Writing Inrochester

The process of how to submit an article can vary, dependent on the needs and guidelines of the publication and whether you are to be a paid freelancer or an entrepreneur offering written expertise to drive traffic to her or his Web site.

In this article we’ll talk about getting paid for article writing and how to submit an article in a way that will give you the best chance of being published.

Each publisher has their own method for accepting articles. Straying from this method will get your article tossed in the garbage heap. Take the time to learn about the publication to which you intend to submit, and the writer’s guidelines to submit an article.

Let’s take a look at some of the more prominent periodicals and the ways they require you to submit an article. Here is a sample of a guideline for a nationally prominent women’s monthly magazine. The guidelines state that its audience is women who are married and between 28 and 44 years old. Most of the readers have children 10 years old or younger, and considerably more than half work outside the home. The editor states that before you submit an article you should have read the last six issues of the magazine so you understand its focus, the subjects it typically covers and the treatment of those subjects.

The non-fiction subjects that this magazine seeks articles on are parenting, social, marriage, sex, profiles on newsworthy people, true crime, health and dramatic narratives.

This editor wishes that you submit a query rather than an article and that you include clips and an SASE (self addressed stamped envelope.) The article you submit should be one of two sizes: 1000-1500 words, or 2500-3000 words. The editors will respond within three months to your query, and this magazine pays upon publication, which is typically six months after the article you submit is accepted.

Another less prominent magazine for women in the Carolinas, asks that you submit the article in its entirety. Your best bet of publication with this magazine is if you submit an article on useful news about careers, fashion, health, relationships, home, and food. An article is generally published three months after you submit it. It should be 1000-5000 words. You should get a response to your submission within a month.

As to getting paid for writing articles, a new article publishing system has recently been launched, that enables writers to earn a recurring income. This means you get paid month on month for just writing one article. This article publishing and marketing system is based on a ‘Revenue Sharing′ principle, which means that there is no charge to join the program and they do all the marketing and promotions on your behalf. For more information, visit their site jvauthors.com/ezine″ target=”_blank www.jvauthors.com/ezine

Peter Morgan is the founder of jvauthors.com/ezine” target=”_blank “JV Members” - A new article publishing business opportunity - that enables anyone to easily make a living online, by publishing short articles. If you’re looking for more information about working from home please visit jvauthors.com/ezine” target=”_blank Earn Money at Home Writing and Publishing Articles

The importance of the content of your web site cannot be underestimated. One of the primary reasons why online users are accessing web sites, is for them to get information. When you copywrite for your site, remember that your main objectives are: to educate your readers and persuade them to patronize your products and services. In order to do this, you must be an effective writer who knows how to persuade prospective clients using well-written articles.

The most effective copywriters have firm grasp of the topic they write about and they have the ability to perfectly blend good writing with excellent marketing. Here are some copywriting tips that can surely help you:

1. Be creative. Think out of the box! Come up with fresh ideas that will attract the attention of your readers. You can also use different writing styles to stand out from the rest.

2. Identify a niche. Focus on your target market. Think about them when you write your piece. Identify their needs and properly address them by highlighting the features of the products or services you offer. Let them feel that you know where they are coming from and that you have the best solution that they are looking for.

3. Identify your competition. Search for other web sites offering similar products or services. Analyze their content and identify their weak points, these can be your web site’s strength. Stand out from the rest by offering online users what your competitors can’t.

Want to learn more about it? Download the free ebook,

Research and other academic papers take a lot of work. There are those brainstorming sessions that usually end up with you lying in a pool of binders, book binders, loose leaf binders, crumpled papers waiting for an idea to strike. When inspiration or an idea strikes, the endless outlines come. Add to that the difficulty of finding sources and you know you′ll hand your teacher a dropping slip tomorrow. Research and writing papers are bad enough, but don’t compound the problem by just giving up. You still need to do the papers next semester, or the semester after. With a little organization, you could soon be zooming the way to an “A.” Gather your binders, book binders, loose leaf binders, and binder clips and put them to work.

