Writing Inrochester

The 188 stage Hero’s Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188 stage template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.

[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE 188 STAGE HERO′S JOURNEY involves a number of major phases, including:

a) The arrival from Another World into an Ordinary World.

b) The Ordinary Self, that has come about as a result of being in the Ordinary World.

c) The encouragement from the Ordinary World into a New World.

d) The gradual dissolution of the Old Self.

e) The becoming of the New Self.

f) The thrusting away from the New Self and New World.

g) The confrontation with challenges.

h) The mastering of the Old and New Worlds and Selves.

more…

(simply go to heros-journey.info/ heros-journey.info/ for full details)

ABRIDGED TIPS, EXCERPTS AND EXAMPLES:

THE ROMANTIC CHALLENGE IS ABLE TO TRAVERSE BOTH WORLDS

The Hero must cross from an Ordinary World into a New World to transform from an Ordinary Self to a New Self. However, the Romantic Challenge is already a member of the New World and often able to cross backwards and forwards at will. This is one reason for the initial polarity between them (this does not negate the fact that the Romantic Challenge is also able to evolve). This is also why the Romantic Challenge is often representative of the Hero’s establishment in the New World and the becoming of the New Self.

In Scarface (1983), Elvira is already a doper’s girl.

In Gladiator (2000), Lucilla is already a member of the royal household.

In Dances with Wolves (1990), Stands with a Fist is already a Sioux.

Learn more…

WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at monomyth.info/ monomyth.info/

188 stages of the Hero’s Journey can also be reached from story-structure.org/ story-structure.org/

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

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made, the author’s name is retained and the link to our site URL remains active.

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

Kal Bishop, MBA

And a dreadful thing from the cliff did spring,

and its wild bark thrill′d around,

His eyes had the glow of the fires below,

‘twas the form of the spectre hound

One of the most chilling omens of death in English folklore is the large, spectral demon dog called Black Shuck. A death omen comes to collect souls and if you have the misfortune to see Black Shuck - expect death to come within a year.

Ghostly Black Dogs are distinguished from normal flesh and blood black dogs by their large yellow or red glowing eyes (sometimes only one), and their ability to appear out of thin air, or into and out of the ground. The demon dog is about the size of a calf and sometimes even appears headless !

When the Black Shuck comes to claim his victims his bone-chilling howls can be heard rising above the wind. His feet make no sound, but people can feel his hot breath on their necks.

A common place to see the Black Dog is at a boundary. He lurks where people move from one locality to another, roads, footpaths, old trackways, bridges, crossroads, gates, doors, stairs and corridors. He can be seen near graveyards and barrows, along Leylines, and running down Corpse Ways or Spirit Paths. Folklore tells us that these ancient paths used to run to churches and spirits would travel along them from graveyard to graveyard.

In the 1890s, a teenage boy rescued from the North Sea told how he had been forced to swim further and further from the shore by a huge dog that chased him through the waters, its teeth gnashing at his neck and shoulders. In the 1920s and 30s, fishermen off Sheringham told of hearing the hound’s howling on stormy nights. And as recently as the 1970s, he was seen pounding over the beach at Yarmouth.

Black Shuck is not confined to Norfolk. Another location is along the Sussex Downs with its old burial mounds, once the principal means of travel before the weald was cleared of its inpenetrable forest. And once, on a summer afternoon in 1577, he made a fateful trip across the border into Suffolk and attacked the congregation of St Mary’s Church in Bungay. As the dreadful dog flew from the church, sated with blood, he is said to have left deep scorch marks on the door.

In 1933 the door was cleaned and burn marks were there for all to see. They remain there to this day.

There are many names for this terrifying visitor. Galleytrot, Shug Monkey, the Hateful Thing, Hell beast, Skeff or Moddey Dhoo and in the south of England you will hear names like Yeth or Wish Hounds. In Yorkshire he is known as The Barguest.

