By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Harriet_Hodgson]Harriet Hodgson
"What's your next book going to be about?" a friend asked.
"I can't say," I replied.
"Oh, is it a secret?" she countered.
"No. I know I'll write another book, but I don't know what it will be about yet," I answered. "I could get a new idea at any time.
Book ideas often take me by surprise. In the last three months I've had three new ideas and written three books. Writing took over my life ad I became a possessed woman, cranking out more than 10,000 words a week. Thankfully, my husband has witnessed these creative spurts before and understands them.
Friends describe me as a "lean, mean writing machine." I describe myself as a creative woman who uses her emotional intelligence. What is it anyway? Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify feelings and use them in positive ways. Daniel Goleman, author of "Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ," might describe the term as leading with the heart instead of the mind.
IQ tests rely on word and math skills to determine ability. While emotional intelligence is difficult to measure, the core abilities are clear. These abilities are detailed in a HelpGuide website article, "Emotional Intelligence (EQ): Five Key Skills for Raising Your Emotional Intelligence. The core abilities are self-awarness (including self-confidence), self-management, social awareness, and relationship management.
I'm familiar with these abilities because I've been writing for decades. Ever since I was a small child I've been a self-aware person and am always on the lookout for new book ideas. Sometimes I get ideas while I'm walking, or on long road trips, or in the grocery store. One book idea came to me in the middle of a conference presentation. Self-awareness is crucial to the writing process.
People who have high emotional intelligence are able to enter the "flow," according to Goleman. "Being able to enter flow is emotional intelligence at its best," he writes. I understand flow and have been there many times. Certainly, I've been in the flow the last three months, so absorbed in writing I was barely aware of anything else.
Self-management helps me to evaluate book ideas. Can I state the purpose in one sentence? Is there enough supporting research? Have similar works been published? What makes my idea different? As I'm writing I stay alert to signs of fatigue, another form of self-management.
Many of my book ideas stem from social awareness. My recent work focuses on loss, grief and recovery. Five books have come from my personal experience with grief and the need for more information on coping. While these books fill a social need, writing them also helped me to recover.
Last, but not least, emotional intelligence includes relationship management. For me, this management includes interacting with publishers, editors, and marketing experts. Several times in my career, my good author-publisher relationship has led to another sale. This brings us back to the question: Is author inspiration pure IQ or emotional intelligence? I think it's both and so does Goleman.
He describes EQ as "metability, determining how well we use whatever skills we have, including raw intellect." As years have passed and my career developed, I've improved my emotional intelligence skills and continue to hone them. Though I don't know my next book idea yet, I know I will have one. Each idea is emotional intelligence in action.
Copyright 2011 by Harriet Hodgson http://www.harriethodgson.com/
Harriet Hodgson has been an independent journalist for 35+ years and is the author of 30 published works. She has written about many topics, including sexual harassment, aging, caregiving, loss and grief. Centering Corporation has published Writing to Recover: The Journey from Loss and Grief to a New Life, a companion journal, The Spiritual Woman: Quotes to Refresh and Sustain Your Soul, and her latest book, Happy Again! Your New and Meaningful Life After Loss. Hodgson has two other new books, 101 Affirmations to Ease Your Grief Journey and Real Meals on 18 Wheels: A Guide for Healthy Living on the Highway, Kathryn Clements, RD, co-author. Please visit Harriet's website and learn more about this busy author.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Author-Inspiration:-Is-It-Pure-Intellect-or-Emotional-Intelligence?&id=6591828] Author Inspiration: Is It Pure Intellect or Emotional Intelligence?
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Descriptive Writing
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jonathan_Degler]Jonathan Degler
The beginning of any creative piece of writing is the word choice. There are obviously many other components of descriptive writing, but it all begins with recognizing who your audience is and then using the words that will connect to them personally.
When I first began my writing career, I was convinced that the adjectives and adverbs were the the words that drove the images into people minds and gave the reader a clear picture of the writer's scene. However, after some training, i found that the adjectives and adverbs i was using to describe were actually just muddling up my writing. The secret is utilizing the nouns and verbs to communicate meaning.
I will give you three examples and you can tell me which sounds the best and gives you a clear image of what is going on.
"The girl walked across the street."
"The young lively girl walked across the busy street in a way that told us she had just received great news."