Good writing comes with organization of thoughts and ideas. It’s also the same with research the more organized you are, the easier the process will be. First, let’s talk about your brainstorming sessions. Get sheets of loose leaf paper and write each idea on top of each page. Underneath the title, write all things you can think of about each topic or idea to zero in on the specifics. Choose the topic which has the most ideas under it. Chances are, this is the topic that you know most about from reading or TV — which means that there are plenty of sources about it. Tuck the pages on binders, book binders, loose leaf binders, or binder clips. It is good to have reference when you lose your thread.

Second, writing outlines. Outlining your research means setting its direction. Are you arguing in favor of your topic, or are you out to disprove it? Outlining also entails writing down your primary facts and arguments. When doing this, get several binders, book binders, loose leaf binders, or folders. Separate your arguments from facts and popular opinion. Use the facts to back your arguments, and the best way to do this is through thorough note-taking and reading. Read books on the topic, take notes, print internet sources, and organize these into files. File book sources in a binder labeled as such, and do the same with the rest. It is a good idea to attach a loose leaf paper bearing the general idea about the sources inside like “faults of Hamlet.”

Third, organization and good writing are twins. So after writing your drafts, keep revisions in binders, book binders, loose leaf binders, or folders. This is a good way to review your writing mistakes. Also, changes in your paper are easier to spot if they are in printed form. When you are finished with your research, take out the old files from the binders, book binders, loose leaf binders, or folders that you used. Keep these notes together in a single binder with a label — who knows, you might use them again.

For more valuable information on 3ringbinder.net binders and 3ringbinder.net book binders, please visit 3ringbinder.net 3ringbinder.net

Picture this. It’s Monday morning and the weekly sales meeting has just gotten underway. After updating everyone on the overall sales numbers the boss says, “Now, I have a very important announcement to make. Management has determined that from this point on we want to limit every in-person sales call to no more than 15 minutes. We live in an age of short attention spans and if you can’t close ‘em in 15 minutes then you should find someone else to talk to.”

Of course, that’s an absurd scenario. Why then, is it not considered equally absurd to arbitrarily limit your sales letter to only one page? I (and thousands of other direct marketing professionals) contend that it is. More important, the proof of billions of dollars in sales convincingly refutes this “keep it to one page” hokum. Yet, just the other day after laboring to produce a finely crafted two page sales letter…the client looked at me and said, “Do you think you can get it down to one page?”

Look, consider this. If you’re sending a personalized letter and practicing such good techniques as…a short one or two sentence opening paragraph…double spaces between paragraphs…no paragraph over 6 lines long and using an 11 or 12 point font…you’ve got room for, at best, only 30 - 40 lines of copy per page. Is that really enough space for you to convince your prospect or customer to get out the checkbook, or pick up the phone, or send an email and request more information? I don’t think so.

As a rule, if the goal of your direct mail package is to generate a sale you write as much copy as it takes. Many successful “selling” packages have sales letters that are ten or more pages long. On the other hand, if your goal is to generate a lead, in most cases you’ll write less. Because you just want the reader to take the next step. But please do not do yourself the extreme disservice of arbitrarily limiting yourself to one page right from the start.

So, listen carefully, and repeat after me. “There is no such thing as a sales letter that’s too long. Only one that is too uninteresting, too uninvolving, too much about the product or service and too little about the prospect.”

Remember, interested people (pick a good list) will read everything that’s interesting (good copy with loads of specific benefits) about an interesting (make it worthwhile for them to read and respond) offer.

Now, let’s take a look at this letter and see how it can be improved.

KEY: Standard text = Original letter
(Parentheses) = Ernest’s critique and commentary
[Brackets] = Ernest’s suggested text

Ms. Nicole Hunley
The Hunley Companies
Building 9, Suite 1037A
2897 W. Peach Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85039

Dear Ms. Hunley,

In order for you to better understand the service we can (Omit can. You do provide this service so there’s no need for “can.” It weakens the sentence.) provide, I’m enclosing (No, it’s already in the packet. So, “I’ve enclosed” is more correct.) a Brochure (no need for capitalization) a short profile of our business, and a few individual profiles of key CoursePros Training individuals.

