Writing Inrochester

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)

*****Journey to the Inner Cave*****

Symbolism in underestimated. In Brokeback Mountain (2005), Ennis moves into camp. A symbolic indicator of progression of Journey.

*****Multiple Mentors*****

It is not unusual for the Hero to meet more than one Mentor. Each has experience in a particular domain. In Hooper (1978), we meet both Jocko and Max.

The Supernatural Aid appears in some mysterious way and magical way. In The Big Lebowski (1998), The Stranger seems to magically appear and disappear.

Demonstrates Capabilities. It is not unusual for the Supernatural Aid to demonstrate his or her capabilities, often by saving the Hero from the danger caused by the Call of the Woodsman. In City Slickers (1991), Curly magically appears to save Mitch from the cowboys.

Knows his Name. The Hero may be surprised to meet the Supernatural Aid but he is not surprised to see the Hero. He may have been watching the Hero for some time and knows exactly who he is and calls him by his name. In The Big Lebowski (1998), The Stranger seems to know all about the Big Lebowski.

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.

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Kal Bishop, MBA

Ah, the age-old writer’s debate–to outline or not to outline?

Outlines have proven quite effective for a lot of writers, and many of the famous stories we know and love–such as Star Wars–were outlined before they were fleshed out into a living, breathing story. (Well, metaphorically living and breathing, anyway.)

But many of the stories that touched us most–like real-life experiences–simply happened, no outlining was needed. Some stories just come to you, while others need some refining before they’re ready to be written. The question is, which one works best for you?

I have always been a ’seat-of-the-pants’ writer–that is, I’ve just sat down and written most of what I want to write, without any outlining or prior planning.

However, on several occasions I have actually written detailed outlines and come up with very rewarding and satisfying pieces of writing for my efforts.

Some people swear that they can’t write a single sentence until they know what the end is going to be. Other people–like me–are the opposite. They can’t write the ending until they’ve written the beginning. They have no idea how the story will end when they type in that first sentence. Some people even write an outline for each scene, number them, put them in order and then write them in that order, without considering which to write first–ending, middle, or climax.

For me, outlining in too much detail takes all of the spontaneity out of writing. It makes me feel like I′ve already written the whole story before when I sit down at the keyboard to start typing. I know from experience that if I outline scene by scene, going through every hand motion and every eye motion and every tilt of the head that my characters are making–it won’t be as new and exciting when I′m doing the actual writing. And I will get bored.

Not being one to outline by trade, I sort of made up my own outlining style, and it is actually more of a summary than an outline.

For example, I have a 36-page ‘outline’ for a novel I want to write. Every time I sat down to write on it–excited about finishing this story and getting it published–I would read the first few lines of the outline, try to start where I left off last time, and fail miserably.

The outline was just too detailed–I felt that it took away all of the freedom I have as a writer. So I thought it over, and decided that an outline was just a tool, and we all use tools differently. Now, if I have an outline at all, I consider it a “rough draft” of the story, and so I can change things around if I decide it’s better that way.

But you’re asking, “Do you mean that the answer to ‘to outline or not to outline’ is not to?”

Not at all!

Outlining works for some people and it doesn′t for others. I believe that everyone should write in whatever style works best for them. If you find yourself at a dead-end in your creativity (sometimes known better as ‘writer’s block’) you might want to examine what an outline means to you.

If you usually outline and now find yourself at a dead end, try spontaneously writing something–without an outline. Anything will do. Write random scenes and keep them all in a folder or journal to read later–who knows, one might even inspire a new story for you.

For those who usually write spontaneously and are at a dead end, perhaps you should experiment with outlining. I used to swear I would never outline. But when I gave in and tried it, I did get some good results. If the outline seems too rigid, you might try what works for me–which is to put less detail into the outline.

I have a very detailed writing style, so it’s natural for me to want to note every little thing in the outline. But that was a mistake. I′ve learned to write the outline with just enough detail so that I will know what will happen, when and how, and then move on to the actual story-writing.

So the answer to ‘to outline or not to outline?’, at least as far as I’m concerned, is ‘to outline–loosely, and only if it works well for you.?

In closing, here are some tips for writing a more flexible outline:

1) Keep it simple. You don’t need to write the outline with perfect grammar and punctuation, or from your point of view character’s perspective. Remember, this is just a generalized guide.