"With a smile spread from ear to ear, a girl ambled across the brightly lit street."
As you can see, the first sentence is bland. It tells the reader nothing but the most basic information. The second sentence seems alright, but there are too many adjectives that dilute the image the writer is trying to convey. The last sentence give us as readers a clear image that there is a happy girl crossing the road on a nice day. If you read the second and third sentences again, try to imagine the scene in your head. I'm sure all of you would agree that the third sentence gives you a clearer and more vivid mental picture, without bogging down the flow.
When thinking of solid descriptive writing, the first place to look for examples is the writing of David Sedaris. My favorite of his stories is "Six to Eight Black Men." Throughout the entire piece I get a very clear image of the story of St. Nicholas, the Christmas icon of the Netherlands.
If you would like to improved your descriptive writing, I would begin by reading David Sedaris or other creative nonfiction writers. Then practice your own writing by taking completely bland and normal sentences, then transforming them in descriptions. For example, begin with the sentence, "I ran to the house." Practice replacing the verbs and nouns of the sentence with others, like "jolted" or "bungalow." Of course the words need to be appropriate for the information that you are trying to convey. So if you are thinking of a cottage in the woods, you wouldn't use the term "bungalow" for a house on the beach.
Avoid the "Be" verbs as much as possible. Not that these are bad verbs, I use them a lot, but when you are trying to write descriptively you will find that the replacement verbs turn out to give readers more vivid images of your scenes, characters, and tones.
So as always, your charge is to write. Your objective should be to write as much and as often as possible. For the first draft, do not worry yourself so much. Your real work begins in the revision. Look for nouns and verbs that fail to give you real images, and particularly avoid the "Be" words. These quick, simple practices will get any writer of any skill level off their butt and on the page.
Good Luck!
Jonathan Degler is the author of the novel "Gone Astray," and more information can be found at http://www.jonathandeglerbooks.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Descriptive-Writing&id=6504897] Descriptive Writing
The beginning of any creative piece of writing is the word choice. There are obviously many other components of descriptive writing, but it all begins with recognizing who your audience is and then using the words that will connect to them personally.
When I first began my writing career, I was convinced that the adjectives and adverbs were the the words that drove the images into people minds and gave the reader a clear picture of the writer's scene. However, after some training, i found that the adjectives and adverbs i was using to describe were actually just muddling up my writing. The secret is utilizing the nouns and verbs to communicate meaning.
I will give you three examples and you can tell me which sounds the best and gives you a clear image of what is going on.
"The girl walked across the street."
"The young lively girl walked across the busy street in a way that told us she had just received great news."
"With a smile spread from ear to ear, a girl ambled across the brightly lit street."
As you can see, the first sentence is bland. It tells the reader nothing but the most basic information. The second sentence seems alright, but there are too many adjectives that dilute the image the writer is trying to convey. The last sentence give us as readers a clear image that there is a happy girl crossing the road on a nice day. If you read the second and third sentences again, try to imagine the scene in your head. I'm sure all of you would agree that the third sentence gives you a clearer and more vivid mental picture, without bogging down the flow.
When thinking of solid descriptive writing, the first place to look for examples is the writing of David Sedaris. My favorite of his stories is "Six to Eight Black Men." Throughout the entire piece I get a very clear image of the story of St. Nicholas, the Christmas icon of the Netherlands.
If you would like to improved your descriptive writing, I would begin by reading David Sedaris or other creative nonfiction writers. Then practice your own writing by taking completely bland and normal sentences, then transforming them in descriptions. For example, begin with the sentence, "I ran to the house." Practice replacing the verbs and nouns of the sentence with others, like "jolted" or "bungalow." Of course the words need to be appropriate for the information that you are trying to convey. So if you are thinking of a cottage in the woods, you wouldn't use the term "bungalow" for a house on the beach.
Avoid the "Be" verbs as much as possible. Not that these are bad verbs, I use them a lot, but when you are trying to write descriptively you will find that the replacement verbs turn out to give readers more vivid images of your scenes, characters, and tones.
So as always, your charge is to write. Your objective should be to write as much and as often as possible. For the first draft, do not worry yourself so much. Your real work begins in the revision. Look for nouns and verbs that fail to give you real images, and particularly avoid the "Be" words. These quick, simple practices will get any writer of any skill level off their butt and on the page.
Good Luck!