(Summary of the opening: Slow starting, lacking in warmth, nothing attention-grabbing about it. When writing your sales letter be human and conversational and remember the first thing you have to do is get the reader’s attention. Plus, this sentence is 32 words, way too long for any sentence in a sales letter. Especially the opening line. Suggested rewrite:) [To give you a better understanding of our services I've enclosed the following:

a brochure a brief overview of our business profiles of key CoursePros Training individuals.Yes, it's still too long. But by "bulleting" the items we've broken up the sentence into readable bites and given the piece some "eye appeal." We have successfully served a number of major entities ("Entities" is a cold, lifeless word. Suggestion:) [organizations] in the Phoenix valley. (If you or I had written this sentence, it would read something like this:) [We currently serve a number of organizations in the Phoenix valley including such leading companies as...] (And then we’d name a few because we know that specifics always out-pull generalities.)

Our clientele (I suggest) [clients.] (Clients suggests real people better than does “clientele.”) continue to rely on our services because we are thorough, responsive, and are sensitive to their respective goals. (Give me some specific examples of exactly what you mean by “thorough,” “responsive,” and “sensitive.” This would be a great spot to include a couple of relevant and specific client testimonials. Please don’t assume that I’m automatically going to take the time to read everything else you’ve enclosed in the packet. Your letter needs to give me some motivation to do that.) We are proud of the reputation we are building, knowing it is through our diligence and attention to the needs of our clientele that we are able to create a successful future. (A successful future for whom? How does this benefit me? Again, be specific. Tell me “What’s in it for me?”)

If you have any questions or concerns (Concerns is a negative word) regarding any of this information, please do not hesitate (There’s something about “please do not hesitate” that I don’t like. It’s too formal, too servile-sounding or something.) to contact me. (Suggested rewrite:) [So I hope you'll take a couple of minutes right now and look over the enclosed information...to learn more about how CoursePros Training can produce profitable results for your company. Then, if you have any questions or comments please give me a call.]

(No, this isn’t a great call to action and it probably won’t make the phone ring off the hook. But, it’s an improvement. In fact, this letter doesn’t even have an offer of any kind. A BIG mistake. At the very least, he should work up a Special Report or White Paper to offer. Something with a provocative title along the lines of 9 Reasons Why Most Training Courses Are a Waste of Money.)

We (A sales letter is a one-to-one, personal communication. Use “we” when referring to the company, “I” when referring to yourself.) appreciate the opportunity to introduce ourselves to you and look forward to meeting you. (Suggested rewrite:) [Thanks for reading my letter. I appreciate this opportunity to introduce you to CoursePros Training and look forward to meeting you.]

Sincerely,

Jimmy Springs
(Owner)

PS (It’s P.S. and it stands for Post Script.) - Visit our web site at www.sptraining.com to see more of what we can do. (The writer is smart to include a P.S. — it’s a proven response-booster. On the other hand, adding two small words to the end of the sentence would have made it much stronger. Those two words are) [for you.]

(Summary: This letter needs to be longer, with many more specific, selling details that compel me to look at the rest of the information. Relying on the brochure alone isn’t likely to generate a lot of response for you. Here’s a simple phrase to remember: The letter sells, the brochure tells.)

About the author
Ernest Nicastro, a direct marketing consultant, copywriter and lead-generation specialist, heads up Positive Response, an award-winning marketing firm specializing in B-to-B marketing and lead-generation. He also publishes a free monthly newsletter, AIM For Positive Response. For more information visit positiveresponse.com/ positiveresponse.com Contact Ernie directly at mailto:ENicastro@positiveresponse.com ENicastro@positiveresponse.com or by phone at 614.747.2256.

© 2006 Ernest Nicastro
You may reprint this article online and in print provided the links remain live and the content remains unaltered (including the “About the author” message).

Not many people know that the concept of article marketing came into being with the conception of the Internet. Analysts have discovered that the most effective technique to lure in interested users to a particular website is by first presenting an article to this reader. A plethora of content-related websites have now pooled together to launch a highly effective marketing campaign where each website hosts an article linked to another content-connected site. This article acts as an advertisement enticing users to the related website for more information. Statistics show that this marketing strategy instantaneously multiplies your website hit counter.

