188 Stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth): Period of Reflection

Every hero undergoes a period of reflection. This is where his path (destiny, dharma) becomes clear to him. It is the (much shorter) equivalent of wandering through the desert for forty days and nights. In Spartacus (1963), Spartacus reflects on his past before coming up with the idea of building an army of gladiators. In The Godfather (1972), Michael sits on the bench and thinks before deciding to embark on the dark side.

188 Stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth): Period of Magic Spells

The Fish out of Water is a benchmark phase that occurs in, amongst other places, the First Threshold. There are two stages - The before and the after. The before-stage demonstrates the hero in his (or her) devolved state. This is where the hero is out of his (or her) depth. The after-stage demonstrates evolution. In between, a period of training or changing must be undergone (metaphorically known as the Period of Magical Spells).

What Is A Romance Novel

A romance novel can be filled with hot and steamy scenes or gentle persuasions that cause readers to fall in love with heroes while the heroine stumbles around, blind as a bat, to all his good qualities. On the other hand, many a novel heroine waits impatiently for the hero to get it through his thick, stubborn head that she loves him.

Write Your Novel Step By Step (Part 1)

In writing my novel I learnt a lot of things the hard way so I just wanted to put this series out there for would be writers to help them on their path to writing their own book.

188 Stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth)- Hero's Journey- Private World

When the detective hero is at home (a rented apartment), it is often dark, the fridge is empty and people only visit when the agenda is related to his current assignment. In The Maltese Falcon (1939), only Tom, the Lieutenant and Femme Fatale visit.

188 Stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth)- Femme Fatale

One day a very attractive, moneyed female client walks into the detective hero's office. She is every man's dream and knows it; she leaves all competitors in her wake, including the secretary, who may (later on in the story) ask the hero whether he will marry her. She and the secretary may bond or not. In The Maltese Falcon (1939), Precious tells Sam she's a knockout.

188 Stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth)- Detective Genre- Inciting Incident

The femme fatale client will enter the hero detective's office and mention that he was recommended to her. She will spin a yarn. The female client requires that the hero find someone. It will seem like a trivial task, but there will be warnings of danger. Some action will demonstrate that the female client is being liberal with the truth. In The Maltese Falcon (1939), O'Shaughnessy spins her story.

188 Stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) Hero's Journey - Ultimate Boon

There is a race to retrieve the treasure, which the hero often takes possession of. There is much destruction here. In The Maltese Falcon (1939), Fat Man burns the boat down. Sam finds the burning boat and the statue delivered to his office.

188 Stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) Hero's Journey - Back to the Good Side

The detective hero relays his knowledge to the good cop, showing us whose side he's really on. In The Maltese Falcon (1939), Sam calls the cops in the presence of O'Shaugnessey.

Writing - Open Source Software - 10 Great Free Tools of Communication

Are you sick and tired of paying hundreds of dollars for writing and design software that does not work? You may want to give the following open-source programs a try-

Write Your Novel Step By Step (Part 10)

In writing my novel I learnt a lot of things the hard way so I just wanted to put this series out there for would be writers to help them on their path to writing their own book.

Write Your Novel Step By Step (Part 11)

In writing my novel, I learnt a lot of things the hard way so I just wanted to put this series out there for would be writers to help them on their path to writing their own book.

Interview with Author David Keck, Part One

I interviewed David Keck, author of In the Eye of Heaven. He gives wonderful advice on writing and a look at the publishing process. This is part 1 of 3, addressing the writing process.

188 Stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth): Magical Spells and Gifts

Magical Gift. This is often where a Magical Gift is used. In Star Wars (1977), Obi Wan uses his powers. In Jason and the Argonauts (1963), the Goddess uses one of her spells.