What is the Call to Adventure about? As much as we’d all like to have the perfect Ordinary World for our heroes, that world is static but unstable. Soon, a wind of change blows and that wind is called The Call to Adventure. This stage is also often known as The Hook since this is usually what sparks your audience’s interest as it gets the story rolling. Fans of Save the Cat! will also recognise…
What is the Ordinary World? The Ordinary World is the first stage of your hero’s journey and thus the story’s opening. Its function is to set the tone of the story, suggest where it’s going, and get across all necessary information without slowing the pace. The Ordinary World gives your audience the context, home base, and the hero’s background. It establishes what the hero’s life looks like before embarking on the journey (before entering the…
The Hero’s Journey is not about rules. It is a collection of common structural elements found universally in the world of storytelling. It is an observation of patterns and principles found in myths, fairy tales, novels, movies, dreams, etc. The intention of being aware of them is not about “following rules”, but rather being able to use them, play around with them, and recreate them in new ways and combinations. Most importantly, they are here…
A good open ending can be a brilliant way to conclude your story. It can create tension that the audience takes with them, allowing your story to marinate in their minds for days, weeks, or years after. However, not every lack of a substantial ending makes a good open ending. Writers need to remember that open endings are not just an excuse for laziness with story structure. Tough love, baby. They need to be crafted…
Good, so you have your writing prompt. What now? How many possibilities does it offer? What kinds of exercises can you do with it? And, most importantly, how can you use it best for your development as a writer?
Writing characters that feel alive, that feel like they are flesh-and-bones humans, that feel like they breathe, is crucial to all storytelling. But how do you achieve that?
The following is a list of self-care advice, writers edition. These are tips to help achieve creative well-being focused on a writer’s lifestyle, but I do believe they might help everyone that wants to grow as a person.
Today, we dive into the deep waters of perfectionism in writing. Very similarly to last week’s post on impostor syndrome, I have to tell you that dealing with perfectionism and writing is most effective when it is not isolated to one area of your life. Because chances are, if your perfectionist nature is holding you back in creative writing, it also affects other aspects of your life. Everything is connected, folks. But don’t worry. I’m…
Most of us have experienced impostor syndrome at least at some point in out lives. Furthermore, most of us are familiar with it as writers as well. So today, I will share some tips on how to deal with “impostor syndrome writer edition”. But first things first. What is impostor syndrome? It’s a psychological pattern in which an individual doubts their skills and talents and is in perpetual state of fear of being exposed as…
Dealing with rejection is an inherent part of being a writer. You’ve probably heard that, right? Instead of addressing that today myself, I want to show you examples. Because that can be way more powerful. And I always find it inspiring to hear famous authors talk about rejection. Authors on rejection I love my rejection slips. They show me I try. Sylvia Plath This manuscript of yours that has just come back from another editor…