wish me luck on that one…)
Until then, my friends, good writing.
C. Patrick Schulze
Author of Born to be Brothers
CPatrickSchulze.blogspot.com
Twitter.com/CPatrickSchulze
We’re almost home with our study of The Hero’s Journey and find ourselves facing The Resurrection, which many think is the uplifting section of a story. Of course, that isn’t true. The Resurrection is one last another opportunity for action and suspense within your story. This part of your novel is the last life-or-death struggle for your hero, yet another confrontation with the evil ones. In fact, it is often the protagonists’ most dangerous meeting with death, or whatever it is he faces.
In many stories, this section takes place just before he returns home. It’s often considered a cleansing or purification to which your hero must submit before returning to his Ordinary World. However, the hero now has an additional arrow in his quiver, so to speak, for he is now armed with the hard-won knowledge gained from earlier encounters. It is here your hero pulls out that new arrow and smites this final aggressor, thus proving his acceptance of The Reward and his worthiness of ownership.
Sometimes the hero is pushed toward The Resurrection or even pulled, but regardless, the enemy has one last attempt to undo your hero, a final exam, if you will. One in which he proves he has learned and can apply the lessons of The Supreme Ordeal.
It is similar to The Supreme Ordeal faced earlier. Often more than just the hero is involved in this ordeal. Maybe his entire village is in danger, for one final challenger arises and he is forced to use the knowledge he gained during his trial to save more than just himself.
To me as a writer, it is one last opportunity to excite your readers when they least expect it.
Although we are using Luke and The Last Hope of the Star Wars saga as our model, I’ve always liked The Resurrection in Under the Tuscan Sun. The heroine does not hear from THE man in her life for a while so she travels to see him. It is in this part of that story where she finds she is not THE woman in his life, but merely A woman. (Talk about a trial!) So what does she do? She marshals all she has learned and falls in love with another man. Great Resurrection, don’t you think?
In Luke’s case, he’s already accomplished his mission of saving Princess Leia, but his final test is defeating the Death Star. In this scene, Luke is attacking in his X-Wing fighter and Obi Wan speaks to him from the afterlife. He tells Luke to, “Trust the Force.” Luke does, thus employing all his learning and experience, and destroys the Death Star and the Emperor to boot.
You see in this scene, Luke has garnered all he has learned, proved himself worthy of The Reward, destroys the REALLY BIG enemy and saves untold thousands in the process. (Explosions of a planetary scale! Now that is a dramatic Resurrection!)
In doing my research for this posting, one person said this was a time of peace and tranquility before he returns to his doorstep. Don’t believe it! This is a time of great, often ultimate, challenges. It’s a wonderful opportunity to again engage your readers and prove your hero worthy. Take advantage of this. You want your readers to be surprised by this and so entwined in your hero’s trial they almost lose heart for him. Use this time to ramp up the intensity of your work and have your readers sweat one last time.
Okay, we again have the bad guys’ defeat and our hero rises even higher in status and proves he is worthy of The Reward. Now, after your reader has caught his breath, you let them relax and feel good about everything. This is accomplished by way of The Return. We’ll get into that next week.
My plan is to finish with these lessons of The Hero’s Journey then outline a couple quick stories showing how to put this entire concept in use. (Wish me luck on that one…)
Until then, my friends, good writing.
C. Patrick Schulze
Author of Born to be Brothers
CPatrickSchulze.blogspot.com
Twitter.com/CPatrickSchulze
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Top Ten Writing Tips
Clink the title to reach the web site.
You'll note this post actually tells you what it means to eliminate all forms of "to be"...
Thanks to Examiner.com for this information.
You'll note this post actually tells you what it means to eliminate all forms of "to be"...
Thanks to Examiner.com for this information.
Interesting New Trend in Hardbacks
Want to see what the future holds for book readers? Follow the link!
Thanks to http://twitter.com/mariaschneider for the info.
Thanks to http://twitter.com/mariaschneider for the info.