The name Shuck seems to go back to Old English (at least pre-1000 BCE). The Old English epic poem Beowulf describes the monster Grendel and his mother. Grendel is called a Scucca (demon)- and Scucc would have been pronounced pretty much then as it is today. The poem also says of Grendel that him of eagum stod ligge gelicost leoht unfaeger , ‘a fire-like, baleful light shone from his eyes’, Sounds like the Black Shuck to me.

The origins of the Black Dog have been lost in the mists of time but most likely originated from the Vikings who feared the hound of their god Odin All-Father, and brought their tales and lore to England. The word Barguest comes from the German ‘Bargeist′ meaning ’spirit of the (funeral) bier’.

In the folklore of old Europe, the dog is seen as both the guardian and consumer of dead spirits, as in the ‘Wild Hunt’ where a pack of dogs with a master of the hunt flies through the sky looking for lost souls. He also turns up in Egypt, Siberia, and North America. According to the Vedic mythology of ancient India, the dead must pass by the four-eyed dogs of Yama, king of the dead, and Greek mythology tells of the dog Cerberos, popularly endowed with three heads, who watches the entrance to Hades and there is the Egyptian Anubis, with the head of a dog. The Celts have their legends also, of white, red-eared hounds. But the concept of the underworld watchdog reached its fullest and most complex expression among the Germanic peoples.

Whatever the origin of the Black Dog, beware of him, he is still to be found in the wild lonely places of North England today.

About The Author

Susanna Duffy is a Civil Celebrant, folklorist and storyteller who creates rites and ceremonies for the milestones of life funeral.yarralink.com” target=”_new www.funeral.yarralink.com

This is going to be the third excerpt on writing your novel. I am going to try and put these editions out as quickly as I can but that is only when time allows. I love writing and that is what I am doing all the time. Am I a good writer? I don’t know. What I do know is that I am getting to be a better writer with every word I put on paper and you too can become a good writer. To write your novel just follow these steps that I am laying out and at the end you will have something that at least you are proud of.

11. What You Know To Start

When you first start your book it’s important to write about things that you are familiar with. Places that you have lived at, worked at or just visited. Things that you know a little bit about. Maybe you work in the oil path so you want your story to be on a rig. Lastly maybe you know some interesting people that you could use some of their traits to build an exciting character.

12. Characters First

Since your characters are harder to develop you should work on them first. Remember your readers are going to want characters that come to life. Another thing is that your character can’t really change half way through the story. Look at your character kind of like a snowball. He starts off small and eventually becomes big. The plot could change in your story half way through but not your character.

13. Know Your Characters

When you’re done with this exercise you will know your characters intimately. Choose a couple of females, a couple of males and some kids and start building your characters. I use a loose leaf book and use one page per character. You want to build your characters traits. What do they look like? Are they fat, skinny, tall, short, what color are their hair and eyes? Maybe they are bald. Do they have hobbies? What do they like to eat? Are they normal or do they have a sick or sadistic side to them? It doesn’t matter if these are main characters or small part characters. By giving them a life of their own it will help your readers relate to them.

14. Formula

You are going to want to build yourself some sort of formula for a story. Let’s say your writing about a fictional serial killer. You’re going to want to decide how many people he will kill. Will these people be female or male? Will he kill during the day or night? What happens if you run into problems with your story? For me when I was writing my serial killer novel and I ran into a road block I just killed someone else. By that time I was usually past my road block.

15. Plot And Characters

Now that you have your characters built you can start building your plot around them. You already know what you want to write about but you have to make sure that your characters and plot don’t go in the opposite direction. The characters and plot have to move to the ultimate finish together.

Okay this is the end of my third lesson on my step by step series on how to write a novel. Remember not everyone is going to write the perfect novel but at the end of the day if you keep following these steps I guarantee no matter what you will have something that you are proud of.