Jonathan Degler is the author of the novel "Gone Astray," and more information can be found at http://www.jonathandeglerbooks.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Descriptive-Writing&id=6504897] Descriptive Writing
Friday, November 25, 2011
Creating Characters That Come To Life
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Benjamin_C_Andrews]Benjamin C Andrews
Characters are the backbone of any story. Setting, plot, none of the other major parts of a story are going to do much of anything without characters to bring the whole thing to life. With such an important role to fill, there must be ample thought and care when creating them. That's easy to say, but doing it is a totally different story. Here are some tips that may help you along the way.
You have to acknowledge all aspects of the character's personality. Imagining your hero at the height of his power, standing above everything that comes his way is exhilarating. More than likely though, there are going to be times when he struggles too. Even though those may be negative times, you still have to be able to write the times of weakness with as much power and passion as the greatest triumphs.
Try to find unique characteristics. By this, I don't mean give every other character a hook for a hand or a strange accent. Even miniscule personality traits that readers can identify make characters more endearing. Maybe your character displays a nervous habit in certain situations, or absolutely despises a certain food. Maybe it's something on a larger scale, like can't stand a certain person, or hold ideologies that are different from other characters. The ways you can make the personalities of your characters stand out are endless.
Relate to the situations you place them in. Think of how you would feel in those situations, but also how the character would feel. If you've been creating a personality, you should begin to see a pattern of how any given character would react to certain stimuli. Out of character actions can be off-putting to readers, unless circumstances are created to explain such actions. There are definitely going to be times where readers expect characters to act certain ways based on previous actions.
Finally, just go with the flow. The more you write, the more you start to recognize and feel how to shape character personalities. This may be something you've never considered. You might even be great at it already without even knowing it. The more bases you can cover while writing though, the better the chances are of writing success. Giving your characters an extra thought while creating them can do wonders for how likeable they are. Engaging characters will help your book reach higher levels.
I'm Benjamin C. Andrews, an author sharing my writing knowledge with others. Visit http://magicjarpublishing.blogspot.com/ for more writing tips and tricks, and other quality information.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Creating-Characters-That-Come-To-Life&id=6588220] Creating Characters That Come To Life
Characters are the backbone of any story. Setting, plot, none of the other major parts of a story are going to do much of anything without characters to bring the whole thing to life. With such an important role to fill, there must be ample thought and care when creating them. That's easy to say, but doing it is a totally different story. Here are some tips that may help you along the way.
You have to acknowledge all aspects of the character's personality. Imagining your hero at the height of his power, standing above everything that comes his way is exhilarating. More than likely though, there are going to be times when he struggles too. Even though those may be negative times, you still have to be able to write the times of weakness with as much power and passion as the greatest triumphs.
Try to find unique characteristics. By this, I don't mean give every other character a hook for a hand or a strange accent. Even miniscule personality traits that readers can identify make characters more endearing. Maybe your character displays a nervous habit in certain situations, or absolutely despises a certain food. Maybe it's something on a larger scale, like can't stand a certain person, or hold ideologies that are different from other characters. The ways you can make the personalities of your characters stand out are endless.
Relate to the situations you place them in. Think of how you would feel in those situations, but also how the character would feel. If you've been creating a personality, you should begin to see a pattern of how any given character would react to certain stimuli. Out of character actions can be off-putting to readers, unless circumstances are created to explain such actions. There are definitely going to be times where readers expect characters to act certain ways based on previous actions.
Finally, just go with the flow. The more you write, the more you start to recognize and feel how to shape character personalities. This may be something you've never considered. You might even be great at it already without even knowing it. The more bases you can cover while writing though, the better the chances are of writing success. Giving your characters an extra thought while creating them can do wonders for how likeable they are. Engaging characters will help your book reach higher levels.
I'm Benjamin C. Andrews, an author sharing my writing knowledge with others. Visit http://magicjarpublishing.blogspot.com/ for more writing tips and tricks, and other quality information.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Creating-Characters-That-Come-To-Life&id=6588220] Creating Characters That Come To Life
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Fonzi's Jacket, Archie Bunker's Chair and Richer Expressions of Literary Cubism
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Mohamed_Mughal]Mohamed Mughal
I visited Washington, D.C. on a quest last week. I wanted to see Fonzi's jacket at the Smithsonian's American History Musuem. I failed. I never found the jacket.