2) Try not to get too detailed about what happens in any one particular scene. Just figure out where they are in the beginning (’They’re slogging along the roadside in the rain.’) and where they are at the end (’They finally decide to stop and rest, so they make a tent out of the umbrella and blankets and go to sleep’) and fill in the blanks when you actually write the scene.

3) Write it in present tense. That seems to make it easier to feel more in the immediate “now″ of the story, and seems more natural to me. Even though I always write in past tense in my stories (present tense actually annoys me in stories, but that’s just my preference I guess) I always write my outlines in present tense.

The outline seems more immediate and real when written in present tense, and helps me stick with it and develop the outline all the way to the end of the story. I suppose you could write your outlines in whatever tense you like, but this is just another way to distinguish the real writing of the story from the outline-writing.

4) Enjoy yourself. A writer’s mood translates through in their word choice, so if you’re writing humor but are actually feeling angry, the funny story may seem a little forced.

While not always true–I frequently write angst and sad stories even though I’m generally happy–the truth is that if you don′t enjoy writing your stories, what was the point? And if your answer was ‘money’, perhaps you should try a different profession and just pursue fiction writing as a hobby.

Happy scribblin’!

About The Author

Mallory York has been drawing since before she knew how to date a picture, and has been creating anime art for four years. Among her favorite anime series are Fushigi Yuugi, Gundam Wing, and The Slayers. You can read some of her fanfic at Fanfiction.net″ target=”_new Fanfiction.net and view more of her artwork at HTTP://WWW.˿S.NET” target=”_new HTTP://WWW.˿S.NET and also at HTTP://WWW.ELFWOOD.COM” target=”_new HTTP://WWW.ELFWOOD.COM.

mailto:support@L7S.net support@L7S.net

I realize that when you write an article nobody actually hears you speak. However, there is still a “voice″ that comes across in an article, whether we know it or not. Unfortunately, the wrong voice can kill your article before it ever has a chance to breathe life. In this article, we′re going to discuss the practice of finding your voice and how to get it across to your readers so that the article has the desired effect. Hopefully, after reading this, you′ll have a pretty good idea of what voice to use depending on what article topic you′re writing on.

So what exactly IS the article voice? Well, it’s the seriousness, or lack thereof, in the tone you use. It’s also the kind of vocabulary and dialogue that you use. For example, if you’re righting an article on the subject of hip hop, you’re not going to use the same kind of dialogue that you would if you were writing an article on how to cure acne. For one thing, you’re probably reaching two completely different audiences. That’s why the really good writers are able to adapt their voice to the audience they’re reaching.

How do you do that? Well, for starters, you have to understand the topic very well. So if you’re going to write about hip hop, you need to research not only the facts of hip hop but the world itself. You have to learn how these people think, act, feel, and speak. Depending on how quick a study you are, this could take hours, weeks, or even months or years.But however long it takes, you need to master that voice or you’re going to lose your audience right away.

The best way to really get this point across is with a couple of examples. This first paragraph is going to be from a hypothetical article on rock and roll. The second paragraph will be from a hypothetical article on bowling. Okay, here’s paragraph one.

Back in the 60s was when rock and roll was king. Groups like the Stones and Steppenwolf were dominating the airwaves. Today’s a whole new story. While the Stones are still kicking away, many of the great rock and roll bands of that era are long gone. The new genre sounds more like a garage band get together than what we used to call real hard rock. Sure, heavy metal is still hanging on by a thread, but most of it is so incoherent that you need a decoder ring to figure out what anybody is saying.

Okay, I think you got the tone and message, whether or not you agree with it. Now, let’s hit that bowling article.

Bowling is a very relaxing and family oriented sport. There are usually many bowling centers in most major cities. While the sport has somewhat declined in popularity over the past 20 years, it is still a pleasant night out for you and the kids. Bowling is still one of the cheapest forms of entertainment that you can find, especially with a ticket to a movie costing as much as $10 or more. You should have no trouble finding an establishment near you simply by looking in your local phone directory.

Notice the difference? I sure as heck hope so. And, if I was writing about a surgical procedure, I would take a very serious and methodical tone.

The bottom line is this. You have to know your audience. Once you do, the rest comes from writing, writing and more writing.

Like they say, practice makes perfect.

To YOUR Success,

Steven Wagenheim

Want to write killer articles? Want your bios to sizzle? Want to get people flocking to your site like bees to honey? Check out a book that I personally wrote called “The Complete Article Writing And Marketing Guide” which you can find at stevewagenheim.com/ stevewagenheim.com/ under the products section. This is my own personal site made especially for writers and marketers where you will find articles, reviews and a wealth of information on many topics related to writing and marketing.