There are several ways of propagating your article through the network of content-connected websites. Your budget and the available time frame are the decisive factors since article marketing can be made available for a cost-effective amount or for absolutely nothing at all! There are two options for you to explore, namely Ezine directories and the paid services. In the case of the Ezine directory, although your article will be hosted on specific web pages, it is not copy protected as anyone may reuse your article. This is by far the most popular option since a single article can infiltrate countless websites within a short period of time. This automatically boosts your website backlinks. EzineArticles.com and GoArticles.com are two of the most important Ezine directories. However, paid distributors such as ArticleMarketer.com and Isnare.com save you the time and energy of going through the tedious process of sending each article to the directories. These software packages or paid services deliver results as soon as they take control of the circulation aspect.

Do you want to learn about article marketing? Download a free guide today:

I could write an entire book about Amazon.com and how to use it to make money. There are so many options, most are free and you should utilize all of them. Many authors complain about the percentage Amazon charges when they list their books for sale and make sales. They complain about the shipping charges and packaging specifications. I do not understand this. If it were not for Amazon.com I would not have as many sales and customers as I do. I am grateful that Amazon is there for me to utilize and make money with. There is nothing else like it, look at Barnes &amp Noble for example. They are not just a chain of book stores but have an online presence just like Amazon. They do not have the audience, power or free tools for authors that Amazon does and therefore are not as successful. In my opinion you are missing out if you don’t utilize all Amazon has to offer you as an author.

You may be familiar with the Amazon emailing campaign that some authors have tried and say really works. I have not followed this campaign but thought it was interesting enough to mention. I heard from an author that after sending out an email to many people, his ranking went up considerably and his book reached number one status on Amazon.com The email he sent out starts out by saying that he is doing an experiment and wants help in becoming an Amazon.com bestseller. It is almost like a chain letter asking the recipient to send the email on to 10 of their friends and family or more if possible and ask them to pass it on and on and on. The email then goes on to explain about the book, and thank the reader.

Getting reviews on Amazon.

The easiest way to get reviews on Amazon or anywhere else is to ask for them. When my books became available on Amazon. There were a few people that wrote reviews for them. I wanted more. I personally wrote to each of my customers that had purchased my books and asked them if they would be interested in writing a review for my book on Amazon. I had a great response and made sure to send them a hand written thank you note in the mail after they posted their review. This goes a long way.

Giving reviews on Amazon.

Another way to get more traffic to your books is to give reviews on Amazon for similar books or for your competition. People who look at those books will see your review and may click through to your book or website. I review every book I read, no matter what the topic. I know how much I appreciate getting a good review and so I try to do the same for others.

Amazon Advantage.

Amazon Advantage is a great way to get your book seen. Some people automatically go to Amazon when they are looking for a book, they may not necessarily search a search engine for a book topic they are interested in to find your website. This is a very good reason to have your book on Amazon. If your webpage is on the first page of a major search engine for your keywords, you might not be so interested in doing this but I would highly recommend listing your book with the Amazon advantage program. Another reason to list your book with Amazon is that people trust Amazon, so they are more likely to input their credit card information and order your book. They may not know who you are or fully trust you or your website so having this option will help boost sales. Also, Amazon will sell your book at different prices, they offer sales or discounts but don’t worry and you still get the same amount of money regardless. So for a bargain hunter Amazon is where they will go. You can offer autographed copies on your website which is something Amazon does not offer or even bundles of your book with other authors’ books or special reports.

Another reason people visit Amazon for book purchases is that they can combine their purchases with other book orders and get free shipping, your book could be included in that promotion. The best reason to sell through Amazon is that it gives you credibility when your book is on Amazon as well as your website. Even if your website is the first one that comes up for your keywords, you can make many more sales through Amazon.

List mania.

List mania is a great way to showcase a list of books you like and why. You can network with other authors and both create lists that include each others books to help promote each other. You can have as many lists as you like under as many topics as you like. This also lets your readers see that you are a real person, just like them and have opinions about different books and authors.

Search inside the Book.

I highly recommend you sign up for Search Inside the Book; this gives someone who is trying to decide if they should buy your book a glimpse into what you have to offer. They may read your table of contents and a specific item they are looking for might jump out at them causing them to buy your book. You are only showing a few pages, and this can be a great way to get more sales.

Sell yours used! Using Amazon Marketplace to make more money.

