8 Steps for Dealing with a Slow Editor

You finished your manuscript up, researched your markets, picked one that is looking for your kind of work and sent it off. You list your submission on your tracker sheet and put down how long the editor takes to respond. So you wait for the envelope in the mail. And before you know it, the time frame for his response has come and gone, and still no reply. Now what do you do?

188 Stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth): Antihero and Shape Shifter

Whereas the hero encounters a shape shifter that often turns from good to bad, the antihero encounters the opposite. It is not unusual for the antihero to encounter a shape shifter that has authority over him and who is, as is normal, a close associate of the main antagonist (demon king). As is normal, these two characters immediately conflict. In Scarface (1983), Tony meets Omar.

188 Stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth): Antihero: Belly of the Whale

Heroes and antiheroes are pushed to the Belly of the Whale. The antihero, fresh from his success in the first threshold and the prize that comes with having completed the trivial task, forces a surprised shape shifter to introduce him to the demon king.

Have You Got a Book In You?

You'd be amazed at the number of people who want to be writers. Are you one of them? What's holding you back? Come with me to learn how to make the book in you a reality!

The Antagonist in Fiction: What Makes Him So Powerful

Drawing the character of the antagonist is an important part of fiction writing. The quality of any story is directly proportional to the quality of the antagonist.

188 Stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth): Balance Lost

In every story, balance must be lost. Whether it is the antagonism stealing away the princess or the hero's inner challenge being expressed, there is imbalance that is initiated (and must ultimately be rectified). This is a very early, if not the first stage of the hero's journey and most often represents the Greater....

188 Stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth): Ordinary World and Self

We must meet the hero somewhere and it is often (if not always) in his ordinary world. Hero we learn about the hero, his place in the world, his status, special capabilities and so forth. The hero is often frustrated on some level (willing hero) or not (unwilling hero); the imbalance will force him out of his idyllic ordinary world (Lord of the Rings) or his inner challenges require that he is frustrated and must do something about it (Midnight Cowboy, 1968). The Hero's Ordinary World is representative of his psychology. If he is happy, so is his world (Lord of the Rings); if he is repressed, so is his world (Midnight Cowboy, 1969).

188 Stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth): First Threshold

The hero crosses a metaphoric gateway, passes the minor threshold guardian and comes across a major threshold guardian who he must defeat. To do this he needs to learn some new tricks (magical spells), meets some pals and gains a clearer idea who his enemies are (allies and enemies). In Spartacus (1960), Spartacus enters into the gladiator training camp, meets allies and the roman senator, learns the gladiator arts and defeats Marcellus.

Writing - Use Obituaries for Developing Your Characters

Obituaries can be an endless source of inspiration and ideas for developing new fiction characters or putting a polish on the already developed ones. Besides, I always find it interesting to read the life stories of people I've never met; people who have led interesting lives and did their own thing.

Write Your Novel Step By Step (Part 2)

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): Outer Cave Events

The Outer Cave of the First Threshold is often a place where the Heroes, having established themselves as Fishes out of Water, begin their Changing. By the time they leave the First Threshold, they will be less Devolved. In Brokeback Mountain (2005), Jack and Ennis begin chopping wood, sawing, collecting water etc.

Write Your Novel Step By Step (Part 5)

In writing my novel I learned 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 7)

In writing my novel I learned 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- Ordinary Self

The detective hero's ordinary self will be made explicit. This will be a benchmark that will represent the hero's transformation as the story progresses. In The Maltese Falcon (1939), Miles walks in. At this point, Spade shares an office with Miles; the evolution will be represented by his setting up alone.