Instead, I found: Archie Bunker's chair; Dorothy's ruby slippers (yes, the heels were clicked together); the original Muppets; and Catwoman's leather outfit. I moved along the National Mall under cloudy skies, sneakers crunching over the softly pebbled walkways, walking into the Natural History Museum where I saw the Hope Diamond and an array of other gems and minerals. I then made my way down to the National Gallery, paced the many halls and rooms to stand before the creative progeny of Rodin, Monet, Van Gogh and Picasso.
It was here at the National Gallery of Art, through the accident of freeform milling and through the failed quest to find Fonzi's jacket, that I discovered new perspectives on literary cubism. The small exhibit tucked into a small corner of the sprawling museum was titled "Text as Inspiration: Artists' Books and Literature." Intrigued, I entered the area and studied the fourteen artists' books on exhibit. The books were cubist in that their authors employed various modes of artistic expression to tell a story; the individual cubes of art became building blocks that converged into a thematic whole.
The form of literary cubism that I use in my writing is limited to various modes of written expression. I've used poems, letters, e-mails, government and legal memoranda, news articles and even automated spreadsheets as the cubes or building blocks of fiction. The books in this exhibit transcend the use of words as a sole means of expression. These books couple words with visual and tactile formats, giving the reader a synthesis of text, image and form.
Hmmmmm.
Have I unnecessarily and blindly shackled the expressive components of literary cubism in my practice of fiction writing?
Yes, I have.
One of the texts on exhibit was Sandra McPherson's book of poetry titled "Eve." In it, the author includes a thematically relevant papier-m�ch� sculpture of Adam's rib covered in a feminine black veil. The text of the book falls out of the sculpture in an accordion-like fashion.
Literary cubism is a potent and provocative technique for creating fiction. A richer and perhaps more expressive mode of this technique goes beyond the use of only words. Literary cubism gives full license to inclusion of visual and tactile formats.
Mohamed Mughal writes in the schools of literary cubism and absurdism.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Fonzis-Jacket,-Archie-Bunkers-Chair-and-Richer-Expressions-of-Literary-Cubism&id=6587313] Fonzi's Jacket, Archie Bunker's Chair and Richer Expressions of Literary Cubism
I visited Washington, D.C. on a quest last week. I wanted to see Fonzi's jacket at the Smithsonian's American History Musuem. I failed. I never found the jacket.
Instead, I found: Archie Bunker's chair; Dorothy's ruby slippers (yes, the heels were clicked together); the original Muppets; and Catwoman's leather outfit. I moved along the National Mall under cloudy skies, sneakers crunching over the softly pebbled walkways, walking into the Natural History Museum where I saw the Hope Diamond and an array of other gems and minerals. I then made my way down to the National Gallery, paced the many halls and rooms to stand before the creative progeny of Rodin, Monet, Van Gogh and Picasso.
It was here at the National Gallery of Art, through the accident of freeform milling and through the failed quest to find Fonzi's jacket, that I discovered new perspectives on literary cubism. The small exhibit tucked into a small corner of the sprawling museum was titled "Text as Inspiration: Artists' Books and Literature." Intrigued, I entered the area and studied the fourteen artists' books on exhibit. The books were cubist in that their authors employed various modes of artistic expression to tell a story; the individual cubes of art became building blocks that converged into a thematic whole.
The form of literary cubism that I use in my writing is limited to various modes of written expression. I've used poems, letters, e-mails, government and legal memoranda, news articles and even automated spreadsheets as the cubes or building blocks of fiction. The books in this exhibit transcend the use of words as a sole means of expression. These books couple words with visual and tactile formats, giving the reader a synthesis of text, image and form.
Hmmmmm.
Have I unnecessarily and blindly shackled the expressive components of literary cubism in my practice of fiction writing?
Yes, I have.
One of the texts on exhibit was Sandra McPherson's book of poetry titled "Eve." In it, the author includes a thematically relevant papier-m�ch� sculpture of Adam's rib covered in a feminine black veil. The text of the book falls out of the sculpture in an accordion-like fashion.
Literary cubism is a potent and provocative technique for creating fiction. A richer and perhaps more expressive mode of this technique goes beyond the use of only words. Literary cubism gives full license to inclusion of visual and tactile formats.