Friday, July 31, 2009
The Approach
Good day, Writers,
We’ve traveled quite a way toward our goal of learning how to utilize The Hero’s Journey to craft your manuscript. In this posting, we’re going to see how The Approach plays into your story.
The Approach is the part of your manuscript where your hero prepares whatever it is he must do to come to the entrance of the greatest danger he will face. It is here your hero must ready himself to face his primeval fear. He is about to “disappear” into the Belly of the Beast and must be ready or he will surely die. During The Approach is when he defeats the lesser villains and readies himself for the Big Enchilada!
It ends when he stands on the precipice into which he must descend to locate and take hold of the item of his quest. Classical representations of the end of The Approach, as you might imagine, are the mouth of caves, dungeon doors, and the like. Wherever it is, it’s ominous!
Keep in mind your hero need not approach a place. It can be a mental state or even something as innocuous as a party. It’s simply anything that causes ultimate anguish for your hero. However, your reader must be convinced your hero will surely die. (At least figuratively.) Without this ultimate danger, the next step in your story won’t fly.
The Approach is another interesting part of your novel and may be approached, if you will, from a number of different prospective. Here you can work in some appropriate humor, for example. Have you ever heard of people laughing before battle? It’s just another way to handle one’s nervousness. You might even work in some romance, if you’d like. We’ve all heard the line, “We may not survive!” This is usually spoken by the man as he readies for battle or in another form by a character before the meteor strikes. Regardless, it’s a fun part of writing with endless possibilities.
In our example of Luke in Star Wars, A New Hope, can you envision a scene where Luke was on the precipice of some unholy situation? How about when he and his compatriots fret as the trash masher’s walls close in on them? (Being crushed into goo is, by law, a primeval fear which causes ultimate anguish.) Of course, your hero needs to escape and rescue the princess, as literally happens in A New Hope.
Okay, Writers, if you’ve been following along, your novel is at the point where the world is about to explode. Getting exciting, isn’t it?
My next posting will cover the following step your hero obviously must take – The Supreme Ordeal! (This is gonna’ be fun!)
Till then, good writing.
Patrick
C. Patrick Schulze
Twitter.com/CPatrickSchulze
Author of “Born to be Brothers”
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Tests, Allies and Enemies
Good day, All,
We’re working toward telling our novel’s storyline by way of The Hero’s Journey, a formula for storytelling that has survived the millennia. In our case, we’re following Luke of Star Wars fame. We’ve followed him through his Ordinary World, watched as he receives his Call to Adventure and shook our heads when he made excuses to Refuse the Call. After that, he Met his Mentor then Crossed the Threshold to his new adventure.
The next section, Tests, Allies and Enemies, is one of the most intricate to develop and one of the most critical to your story. It can also be the longest. Here is where you flesh out your character and where he transforms to the true hero he needs to become. It shows your reader his true inner strength. However, it must be done in a way that keeps your reader connected with him. If your hero shows personality traits your readers dislike, they close the book. Here we also give the reader the exciting part of the story, those things that test your hero. This part of your novel also introduces more of those people, creatures and situations that assist your hero in completing his quest.
Okay, here are a few tips for writing this part of your story. First, consider the Rule of Threes. (“Huh?” You say.) As in so many things in life, threes work well with readers. By this I mean the story will do well to have the hero face three major tests, find three important allies and encounter three premier enemies. The Rule of Threes need not be followed, but it is a great concept if you’re new to storytelling. I don’t know why, but threes do seem to work.
Another hint is to have your hero encounter a simple test or two early on so he can grow into his new, more dramatic self in realistic fashion. You don’t want someone with a fear of heights to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel in chapter two. He has yet to build the necessary courage and knowledge. Instead, maybe he climbs a tree and freezes half way to the top. He falls and survives, thus learning a valuable lesson he needs to go over the falls. That’s the sort of thing I mean for your readers will not believe he goes over on purpose without first accumulating a bit of knowledge. Your reader also needs to know who your hero will react to various situations. If he fell over Niagara Falls right away, he’s going down screaming like a little girl, yet maybe only a yelp escapes him as he falls out of the tree. By the time he goes over Niagara, he’s able to hold his tongue and only moan a bit. Smaller tests help him to learn how to grow into the larger, more sinister tests.