Dale Mazurek

Dale is presently in the process of getting his first novel published. He has also started dabbling in short stories. You can find some of these on his blog at stcajo-readshortstories.blogspot.com/ stcajo-readshortstories.blogspot.com/ And lastly he deals a little in the affiliate marketing gig which can be checked out at affiliatemarketingfornewbies.blogspot.com/ affiliatemarketingfornewbies.blogspot.com/ or stcajo.netsalaries.com stcajo.netsalaries.com

From our deconstruction of hundreds of Hollywood blockbusters and sitcoms at www.clickok.co.uk/

The Hero′s Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the Hollywood movies we have deconstructed are based on this template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.

The Hero’s Journey:

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

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

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

and more…

EXAMPLE: Shameless 03.07 (Frank and Sheila get married) - [Hero's Journey, basic]

FADE IN: Intro characters: now I′m not saying the Chatsworth Estate is the Garden of Eden…

Loop: Frank’s stag night in the pub.

Time Pressure: two days to the wedding.

A Story: Frank wakes to find the builders in the garden; Sheila gives Frank £8k; the builders don’t negotiate for half.

Inciting Incident:

B Story: Veronica’s IVF failed; argues with Carol.

C Story: Debbie needs some bridesmaid dresses.

A Story: the builders want to dig the garden.

Call to Adventure:

B Story: how is Veronica going to tell Kev?

A Story: Sheila tells Frank that the ex is buried in the garden.

Refusal:

A Story: Frank tells Veronica and Kev that the ex is buried in the garden.

B Story: Veronica avoids Ken’s questions.

C Story: Debbie gets a boyfriend (Brian).

Belly of the Whale:

B Story: Sheila tells Veronica she′s buried gold with him.

C Story: Debbie asks Carol to steal her some dresses.

Physical Separation:

C Story: Debbie asks Brian to get some dresses.

A/B Story: Veronica convinces Frank to help her dig up the body.

Trials and Transformation:

D Story: Lip wakes up late; Mandy is annoyed that he wasn’t there for him.

D Story: Lip talks to Ian about letting Mandy move in; he doesn’t want to be like his dad.

C Story: Debbie rejects a dress from Brian: wrong colour.

Seizing the Sword:

A/B Story: Veronica and Frank arrange a party for Sheila.

C Story: Debbie accepts a dress from Brian; his dad works at the printers; she wants more.

A/B Story: it takes a lot to knock Sheila out.

A/B Story: Veronica digs and Frank talks; they find the gold and two skewers inside the body.

Time Pressure: one day left.

Rebirth through Death:

A/B Story: Frank freaked out in the pub; Veronica convinces him not to go to the police.

A Story: Lilian interferes and Sheila finds out that Frank has been digging.

C Story: Debbie refuses more dresses.

Reward:

D Story: Lip shows Mandy his clean bedroom; living together won′t solve their problems.

C Story: Brian negotiates a kiss on the mouth.

Atonement / Apotheosis:

B Story: Veronica finds out the gold’s fake.

C Story: Brian doesn’t want to kiss Debbie.

A Story: Frank hides in the bathroom; Sheila knows he knows.

B Story: Kev knows Veronica has heard from the hospital.

Ultimate Boon:

A Story: Frank wants the money; Veronica tells him it’s fake; he can’t stay at their place; she throws him out.

B Story: Kev finds out what Veronica’s been up to and she tells him it was for another baby it’s OK.

Refusal:

A Story: Sheila wakes up find Frank missing; searches at Veronica’s Frank hides in the camper.

A Story: Veronica tries to persuade Frank but he refuses to marry a murderer.

A Story: Sheila tells Veronica why she murdered her ex; he was a monster.

Magic Flight:

A Story: Veronica tries to persuade Frank but he runs home for some peace and quiet.

Rescue from Without:

A Story: Frank gets the joint cheque book.

Crossing the Return Threshold:

A Story: Frank nicks the boys bike and races to the police station.

Hand to Hand Battle:

A Story: Sheila confesses to the police.

Ultimate Antagonism:

A Story: Frank arrives and drags Sheila away.