Mohamed Mughal writes in the schools of literary cubism and absurdism.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Fonzis-Jacket,-Archie-Bunkers-Chair-and-Richer-Expressions-of-Literary-Cubism&id=6587313] Fonzi's Jacket, Archie Bunker's Chair and Richer Expressions of Literary Cubism
Monday, November 21, 2011
Refine Your Creative Writing Ideas
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Nayanna_Chakrbarty_]Nayanna Chakrbarty
As writers, we are always reminded that we should think out of the box. It is what original writing is all about. However, most of the time, writers don't know from where to start. There is hardly any subject that has not been discussed and dissected whether it is in food, literature, fashion or simple things like daily shopping.
The best way to refine your creative writing ideas is not to think too much over it. The more you ponder, the harder it is to write or even define the treatment you would give to a subject.
Tips to refine your creative writing ideas:
1) Firstly, clear your mind. To do that it is best that you indulge in some form of physical activity- a walk or a swim. Breaking your routine abruptly will refresh your mind.
2) When you are outside in the open, breathe in deeply, feel the fresh air and satiate your creative senses with the sounds and smell around you. Here, you could find a scene for your novel that you had been meaning to write.
2) You can talk to a friend. Talking and discussing your life can have a cathartic effect and even help you see things in a different light.
3) Listening to your favorite music or the soundtrack of your most cherished movie. This relaxes the mind, and the images of the movie can inspire you to re-think about the plot that you have been planning to write.
4) Read a magazine or book which is different from what you normally do. If you are not interested in fashion, then it is time you look into the trends in clothing and hairstyle. Find out where it is going to head and maybe the heroine of the story needs a makeover. This can radically change the character of your leading lady and add some drama.
5) Change the location of your writing. If you are always at your writing desk, it can limit your visual sense. You can get a window seat of a caf� and start writing or even at the library. Find a setting that you would usually bother trying. The new stimulation will revive your creativity.
6) If you always write using your laptop or desk computer. Try going the old-fashioned way and use the pen and paper instead. Take loose sheets and an ink pen and scribble down those bubbling ideas. Nostalgia has a way of opening new creative doors.
There are infinite ways to refine your thinking process. The best way to succeed is to focus on your positive traits. The creation of original writing will never cease. It always lies in the imaginative minds of the creative one whose skillful fingers rapidly know how to perform word play at its best.
Nayanna Chakrbarty, an [http://www.original-writer.com]original writer provides content for every writing need. Her creative nuances have explored numerous writing styles and appreciated worldwide. She has a way of capturing the hearts and minds of her readers with sublime imagination, a trademark synonymous with her writing talent. Get to know her better on [http://in.linkedin.com/in/nayannachakrbarty]LinkedIn
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Refine-Your-Creative-Writing-Ideas&id=6599544] Refine Your Creative Writing Ideas
As writers, we are always reminded that we should think out of the box. It is what original writing is all about. However, most of the time, writers don't know from where to start. There is hardly any subject that has not been discussed and dissected whether it is in food, literature, fashion or simple things like daily shopping.
The best way to refine your creative writing ideas is not to think too much over it. The more you ponder, the harder it is to write or even define the treatment you would give to a subject.
Tips to refine your creative writing ideas:
1) Firstly, clear your mind. To do that it is best that you indulge in some form of physical activity- a walk or a swim. Breaking your routine abruptly will refresh your mind.
2) When you are outside in the open, breathe in deeply, feel the fresh air and satiate your creative senses with the sounds and smell around you. Here, you could find a scene for your novel that you had been meaning to write.
2) You can talk to a friend. Talking and discussing your life can have a cathartic effect and even help you see things in a different light.
3) Listening to your favorite music or the soundtrack of your most cherished movie. This relaxes the mind, and the images of the movie can inspire you to re-think about the plot that you have been planning to write.
4) Read a magazine or book which is different from what you normally do. If you are not interested in fashion, then it is time you look into the trends in clothing and hairstyle. Find out where it is going to head and maybe the heroine of the story needs a makeover. This can radically change the character of your leading lady and add some drama.
5) Change the location of your writing. If you are always at your writing desk, it can limit your visual sense. You can get a window seat of a caf� and start writing or even at the library. Find a setting that you would usually bother trying. The new stimulation will revive your creativity.