A third tip, and a classic tip, is to use the seedy bar or nightclub as the setting. Of course, you can use any setting, but like the Rule of Threes, this seems to work. In my second book, “Pretty Boy and the Bugler” I used a saloon and it worked out quite well.
My fourth and final tip is to consider having the hero falter as he faces his initial tests. Again, this isn’t necessary but can lead to more excitement. If he does waver, how might he overcome? Ah, it’s good to have allies!
Okay, let’s take our regular look at Luke as he meets his Tests, Allies and Enemies.
Review the third tip above and you’ll see a seedy bar is a good place to begin. Well, remember the famous bar scene in Star Wars, A New Hope? What happened there? Luke confronted enemies, (the storm troopers, the creature who wanted to fight him), was tested, (he didn’t step down from the fight even though he would’ve lost), and he met two major allies, (Han and Chewbacca).
So, there you have it, Tests, Allies and Enemies. It was an interesting scene, wasn’t it? In fact, it was so interesting, it’s now classic of its own right. That is how important Tests, Allies and Enemies can be.
Keep in mind there may be more, many more, of these people and events in your story. For example, does Luke meet other allies? Sure he does. How about Yoda and the guy in charge of the cloud mining operation, (I don’t remember his name.). Does he meet other enemies? You betcha! He even meets someone who presents himself as an ally, (the cloud city guy), turns out to be an enemy, (he turns the band over to the Darth Vader), and an ally again. This guy even ends up a Rebellion general! Whew… what a roller coaster ride he is! By the way, this type of character is called a Shape-Shifter – something we’ll get into later.
Don’t think of this part of your story as done with a single scene for there should be many to build the excitement for your readers. Does Luke face other tests? How about the fight with Vader? He had a million tests as the story progresses. Does he meet other allies? Yoda is a perfect example. And talk about learning and growing! Yoda makes the guy hump around the planet with the Jedi on his back! It goes on and on.
So there you have it, Tests, Allies and Enemies. Make ‘em real, make ‘em scary and make a lot of ‘em.
Until we get together again, good writing.
Patrick
Twitter.com/CPatrickSchulze
Author of: Born to be Brothers
Sunday, June 28, 2009
The Perils of Dates.
Good day, all,
Boy, oh, boy... the power of a dates! As those who follow this blog know, I am in the midst of writing my third manuscript and recently received it back from my editor. (And, yes, she again taught me the need for humility...)
In any case, as I was going through her edits, it struck me one of the dates in my novel could be incorrect. Was it ever! I had Texas as part of the United States in 1822 when it didn't even break away from Mexico until 1835, a decade before it was admitted into the Union.
Now this sounds like a little thing, I know, but it means a total rewrite of some 3,000 words and two characters. Oh, yeah, and any references to this throughout the entire novel. To one like me, this is a daunting task.
I mentioned this to a buddy and he said, "Ah, does it matter? Isn't a novel just one big lie anyway?" Oh, did I ever try to find solace in those words. But, no, if you're writing historical fiction, you've got to get the history part right.
Is there a lesson here? As with all things, of course there is. Edit, then edit some more and edit again. (Of course, you could just get it right the first time, but who does that?)
Back to the keyboard for me...
Okay, keep your eyes open and good writing.
By the way, here's a tidbit for your next cocktail party. (If anyone else is so old as to remember them.) Texas is the only state in the Union that flew six different national flags in its history; the United States, the Republic of Texas, Mexico, Spain, France and one other I can't remember right now.
Boy, oh, boy... the power of a dates! As those who follow this blog know, I am in the midst of writing my third manuscript and recently received it back from my editor. (And, yes, she again taught me the need for humility...)