Master of Two Worlds:

A Story: Frank convinces Sheila he will have a broken heart.

Freedom to Live:

A Story: Frank and Sheila get married; Lip and Mandy together; all challenges resolved.

FADE OUT / Afterlife: Frank never divorced the first wife so technically it’s not legal.

Learn more…

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at clickok.co.uk/ clickok.co.uk/

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, the author’s name is retained and the link to our site URL remains active.

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 clickok.co.uk/ clickok.co.uk/

FORWARD

The 188 stage Hero’s Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188 stage template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.

[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE 188 STAGE HERO’S JOURNEY:

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

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

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Tells you what to write. For example, at a certain stage of the story, the focus should be on the Call to Adventure and the micro elements within.

ABRIDGED TIPS, EXCERPTS AND EXAMPLES:

(simply go to heros-journey.info/ heros-journey.info/ for full details)

*****Marker of Change*****

Change is in the air and it is illustrated by a marker (before embarking on the Road of Trials). In Dances with Wolves (1990), the buffalo arrive. In Godfather (1972), the exchange of gifts and the chaperones foreshadow a new beginning. In Romancing the Stone (1984), Joan looks at Jack with bedroom eyes.

*****Call to Adventure*****

A staple of the Hero’s Journey and Transformation. Separate and distinct from the Inciting Incident. A Call for the Hero to set out on a Journey; an implicit Call to face Challenges. It is the undergoing of the Journey that will Transform the Hero and provide him (or her) with the capacity to conquer challenges that were previously unconquerable. In Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Clyde invites Bonnie for a drink.

Learn more…

WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at clickok.co.uk/ clickok.co.uk/ or managing-creativity.com/ managing-creativity.com/

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

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made, the author’s name is retained and the link to our site URL remains active.

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

Kal Bishop, MBA

So, you’re thinking about writing a novel or a book of short stories? Are you determined to have a book of poetry published this year? Do you have that burning desire to overcome those writing challenges and take your written compositions to another level? We tend to look to outside influences, things and people for inspiration and motivation. Yet, what good is inspiration if you never do anything with it? Do you catch yourself saying that “you don’t have time to be a writer, because you’re just too busy?”

If you want to truly understand the essence of time, ask someone who has just been diagnosed with a terminal illness and given a certain amount of time to live. Ask a parent about time, who suddenly lost their only child in a tragic accident. Ask a person who was a dedicated employee for years with one company, never taking a vacation or a personal day off, then surprisingly losing their job, due to restructuring and budget costs. Out of these challenges, many books, articles, poems, support systems, seminars and organizations are born. These births are designed for healing and helping others get through some difficult times that the writer experienced. Time is short? No, time is precious and is a gift that must be used wisely.

Time doesn’t care whether or not you are young or old; male or female; rich or poor; good or bad; smart or dumb; married or single; happy or sad; a college grad or a high school drop out. Time is not concerned with your race, denomination or even if you’re not well traveled. Time moves on, with you or without you.

Do you think that writing is for the elite who have nothing but “time” on their hands? Well, writers just like other professionals, are among an elite group of people. In order to be a good writer, you must “make” the time to perfect your craft. It takes time, practice, patience, perseverance and a tough exterior to face those challenging situations that can attack your writing. Do you give up, give in, give out or give it your all-in-all?

Write that novel, chapbook, e-book or some articles starting now! Join a writer’s group or seek an agent to submit your completed manuscript to. Stop waiting! Just do it!

If now is not the time, then when do you think the time will be right to write? If you continue to wait to get started, you’ll quickly discover that others have already begun and succeeded. Their ideas or style of writing may not be better than yours, but they did something you didn’t do. They made it happen. So, what are you waiting for again? Don’t say that you don’t have time either!