My name is Ann and I′m a grammar geek. There, it’s out and I′m relieved. Does this mean my writing is perfect and consistently conforms to grammar rules? Heck, no. It does mean that I spend hours perseverating about serial commas, dangling participles, and feeling guilty if I end a sentence with a preposition. I worry endlessly about what I call the PowerPointification of America (i.e., the trend toward writing short chunks of information in bullet points - which, incidentally, is what sells). I can’t bring myself to use abbreviations in e-mail or instant messages. I don’t use emoticons. I can’t help it. For better or worse, I′m a word nerd.

In my technical writing world, I get paid to think about these things. I must stay on top of instructional design trends, write to suit my audience rather than myself, and ensure that my copy is error-free both technically and grammatically. Often, I must check my ego at the door and conform to writing styles with which I don’t agree. Why? I must please my customers. It’s my job. There are times in life when we all must conform and comply to rules we don’t like. Sometimes, however, you just have to stand up for what you believe. For me, it’s a strongly held belief that the exclamation point is a dangerous grammar tool that should be used sparingly and with caution.

Why do I pick on the exclamation point? I′ve noticed a trend in recent years that correlates with the growing popularity of e-mail and instant messages. It’s the proliferation of the exclamation point. I see so much Web copy with multiple exclamation points (e.g., “This widget is the best in all of widgetdom!!!!”) or an entire page of Web copy in which each sentence ends with an exclamation point. This makes me feel like someone is yelling at me. It “hurts” my virtual ears. And frankly, if you use the exclamation point too much, you are like the boy who cried wolf. Who is going to believe you if you’re always yelling to get attention?

What’s a newbie copywriter or small business owner who can’t afford to pay a professional copywriter to do about exclamation pointitis? Follow these simple guidelines:

Limit your Web copy exclamation points to one per page. Yes, I know you love your product, but remember, there is great elegance in simple, clean copy.
Read and revise your copy and then read and revise again…and again. If you’re suffering from exclamation pointitis, ask yourself, “Are there adjectives I could be using that would more precisely illustrate the point rather than using exclamation points?” Remember, the thesaurus is your friend. Use colorful adjectives. Vary them throughout your copy, but don’t use a word unless you are entirely sure of its meaning.
Don’t ever use multiple exclamation points!!!! It’s a sign of immature writing.
When is an exclamation point appropriate? Use it to convey extreme emotion or as a command (e.g., “Stop it!” I yelled, as my brother hurled me into the pool.)

Still stuck? That’s okay. We small business owners aren’t expected to know everything. Chances are there’s another business owner out there who loves to write killer copy. Have others you trust read your work. Make it a habit to check out the writing styles of people and companies you admire. Find Web pages with exclamation pointitis and think about how you would improve them. And always remember, the beautiful thing about Web sites and your blog is that you can change your content whenever you want.

The bottom line is that well-written copy portrays a professional and polished image. Is your marketing copy up to snuff?

Copyright 2005, Ann Zuccardy, All rights reserved.

Ann Zuccardy, creative entrepreneur, food lover and owner of the Vermont Shortbread Company, invites you to sample a taste of her buttery-rich, authentic Vermont Shortbread. Place your online order for VermontShortbread.com shortbread boxed fresh from the oven and shipped right to your doorstep at VermontShortbread.com VermontShortbread.com

Knowing your audience and the purpose of your content is paramount whether writing for the web or for print. However, there are significant differences between the two mediums of which a writer must be aware before writing Web content for the first time.

Compared to print, the Web is generally an informal and immediate medium. Users have come to expect a more informal writing style that is more straightforward. Puns and figurative language don’t translate well and can often be confusing for international users.

With print media, users proceed linearly from page to page and they have a tangible product that can visually cue the user as to how much information there is and how the information is ordered. On the Web, there is no tangible product to size up, thus site navigation is an invaluable component of Web site content. A user can arrive at any page from any other page that is linked to it. Because users can move between any number of pages, in any order, every Web page should be independent from the others and able to explain the topic to the user without assuming the user has read any other related pages.