In any case, as I was going through her edits, it struck me one of the dates in my novel could be incorrect. Was it ever! I had Texas as part of the United States in 1822 when it didn't even break away from Mexico until 1835, a decade before it was admitted into the Union.
Now this sounds like a little thing, I know, but it means a total rewrite of some 3,000 words and two characters. Oh, yeah, and any references to this throughout the entire novel. To one like me, this is a daunting task.
I mentioned this to a buddy and he said, "Ah, does it matter? Isn't a novel just one big lie anyway?" Oh, did I ever try to find solace in those words. But, no, if you're writing historical fiction, you've got to get the history part right.
Is there a lesson here? As with all things, of course there is. Edit, then edit some more and edit again. (Of course, you could just get it right the first time, but who does that?)
Back to the keyboard for me...
Okay, keep your eyes open and good writing.
By the way, here's a tidbit for your next cocktail party. (If anyone else is so old as to remember them.) Texas is the only state in the Union that flew six different national flags in its history; the United States, the Republic of Texas, Mexico, Spain, France and one other I can't remember right now.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Hero's Journey - Ordinary World
Step One of the Hero’s Journey
Ordinary World
Good day, All,
In my last posting I discussed The Hero’s Journey and its twelve stages that make up THE formula for story telling through a novel. Today I’ll be talking with you about the first step in The Hero’s Journey called Ordinary World.
Ordinary World is designed to have your reader get to know and appreciate your hero before he sets out on his quest. Flesh him out as a human being, (or whatever alien applies…). Do this with dialogue and action that show who and what he is. Is your hero a murderer? He’s probably been in a bar fight or two. Does your green caterpillar turn into a butterfly on the last page? Better have some green leaves somewhere in your novel. Just show us who he is by words and physical movement.
Let’s look again to our classic Star Wars for inspiration. Think of the how we were first introduced to Luke. He was an orphan living with his Aunt and Uncle on their farm. One day they were purchasing farm equipment such as the robots R2D2 and 3CPO. They met with some salespeople, (actually desert wandering sales-creature-types with stun guns), and were negotiating over quality and price. Sounds pretty much like the typical farmer’s life from any period in history, doesn’t it? (Save for aliens and robots and such…)
Well, those scenes were Luke’s everyday life and they comprised his Ordinary World. In these scenes we learn Luke’s life goals, his frustrations and his youthful outlook toward others. We even know what he looks like. Mr. Spielberg made certain we knew the character pretty well. Most importantly however, we came to appreciate and even like Luke as a person.
Here’s a hint… During the Ordinary World, insure your reader comes to some sort of attachment to your hero. If they don’t, they quit reading. (“Quit reading” is formal business terminology for no word of mouth advertising…) We’ll talk about this on later blogs.
There is any number of ways to show this stage of the journey and I challenge you to write your novels in inventive ways to portray your hero’s Ordinary World. One of my favorites is the Ordinary World of the movie Sahara. The camera pans over an office where numerous newspaper and magazine articles are pinned to the walls. These clipping give the Ordinary World of the hero from his Naval Academy days until the time of the movie. Their use of these clippings was, in my opinion, a unique and effective methodology for introducing us to his Ordinary World. Without a line of text or a word of dialogue, we liked the hero before we even saw him on the big screen. So, don’t think narrative and dialogue are your only tools.
So there ya go… Give us someone we can like about your pivotal character and don’t forget to set up what it is he’s to lose. That should about do it.
Now, getting back to Luke, I have a question for you. When does Luke’s Ordinary World end and his Call to Adventure begin? If you can figure this out, you’re well on your way to understanding the next step in The Hero’s Journey.
Feel free to drop a line if you have any questions.
Good writing, everyone!
Till next time we meet.
Ordinary World
Good day, All,
In my last posting I discussed The Hero’s Journey and its twelve stages that make up THE formula for story telling through a novel. Today I’ll be talking with you about the first step in The Hero’s Journey called Ordinary World.