Kym Gordon Moore is a creative marketing strategist for Moore 2 It Productions and coordinates cost effective, creative marketing packages for budget conscious new authors and new small business owners. moore2itproductions.com moore2itproductions.com She is the author of the eBook, “Alphabet Soup: 5 Main Ingredients for Turning Words into a Bowl of Hot Topics!” Many of her articles, essays, short stories and poems appeared in a variety of magazines, newspapers, ezines and anthologies. kymgmoore.com kymgmoore.com

Quite a few years ago, I enrolled in a Degree in Criminal Justice. My main reason for doing so was my interest in reading and writing crime and mystery fiction. I thought by doing this course, I would gain a good grounding in police procedure. I was particularly interested in forensic science and profiling.

Unfortunately, after completing the first semester, I discovered that some subjects (naturally, the ones in which I was most interested) were available only to those working in the field. On top of this, I was finding it hard to fit in course requirements around other demands on my time (notably, bringing up four children and working part time). Everything was suffering - my family, work, my health and my studies.

I really wanted just to stop - to never have to do another assignment. But I kept going. I’d started the course - I felt I ‘had’ to finish. What would people say if I just tossed it in? “But you’ve paid all that money - it seems a shame not to carry it through” or worse still “I’m not surprised; I never thought you’d finish”.

At the end of the first year, I quit. It simply wasn’t worth the price I was paying in stress and lack of time. I didn’t have to do the course - I didn’t need it for career advancement, after all. A huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I felt happy again.

And what did people say? Most didn’t even comment. It was obviously a far bigger thing for me than it was for them. Those who did say something were supportive: “You’ve got to do what feels right for you.”

How true that is. If something is ‘not right’ for us, it’s so much harder to generate enthusiasm. It’s so much harder to find the time. Things just don’t flow. This is as true for writing as it is for anything else. There are many reasons for feeling you need ‘permission not to write’ - but the only one who needs to give that permission is YOU.

Life Gets In The Way

No matter how organised you are, there comes a time when life will get in the way of your plans. You get sick, or lose your job and find that stress sets in. A member of your family might need your support. Or… everything happens at once! How often have you found that when one thing goes wrong, more disasters follow?

At times like this you need to give your attention to the obstacles in your way. If you don′t have the time or inclination to write, then don′t. It’s your life. Do what feels right for you.

You Start A New Job

…or you’re offered a new and more challenging position. You’re torn between focusing on the job and splitting your energy between that and your writing. Eventually you begin to resent your writing for (a) taking your time away from your new responsibilities and (b) making you feel guilty.

Assuming you wanted the job in the first place, doesn′t it make more sense to take some time out from writing at this stage? If you love to write, you’ll come back to it. And if you don′t return to it - then perhaps writing wasn′t as important to you as you thought. It’s good to find that out.

You′re Losing Interest in Writing

It’s getting harder and harder to drag yourself to the computer and write. You find yourself relieved when the house simply *has* to be cleaned, or the school holidays arrive and it’s impossible to find any peace to write. But everyone knows you’re writing a book, and they keep asking how it’s going. You know you sound as though you’re making excuses… and you are.

Look around you. Hundreds - no, thousands - of people pick up and put down one hobby after another. They go to art classes, they dabble in photography, they take up martial arts. It’s fine to try things out. That doesn′t mean you have to keep doing them if you’ve discovered they’re not really for you.

So what if you’re halfway through a book? Just tell people the truth: “Writing takes a lot more creative energy than you’d think - I’m not sure it’s for me,” or “Writing is a long-term commitment. Meanwhile, I’m not getting to try out other things I’d like to do. So I’m having a break from it for a while.”

Never, never keep writing just because of what other people might say or do if you stop.

You’re Feeling Burnt Out

This is not quite the same thing as deciding that writing is not for you. Let’s suppose you absolutely love writing. You’ve always loved it, and creating characters and plots gives you a huge buzz. But… you’ve written six books and although the rejection letters are getting more encouraging, you still haven′t received a ‘yes’. Or maybe that agent that was recommended has knocked you back.

You’re tired. You know that you’ll never stop writing, but… you’re feeling down and you wish you could just stop for a while.