In the Western society, printed media is usually read starting at the top, then from left to right, then quickly to the very bottom of the right, leaving “dead space” at the bottom left side of the page. This “dead space” is an area on the page which the human eye is least likely to view and from which the human mind is least likely to comprehend information. The Nielsen Norman Group studied human reading patterns in their usability studies. Jakob Nielsen and Kara Pernice used eye-tracking equipment to record users’ eye movements and facial expressions as they viewed Web content. To capture this information, “cameras and infrared emitters were hidden behind small, dark windows at the top and bottom of the [computer] monitor.” The results of their study demonstrated that users have a tendency to read in an “F” pattern and most often focus on bulleted information. The implications of their findings indicate that Web-content writers can improve their Web pages by placing important content and navigation in these most frequently viewed areas.

Another important difference between print and Web content is how the content itself is presented. Web content should have 50% of the word count of its printed equivalent because Web users read about 25% slower from computer screens than from paper. This is why repurposing printed media, such as a brochure, as Web content does not usually provide an optimal experience for Web users.

Web content is most easily read if written in a sans-serif font, as opposed to the serif font standard typically used in print. Serifs, the “hooks” or “tails” on the ends of letters are designed to help transition a reader’s eye from letter to letter. On the Web, however, the serifs can sometimes impede readability due to the pixels in which computer fonts are created which cause content written in serif letters to run together on screen.

Additionally, sans-serif fonts are easier to read in small chunks, the way Web content is generally best written. Leaving white space in your Web content is as important as it is for print content. It helps guide the user’s eye to the content and improves the usability of the Web site.

Once the purpose of the site and the intended target audience are determined, as well as the unique requirements of writing Web content for best comprehension and user experience are understood, Web-content writers can begin effectively writing for the Web.

This article was co-written by sherikeyser.com″ target=”new Sheri Keyser and sherikeyser.googlepages.com/gosightseewriter-ryanfink” target=”new Ryan Fink. Ms. Keyser is an experienced online marketing professional, writer, and entrepreneur. Mr. Fink is a writer with experience in the Internet and Finance industries.

Article writing and submission is a well proven and infallible way to build a steady flow of traffic to your website, but to work effectively this strategy requires a disciplined approach to article production.

No matter what article target you set yourself; one a week, one a day or five every morning, at some point you will come across the inevitable problem of not knowing what to write.

Here are three little tips to get your creativity flowing again.

Tip #1 – Start with the structure. You have probably already started experimenting with the basic article structures; bullet points, threes, fives, the story approach etc. One way to get going is to choose one of those structures, let’s say, the set of three.

All you need to do is sit at your keyboard and type three sentences related to your area of interest. Type them as quickly as possible, without worrying about spelling or grammar – try to access your subconscious if you can.

Whenever I do this, I always find at least one of those sentences will immediately suggest an article topic or a new angle and sometimes, I end up with two or three.

Tip #2 – Play with your keywords. If your article marketing is part of an overall web strategy, then somewhere you will be making use of keywords, whether in your articles or in a separate pay per click campaign.

Try typing out those keywords as a sentence and insert prepositions like ‘and’ or ‘to’ or ‘of’ in between them at random. For example, if your subject area is gardening you might produce a keyword sentence like this :

“Horticulture of seed-beds and saplings to cultivate and germination under fertilizer”. Of course, it doesn’t make sense, but it will make you see the different niches of your subject in new ways. If your first pass doesn’t inspire you, try moving the keywords round in the sentence till something clicks. It always will.
Tip #3 – Just start typing. Finally, my faithful standby to kick-start my brain and begin to produce something new is to just start typing sentences. Anything at all will do as long as you keep your subject area and keywords in your mind, what you type will be somewhere in the region of where you want to be and as soon as you have typed three or four, I can guarantee that you will ignite the spark that will create your next article.

In the same topsy-turvy way that simply smiling makes us feel happier, I have found that simply typing will produce articles. The answer is in your fingers.

Hi, my name is Andrew Grant. I hope you enjoyed this article.
If you would like to read more great articles on self improvement and making money online, I’d like to invite you to subscribe to my free newsletter, which you′ll find at :
money-and-mind.com money-and-mind.com

Have you considered using article marketing as part of your strategy to get more targeted traffic from the byline links at the bottom of the article? Well, it works and you can do this extremely well with as few as 200-400 articles. Of course you are probably saying; Yes sure, but it takes a lot of work to write 200-400 marketing type articles and post them online in one month right? Well sure it does but you can do it, I know you can? How do I know this? Well in August of 2006, I wrote just over 400 articles in just under four weeks.