I use this feature all the time and sell many books this way. You can sell a brand new book, an out of print edition, an autographed copy or a returned or damaged copy and still make some money.
If you receive any returns back or have any book copies that are not “perfect” list them on Amazon marketplace for a cheaper price. I actually make more money on those sales even if the book is selling for less than a perfect copy on Amazon.

It has been my experience that Amazon offers great customer service, through email. They pay you in full and on time at the same time every month. You can go online to check the status of your account, how many copies they have, how many have been sold and how much money you are making. I have also had reporters find me through Amazon and then interview me for stories, so having a presence on Amazon is a big plus in many ways.

Michelle Dunn, author of an award winning book has spent the last 18 years stepping into dangerous debt collection potholes. She shares her hard-won expertise on debt collection with the titles in her “Collecting Money Series.” She is the founder and president of Never Dunn Publishing, LLC and her 10 year old Credit & Collections Association with over 1075 members. Michelle started and ran M.A.D. Collection Agency for 8 years.

Visit michelledunn.com michelledunn.com and credit-and-collections.com credit-and-collections.com for more information.

Ghostwriting is when someone writes a book or even an article on behalf of another person or organization. A ghostwriter is someone who can provide you with high quality and professional content in any format you require on any topic. A ghostwriter can write articles, e-books, books or web content for you.

A ghostwriter can also carry out niche or market research, compile any market information you need, or do any writing or editing work for you. All you have to do is to give the ghostwriter the instructions of the assignment, and upon completion, you have a product that is exclusively yours and ready for you to sell.

What are the benefits of hiring a ghostwriter?

Not everyone is skilled in putting their ideas on paper. Many people find writing an article or e-book or sales copy challenging. On the other hand, some people who are good writers themselves do not have the time to do their own writing. A ghostwriter does all the work for you, and you get the benefits and earn the profits from the book. A ghostwriter can also save a business owner a lot of time, and allow them to dedicate that to more important aspects of their business, such as marketing. Webmasters who own several websites would need ghostwriters to supply their content requirements.

How do you go about working with a ghostwriter?

You give the ghostwriter your ideas, notes and instructions of what you would like them to do. Some people have some initial materials or researches that the ghostwriter can use as a starting point. The more guidelines you can provide to the ghostwriter, the better. The ghostwriter will then take your instructions and guidelines, do the necessary researching and writing and produce a finished book or e-book that will then generate profits for you. There are many sites online where you can hire a ghostwriter.

Who owns the finished product?

The ghostwriter simply writes for you, and you own the idea and the final product. Ghostwriters work behind the scenes, so as soon as you pay them for their services, the product is completely yours. A ghostwriter writes for you and you keep 100% of the copyright.

How much does it cost to hire a ghostwriter?

It is not easy to give general estimates of the costs of ghostwriters because each job is unique. Ghostwriters targeting one market also have different rates to those targeting a different market. The fees for the ghostwriter also depend on the length of time the project is likely to take and the amount of research required.

How long does it take for the ghostwriter to deliver a finished product?

The length of time it takes the ghostwriter to complete your work depends on the size of the assignment. Articles and short reports can be done quickly, while lengthy e-books can take longer. The estimated time of delivering the final product is something that you will discuss with your ghostwriter.

How do you pick an experienced ghostwriter?
In order to guarantee that you get high quality work, you must choose a ghostwriter who is well experienced. You must look at the samples of the ghostwriter’s writing as these will give you a good idea of their quality and style of writing.

Hiring a ghostwriter can save you a lot of time and also ensures that you get a high quality product that will generate you a lot of profits.

Nikki Montgomery is a freelance writer, ghostwriter and editor. Nikki has over 15 years experience in researching and writing. Nikki is available to ghostwrite your articles, e-books or web content. Visit her site at onlineghostwriter.com/ onlineghostwriter.com and contact her today with your writing requirements.

Do not believe for a moment that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” This is true even for the most vivid and imaginative writers. Even pictures can be complex and difficult to understand.

Take mind maps for instance. Have you ever tried to look at a mind map and make sense of it? I’m amazed that anyone can successfully use a mind map productively. I certainly cannot. But if you try to write down in prose what a mind map is trying to convey, I feel that it would be more in keeping with the sentiment of the allotted task and structure.