Fine. Do it. Take a month off, or a year off. Take as long as you need, until you feel that unmistakable urge return and you just have to sit down and write. Give yourself permission right now to take a vacation from writing - for as long as you like. What’s the difference between letting a field lie fallow for a year or so between crops and letting your imagination rejuvenate itself between projects? Giving yourself permission not to write for a while might be the very best thing you can do for your writing career.

And while you′re taking that time off, you can stay connected by reading and filing articles on writing, joining a chat group for writers, or building your writer’s website. Or simply read a lot!

There are, no doubt, many more reasons for needing permission not to write. The best guide is your own gut feeling. If the thought of not having to write for a while makes you heave a sigh of relief, then take action.

Permission not to write is hereby granted.

(c) Copyright Marg McAlister

Marg McAlister has published magazine articles, short stories, books for children, ezines, promotional material, sales letters and web content. She has written 5 distance education courses on writing, and her online help for writers is popular all over the world. Sign up for her regular writers′ tipsheet at writinЊsuccess.com writinЊsuccess.com/

Elmore Leonard, or “Dutch” to his fans, started out writing pulp westerns in the 1950s before turning to crime fiction, perhaps influenced by real-life headlines about Bonnie and Clyde while growing up. One of modern America’s most popular and prolific writers, Leonard has written over two dozen novels, including ‘Glitz’, ‘Get Shorty’, ‘Maximum Bob’, and ‘Rum Punch’—most of them bestsellers.

Many of his novels have been made into films, most notably ‘Get Shorty’ (1995) and ‘Rum Punch’ as ‘Jackie Brown’ (1997) and ‘Out of Sight’ (1998). On the numerous adaptations of his work, the author commented that ‘Get Shorty’ was the first to “get it,” to demonstrate that you can “deliver ‘funny’ lines in a movie without reaction, without the character knowing he or she was being funny.”

In real life Leonard is as pithy and wry as his characters. Often asked by fans and aspiring writers how to go about getting an agent, his standard response is to suggest that they learn how to write, and an agent will find them.

Is there a secret to his writing success? He claims there is, and it lies in pleasing himself first: “My purpose is to entertain and please myself. I feel that if I am entertained, then there will be enough other readers who will be entertained too.”

In the current internet and computer age Leonard is something of an anachronism in that he still writes with a pen and on paper, just as he has for the last fifty years, and has a researcher maintain a website and weblog for him. Sounds like the kind of character you would find in an Elmore Leonard novel…

Unlike most ‘genre′ writers, Leonard is taken seriously by both literary critics and fellow writers, often commended for his gritty style and strong dialogue he sometimes takes liberties with grammar in the interests of speeding along the story. So true to life are his settings, Leonard is often asked if he has ever been in prison; prison inmates often write to him and ask how he knows so much about their mindset, their lives or prison life? His response: “I listen, I study, I talk to convicts, and I do my homework.”

Leonard has been called “the Dickens of Detroit” for his intimate portraits of people from the world’s motor capital; his ear for dialogue and ability to render it to written word praised by writers as diverse as Saul Bellow and Martin Amis, the latter commenting that Leonard’s prose “makes Raymond Chandler look clumsy.”

How long did it take him to develop his trademark ‘sound?’ Aspiring writers may want to skip the answer, as it reveals that behind (almost) every successful author there is an awful amount of hard work: “Ten years. It took about ten years before my sound emerged. That’s about a million words.”

So how does Leonard manage to be popular ‘and’ respectable? The answer may be in his ten tips for good writing:

1. Never open a book with weather.

2. Avoid prologues.

3. Never use a verb other than “said” to carry dialogue.

4. Never use an adverb to modify the verb “said”…he admonished gravely.

5. Keep your exclamation points under control. You are allowed no more than two or three per 100,000 words of prose.

6. Never use the words “suddenly” or “all hell broke loose.”

7. Use regional dialect, patois, sparingly.

8. Avoid detailed descriptions of characters.

9. Don’t go into great detail describing places and things.

10. Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.