Since I am not a writer either, well I just know you can do this too. So when we talk about; Article Marketing, lets us start talking about volume shall we? Over 400 Articles in One Month; You Can Do It, I did. How do you do this, well start by writing out 200 titles of articles you wish to write, use questions first, use all the questions your customers ask as the first set of titles and you will think of even more as you go.

Article Marketing is not hard, but to do it right you need synergy and to get synergy you need numbers and if you go for it and write 200-400 articles in one to two months and then follow that up with 5-articles new content per week, well you will become one of the top online article marketers in your industry sub-sector. Please consider all this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” - Online WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/ Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance in the Online Think Tank and solve the problems of the World; WorldThinkTank.net www.WorldThinkTank.net/

Moods Will Get You and Get to You - Every time

Can you truly be yourself in an online writing community? Really?

I’m finding that it’s the assumption that most people are like me that gets me into trouble. That they know what I mean, we’re on the same page, so to speak. What I might consider harmless fun or discussion may offend someone else. The message that was truly intended is forever lost if the perception is wrong. Be careful of the words you use. You can’t expect anyone to be able to read between the lines, or notice the tongue n your cheek if they can’t see the twinkle in your eye. Your words are taken literally, and the tone is very important. I think more is read from the tone than the words at those times.

Posting a message in the emotion of the moment should be done carefully, because invariably, emotion means you are being yourself, and someone is going to misinterpret it. You may flare up and burn out immediately. You’re over it, and in real life, face-to-face, it would pass quickly for all parties. Online it can’t, because there is no way to satisfactorily explain what was meant.

Perception becomes reality.

Encouragement:

Encouragement is needed by everyone just to keep them going. It’s one of the most important elements of life. Without it, we shrivel up and die. In online communities, over time, we begin to take each other for granted. We are so busy with our projects we forget that others are busy too. We first forget to say ‘thank you’ now and then, and finally we forget to say it at all. Everyone needs some sort of recognition for their efforts. We need to know our time is appreciated. Just as our real life families need a friendly welcome and smile, so do our online friends. Being taken for granted wears thin real fast.

Members of good writing groups can’t wait to get home and log on. They love it. Why? You can guess why, I think. It’s friendly, welcoming and encouraging. It’s such a small thing to give, but oh, so very important. Don’t deny it to anyone because of a perceived slight.

Real life affects us. It can’t help but put the humor in our writing that everyone loves, but remember, it also adds the anger, hurt and rudeness that we sometimes show in our posts and replies. Try not to take it personal when it happens to you. Holding grudges is not good for you. Forget it! Offer a word and a smile. If it isn’t accepted, move on, but don’t carry on.

Perception is stronger than reality.

Try to forget and forgive online offenses, they usually are not truly directed at you, but caused by an off-line incident. You just happened to be the first person encountered after the event.

Perception is not always reality.

Harriet is a Moderator and reviewer of new writers who has written many newsletters and articles on the subject of novice writing and reviewing with common sense and encouragement. Her portfolio can be found at Writing.Com/authors/storytime Writing.Com/authors/storytime
She is an author on a site for
Writing.Com/ Writers ( Writing.Com/ Writing.Com/ )

It was a walk I had taken a thousand times. I could do it my sleep; out through the sliding glass door, across the redwood deck and down the steps, across the driveway and out onto the lane leading away from our house. The sound of gravel crunching under my feet would fill the still afternoon air. After looking both ways, careful not to step into the path of a neighbor speeding by in his pickup truck, I would walk across the road that ran in front of our house.

Yes, I had taken that walk in all seasons and in all kinds of weather, retrieving bills, gathering up magazines, stuffing my fists with unwanted credit card applications, and holding fast onto the occasional greeting card from a loved one.

It was no more than a hundred feet and a return trip of less than three minutes. It was a walk as routine as taking a breath. But on this cool late spring day, that customary walk held all the anxiety of a climb up a mountain. My book would be arriving today.

As I held out my hand to open the mail box, my thoughts went back in time, back to a few months ago when my newly finished manuscript had magically drifted through the air from my computer screen to the computer screen of my prospective publisher.

I thought of the agonizing three weeks I spent waiting to see what changes my assigned editor would make to my work. I thought of the dozens of sketches and drawings submitted by my illustrator for my consideration. So many decisions needed to be made; the back cover, the front cover, the page layout. My mind swam as something new was thrown at me seemingly every minute of every day.