Ordinary World is designed to have your reader get to know and appreciate your hero before he sets out on his quest. Flesh him out as a human being, (or whatever alien applies…). Do this with dialogue and action that show who and what he is. Is your hero a murderer? He’s probably been in a bar fight or two. Does your green caterpillar turn into a butterfly on the last page? Better have some green leaves somewhere in your novel. Just show us who he is by words and physical movement.
Let’s look again to our classic Star Wars for inspiration. Think of the how we were first introduced to Luke. He was an orphan living with his Aunt and Uncle on their farm. One day they were purchasing farm equipment such as the robots R2D2 and 3CPO. They met with some salespeople, (actually desert wandering sales-creature-types with stun guns), and were negotiating over quality and price. Sounds pretty much like the typical farmer’s life from any period in history, doesn’t it? (Save for aliens and robots and such…)
Well, those scenes were Luke’s everyday life and they comprised his Ordinary World. In these scenes we learn Luke’s life goals, his frustrations and his youthful outlook toward others. We even know what he looks like. Mr. Spielberg made certain we knew the character pretty well. Most importantly however, we came to appreciate and even like Luke as a person.
Here’s a hint… During the Ordinary World, insure your reader comes to some sort of attachment to your hero. If they don’t, they quit reading. (“Quit reading” is formal business terminology for no word of mouth advertising…) We’ll talk about this on later blogs.
There is any number of ways to show this stage of the journey and I challenge you to write your novels in inventive ways to portray your hero’s Ordinary World. One of my favorites is the Ordinary World of the movie Sahara. The camera pans over an office where numerous newspaper and magazine articles are pinned to the walls. These clipping give the Ordinary World of the hero from his Naval Academy days until the time of the movie. Their use of these clippings was, in my opinion, a unique and effective methodology for introducing us to his Ordinary World. Without a line of text or a word of dialogue, we liked the hero before we even saw him on the big screen. So, don’t think narrative and dialogue are your only tools.
So there ya go… Give us someone we can like about your pivotal character and don’t forget to set up what it is he’s to lose. That should about do it.
Now, getting back to Luke, I have a question for you. When does Luke’s Ordinary World end and his Call to Adventure begin? If you can figure this out, you’re well on your way to understanding the next step in The Hero’s Journey.
Feel free to drop a line if you have any questions.
Good writing, everyone!
Till next time we meet.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
How to write a novel.
Good day, All.
Today's post will touch on how writers insure their novel is written in such a fashion as to appeal to their readers regardless the audience. The answer, as is so often the case, is simple, yet the application is difficult.
When someone wishes to write a novel, there is an actual formula to telling the story. This formula, known as the Hero's Journey, has been around since the time of mythology and will last well past the day we all cease telling stories. In fact, this is the framework around which any novel can be built. I recommend all new writers follow it when they are new to novel writing. (And long after...)
The Hero's Journey is often defined by different "authorities" in different ways, but the one I have found useful has twelve steps to follow. They are...
1. Ordinary Life
2. Call to Adventure
3. Refusal of the Call
4. Meeting the Mentor
5. Crossing the Threshold
6. Enemies, Allies and Tests
7. Point of No Return
8. Supreme Ordeal
9. Reward
10. Journey Home
11. Resurrection
12. Return Home
Although we'll go into each one of these steps in more detail, they are basically self-explanatory. In general, if the hero in your story finds himself involved in these twelve situations, your story will be defined and should appeal to almost any reader.
To get started, think of a favorite movie. Now follow the storyline and see if the primary character finds himself in the situations listed above. I'll bet you will. Once you can identify the steps within The Hero's Journey in, say a movie, you'll begin to understand how to apply them to your novel writing.
Star Wars is always a good example for any aspiring writer. Think of the episode where Luke's parents are killed. Remember it? If you recall the beginning of the story, Luke is working the farm but asks permission to strike out on his own. Can you see that scene in your mind's eye? That scene is Ordinary Life, which is step one in The Hero's Journey. Now, here's a clue... If Spielberg can use the Hero's Journey, so can you and I.