When using the right words - descriptors and other important text - you can become most revealing just as a good picture would do. This is not to say that imagery in itself is a bad thing. Of course it isn’t. But words have a way of conjuring up hidden meanings, thoughts, and feelings that pictures alone cannot do so. Visual imagery allows us to look at the graphic or image in front of us and we are somehow constrained by the visual perspective.

However, with words we can free our mind and use our own emotions to fill in the gaps that words themselves cannot convey. In a way, I suspect, prose and text is simply a framework or skeleton on which we hang other parts of our thought processes. Those thought processes will include what we ourselves have inside of us and what we have learned from our life’s experiences so far. And therein lies the tale of the best way to enable prose to conjure up the most powerful imagery — that is to include the reader in the process of writing.

Eric Hartwell oversees “The World’s Best Homepage” intended to be a user-generated resource where YOUR opinion counts. Anybody can contribute and all are welcomed. Visit us to read, comment upon or share opinions at theworldsbesthomepage.com the worlds best homepage or submit or use content at free-content-resource.com free content resource.

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 (188 stages of the Hero’s Journey (Monomyth) you need to know about…):

(simply go to www.clickok.co.uk for full details)

*****Seizing the Sword*****

In The Godfather (1972), Michael marries Appollonia (Mystical Marriage, Bride Theft). The Expansion of Consciousness is demonstrated by New Knowledge (Appollonia learns to speak English and drive). Also, the Joy of Infancy Regained - they are like little kids.

*****Rebirth through Death*****

In The Godfather (1972), Sonny’s death leads to a Rebirth. Vito calls peace after waking up and hearing Tom tell of Sonny’s death. Michael returns after Appollonia’s and Sonny;s death.

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/

The Managing Creativity and Innovation MBA dissertation, DIY creativity Audit, Powerpoint presentation and Good Idea generator software can be found at managing-creativity.com/ managing-creativity.com/

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.

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)

*****New Self of the Road of Trials*****

The beginning of the Road of Trials often sees the Hero become a New Self. In Raging Bull (1980), Jake and Joey get married and gain weight. In Brokeback Mountain (2005), Ennis gets married and has children and gets a job paving roads (not a cowboy). Time Shifts here are not unusual - Ennis has a few children.

*****Outer Cave*****

The Outer Cave, whichever it is (First Threshold, Road of Trials or beyond) is where the Hero confronts his Outer Challenge. In Straw Dogs (1971), the boys leave and all the while laugh at David.

*****Secondary characters are functional*****

Secondary characters are functional, that is, they most often exist to fulfil specific story functions, especially help the Hero through his (or her) Transformation.

Once you have figured out what your Hero’s Transformation will be, then you can decide which secondary character Archetypes will be most useful. The subplot evolves from thereon: you give the secondary characters their own challenges to resolve.

*****Fear of the Return to the Ordinary World*****

The Hero - willing and unwilling - often lives in fear of the return to the Ordinary World and the Ordinary Self. In Star Wars (1977), Luke never wants to go back to Tattooine. In Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Bonnie wakes up afraid that Clyde is not there. Even seemingly unwilling Heroes do not return to the same place - the Journey has given them a new capacity and transformed them into a New Self. In The Shawshank Redemption (1994), Andy does not return home but goes to Mexico.

*****Final Conflict: Battle*****

Post the Crossing of the Return Threshold and before the Master of Two Worlds and Selves, a hell of a lot happens that is rarely given mention. The Final Conflict (a metaphor for this stage) follows a distinct process. When the battle begins, the Shape Shifter, engaged in a period of dissonance, doesn’t believe hero is capable of defeating his (or her) antagonisms. In Straw Dogs (1971), Tom et al continue to attack the house and try to break in. Amy doesn’t believe David can keep them out.

*****Losing a Tangible Part of the Old Self*****

The Hero further strips away part of the Old Self (before entry into the Belly of the Whale). The change is twofold:

a) Losing a Tangible part of the Old Self - In Star Wars (1977), Luke sells his speeder

b) Psychological move forward (willing Heroes) or backwards (unwilling Heroes) - In Star Wars (1977), Luke swears he’ll “never come back here again.”

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.

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.