And his favourite rule? It’s the one that sums up the previous ten:

“If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.”

John Gillespie is a New Zealand based designer and writer with a love of writing and a practise of meditation. A member of the srichinmoybio.co.uk/sri-chinmoy-centre/index.html Sri Chinmoy Meditation Centre, he isn’t yet popular but tries to be respectable.
John’s Blog: sensitivitytothings.com/ sensitivitytothings.com

As you might have guessed by now, article marketing is my favorite form of traffic.

By the way, what is article marketing traffic? Article marketing traffic is traffic that is created when I write articles about the topics that will interest people who would buy from me in the future, put links in my articles to web pages on my site (in my case, squeeze pages on my site), and submit those articles to the various online article directories.

So why does article marketing create such high quality traffic?

This is how article marketing works, on the visitor end: someone reads my article after searching for their desired subject online and my article has come up in the top ten results in the search engine. They read my article, and many of them click out of my article without reading any further or without clicking into my site.

That is the most important part! That is my screening process! I get rid of the deadbeats, the people who don’t like me, who don’t like my name or my ideas, or whatever. That means that only qualified people will get to my web site!

So this means that since only qualified people will get to my web site, then I have a list of people who are much more highly qualified than just about anybody else in my niche.

There is an incredible screening process that goes on with article marketing, that just doesn’t happen with PPC or classified advertising, or banner advertising, or just about any other advertising online. It just doesn’t happen with the other sources of traffic – but it does happen with article marketing.

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to article marketing success, ‘Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide‘

Download it free here:

Several correspondents to our newsletter, AdBriefing, say that they are having trouble writing body copy for ads. Their problem seems to be the age-old one of how to kick things off – how to make a start. Can I help? Of course, I can.

When you have been writing copy as long as I have, you will come to understand that there is an unwritten formula for writing copy. While I shudder at the thought of formulae in advertising (since advertising is still a matter of doing what your instincts tell you to be right, and not what some computer programme tells you), there is no doubt that copy should follow a logical sequence. A sequence that takes its lead from the message in the main headline.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, every headline should contain some kind of offer or promise. At risk of repeating myself, it should contain a benefit along the lines of: Buy this product and get this benefit. If it doesn’t do this, then to my mind there is no point in running the ad. As the great Doctor Sam Johnson said, back in the 1700s: Promise, large promise, is the soul of advertising.

Ok – assuming that you have written a benefit-ridden headline, it follows that the first line of body copy should reinforce that benefit. It should enlarge upon it. It should take the initial promise and make more of it – much more. In other words, it should be a more verbose rendering of the headline statement. An expansion of what is in it for the punter.

It should not, decidedly not, be talking about something entirely different from what is contained in the headline – as a lot of so-called copywriters tend to do. This merely diverts your prospect’s attention from your major proposition. Always remember that the reason he is bothering to read your body copy is because he has been intrigued by your headline. He wants to be sure he has understood the message.

All right, with the opening para written, the rest should write itself. Your second para should talk about the features of the product. How it works. What it does. How fast it operates – that kind of thing. And if it has a lot of features, expand your writing into a third and fourth paragraphs if necessary.

This done, your penultimate para should refer back to the headline – once again reiterating the benefit. After that, all you need is a call-to-action paragraph; one that describes where, how and when the product can be bought.

And that, in a nutshell, is how to construct body copy. The formula, however, is not set in stone. Just so long as your first paragraph is always a re-work of the headline message, you can do more or less as you wish with the rest of it.

Simple – isn’t it?

About The Author

Patrick Quinn is an award winning copywriter with 40 years’ experience of the advertising business in London, Miami, Dublin and Edinburgh.

He publishes a FREE monthly newsletter, AdBriefing. Subscriptions are available at: adbriefing.com” target=”_new adbriefing.com

mailto:j.p@markethillpublishing.co.uk j.p@markethillpublishing.co.uk