In my next post, we'll discuss step one, Ordinary Life, in more detail.
Good writing.
Patrick
Today's post will touch on how writers insure their novel is written in such a fashion as to appeal to their readers regardless the audience. The answer, as is so often the case, is simple, yet the application is difficult.
When someone wishes to write a novel, there is an actual formula to telling the story. This formula, known as the Hero's Journey, has been around since the time of mythology and will last well past the day we all cease telling stories. In fact, this is the framework around which any novel can be built. I recommend all new writers follow it when they are new to novel writing. (And long after...)
The Hero's Journey is often defined by different "authorities" in different ways, but the one I have found useful has twelve steps to follow. They are...
1. Ordinary Life
2. Call to Adventure
3. Refusal of the Call
4. Meeting the Mentor
5. Crossing the Threshold
6. Enemies, Allies and Tests
7. Point of No Return
8. Supreme Ordeal
9. Reward
10. Journey Home
11. Resurrection
12. Return Home
Although we'll go into each one of these steps in more detail, they are basically self-explanatory. In general, if the hero in your story finds himself involved in these twelve situations, your story will be defined and should appeal to almost any reader.
To get started, think of a favorite movie. Now follow the storyline and see if the primary character finds himself in the situations listed above. I'll bet you will. Once you can identify the steps within The Hero's Journey in, say a movie, you'll begin to understand how to apply them to your novel writing.
Star Wars is always a good example for any aspiring writer. Think of the episode where Luke's parents are killed. Remember it? If you recall the beginning of the story, Luke is working the farm but asks permission to strike out on his own. Can you see that scene in your mind's eye? That scene is Ordinary Life, which is step one in The Hero's Journey. Now, here's a clue... If Spielberg can use the Hero's Journey, so can you and I.
In my next post, we'll discuss step one, Ordinary Life, in more detail.
Good writing.
Patrick
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Welcome to all Novel Writers!
Good day and welcome to my blog.
In this writer's blog, I hope to assist aspiring novel writers, (and even some old hands), gain more knowledge and confidence with their craft and to help insure success with their fiction writing . In this vein, I will offer various novel writing lessons.
These lessons will include such things as how to get that story hiding within you onto paper, which is still necessary despite the technology of the day. This also means learning how to tell a story well, which many find more difficult that they imagined. Further, we as writers face the daunting task of learning the craft of writing, and all that entails. (Boy do I have stories there...) Then, of course, you need to know how to edit, then edit again and edit a few more times before offering it to a discriminating agent or publisher for critique. I also wish to help those pen pushers with the process of formal publication and the myriad of issues with that minefield.(Ah, the all-powerful Slush Pile!)
I'll post the lessons weekly so visit regularly.
The first lesson will be How to Tell Your Story.
Okay, I'll ask you to speak with anyone you know who might have an interest in writing the next Great American Novel to come on board and see if we can't help get them published!
Thanks.
Patrick
In this writer's blog, I hope to assist aspiring novel writers, (and even some old hands), gain more knowledge and confidence with their craft and to help insure success with their fiction writing . In this vein, I will offer various novel writing lessons.
These lessons will include such things as how to get that story hiding within you onto paper, which is still necessary despite the technology of the day. This also means learning how to tell a story well, which many find more difficult that they imagined. Further, we as writers face the daunting task of learning the craft of writing, and all that entails. (Boy do I have stories there...) Then, of course, you need to know how to edit, then edit again and edit a few more times before offering it to a discriminating agent or publisher for critique. I also wish to help those pen pushers with the process of formal publication and the myriad of issues with that minefield.(Ah, the all-powerful Slush Pile!)
I'll post the lessons weekly so visit regularly.
The first lesson will be How to Tell Your Story.
Okay, I'll ask you to speak with anyone you know who might have an interest in writing the next Great American Novel to come on board and see if we can't help get them published!
Thanks.
Patrick
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