And then suddenly all was quiet. It was over. All the decisions had been made. The book was being printed. The first copy was on the way. The first copy was here.

I grabbed the handle of the mail box and opened the door. And there it was. Sitting under the power bill and a bill from my dentist, along with this week’s issue of Newsweek, was the unmistakable red, white and blue U.S. Postal Service package. My heart skipped a beat as I reached in and grabbed the day’s mail.

Once back inside the house I sat at the kitchen table and stared at the package lying in front of me. My mind wandered back in time again. I thought of all the hours. How many had it been, a thousand perhaps? I thought of all the writing, the deleting, the rewriting; all the frustration, all the times I had almost quit. I remembered wondering if it would ever be good enough, ever be worthy of all the time and effort.

As I reached for the top of the package and ripped it open, I thought of the conferences and workshops. I thought of all the books I had studied on the subject of writing a book. And I thought of all the other autobiographical works of other authors I had read, immersing myself in the genre.

Finally, I smiled as I held my book in my hands for the first time. A tingling went up my spine as I looked down at the bottom of the front cover and saw my name. I gently brushed my fingertips over the smooth, glossy cover and a sudden thought jolted through my mind.

It was quite possible, I thought, that in a few months from now a thousand strangers would be doing exactly what I was doing right this moment, holding my book in their hands.

They would then open it up and start reading words that I had written. They would be reading about me. They would be reading my innermost thoughts.

I sat the book back down on the table and looked up, staring through the kitchen and out into the living room. My gaze took in the blue sky that bathed the front window of our house . . . and a sudden realization came over me.

From this day forward, my life might never be the same again.

About the Author

Len Schritter is a third generation farmer and rancher in Aberdeen, Idaho, where Len and his brother Mike run a 3,500-acre farm on which they produce potatoes, sugar beets, and wheat. Len wants to state here publicly how bad he feels leaving Mike behind on the tundra to tend to things.

It’s just that Len′s had enough winters to last him a lifetime, and so he and his wife Diana head for Mesa, Arizona, every year - just about the time the snow starts flying back home.

The Secret Life of a Snowbird is Len’s first book. He is already at work on his second.

Just as phrases can be cliché, so can plots and characters. Giving an old plot or character a new twist is what we all (hopefully) shoot for.

Now that I’m finishing up my college degree I use this tool for my writing there. How can I give a fresh new twist to an old assignment? This isn’t easy to think of with five loads of laundry lurking in another room! How do I do it? I look at it in different ways: through the eyes of my children, my husband, the dog or even the laundry!

Oh Captain, My Captain!

Remember that line from Dead Poets Society? Prodded by their teacher (aka Robin Williams), the students got up on their chairs and tried to look at things from a fresh perspective.

This works for more than school assignments. It works when applied to short stories, novels, essays, poetry, whatever writing you are working on at the moment.

Brand Spanking New

Okay, say you’re writing a story and your topic is Christmas. What’s new about Christmas? Well, I live in Florida and we don’t generally get snow at Christmas time down here, ya’ll. Usually you think of a “Winter Wonderland” and a “White Christmas” in connection with northern states. So I wrote about what makes Florida unique at Christmas, in “The Colors of Christmas.”

Go For The Unexpected

How about when you have a practice prompt you are writing for. Take this example from a prompt I wrote for a couple of years ago: A cat, a kitchen and a bottle of ketchup.

The first thing you think of is a bit of comedy – cat sees ketchup, knocks ketchup over and paw paints the kitchen floor. It was my first inclination too, since I enjoy writing in comedic tones. However, I figured that was the direction everyone else participating would be going. The rebel in me decided to go in the completely opposite direction and wrote one of the best stories I had ever written up to that point: “Acceptance.”

Twist and Shout

Another way to add a fresh twist to your stories is to mix genres. We’ve all heard of a romantic-comedy or romantic-drama but how about romantic-science fiction or romantic-mystery? Yes, it’s out there, but not as much as romantic-comedy, so it’s new and exciting.

Spring cleaning can be applied to more than your house or your laundry. Try giving your writing a freshening up, as well.

© 2006 Holly Bliss. All Rights Reserved. This document may be freely redistributed in its unedited form and on the condition that all copyright references are kept intact along with the hyperlinked URLs.

About the Author: Using her writing as paint on the canvas of her life, Holly Bliss is an eclectic writer, newsletter editor and an author on