6) If you always write using your laptop or desk computer. Try going the old-fashioned way and use the pen and paper instead. Take loose sheets and an ink pen and scribble down those bubbling ideas. Nostalgia has a way of opening new creative doors.
There are infinite ways to refine your thinking process. The best way to succeed is to focus on your positive traits. The creation of original writing will never cease. It always lies in the imaginative minds of the creative one whose skillful fingers rapidly know how to perform word play at its best.
Nayanna Chakrbarty, an [http://www.original-writer.com]original writer provides content for every writing need. Her creative nuances have explored numerous writing styles and appreciated worldwide. She has a way of capturing the hearts and minds of her readers with sublime imagination, a trademark synonymous with her writing talent. Get to know her better on [http://in.linkedin.com/in/nayannachakrbarty]LinkedIn
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Refine-Your-Creative-Writing-Ideas&id=6599544] Refine Your Creative Writing Ideas
Saturday, November 19, 2011
On Writing a Novel for Publication - The Problem With Writing Material That Is Derogatory to Someone
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Robert_L._Bacon]Robert L. Bacon
Novelists sometimes have a great story on their hip that they're bursting to tell, but a character in the tale is fashioned around a real person with negative traits. So the question is, what's the best way to write about an unflattering characterization that happens to be true?
William Goldman Stated It Best
For anyone who might not be familiar with Mr. Goldman, he wrote BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID, WHEN HARRY MET SALLY, and THE PRINCESS BRIDE, among many other works. He mentioned in one of his memoirs that he'd written something which wasn't necessarily unflattering about a man he'd known years earlier, but for whatever reason the person took umbrage.
Mr. Goldman suggested that no one write anything negative about someone--if the text might be identifiable with the person being written about--until that individual is dead! As strong as that might sound, I think it's great advice. And to take this one step further, the family of the person can also be offended, and if it could be proved that the material was a deliberate smear, there could be legal ramifications, especially if the party wasn't a public figure.
Even the Most Innocuous Implication Can Be Misconstrued
Who wants to gamble with the way someone's waffle might go down on a given day? I know a writer who had to print a retraction because he misstated a man's occupation from 30 years ago. And this wasn't as if the fellow was the president of a company and he classified him as a clerk. This offended party was a medical technician and the author wrote that he was a lab technician. Both professions at the time carried the identical pay grade, and each continues to be viewed as a prestigious position. Go figure, but the man was dismayed because he felt that the lab technician title was debasing.
More Serious Scenarios Can Occur
If all it amounted to was a retraction, most writers wouldn't be too concerned about what they wrote about anyone. But if a character can be readily identified as the one depicted in the story, and the person feels libeled, let the fireworks begin! If a writer is considering someone as a template for a character in a story, and this person for example was a notorious shoplifter as a young boy in Chicago, my suggestion is to make the character a middle-aged woman in Tuscaloosa who reads fortunes. Seriously, it's not worth the risk. Remember, if the person being written about knows the writer, this individual will be acutely aware of whom the author is modeling the character.
Wait Until the Person Is Deceased and Then Look Further
I touched on this earlier. Even after the person is dead, I'd take a hard look at the individual's family and assess how the negative material might affect them. Only after every hoop is jumped through, and all the questions fully satisfied, would I then venture onto this turf. And I'd constantly ask myself if it's worth besmirching this person's name or family to try to sell my novel--when an imaginary character, adequately removed from the real individual and lineage, would serve my purpose just as well. Please think about this, as leaning to the cautious side of this equation might save a lot of grief and money down the road.
Robert L. Bacon, Founder
The Perfect Write�
New Free Manuscript Service for Serious Writers! The Perfect Write� is now providing a Free Opening-Chapter Critique and Line Edit. Paste the first chapter of your manuscript (up to 5000 words) to [mailto:theperfectwrite@aol.com]theperfectwrite@aol.com (no attachments). In addition to the critique, The Perfect Write� will line edit, if applicable, up to the first three-pages of your double-spaced material also at no charge.
Also Free! Receive The Perfect Write� Newsletters that feature articles on writing at a publishable level. Click here http://www.theperfectwrite.com/ and scroll to the bottom of The Perfect Write� Home Page for the simple two-step sign-up box.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?On-Writing-a-Novel-for-Publication---The-Problem-With-Writing-Material-That-Is-Derogatory-to-Someone&id=6607008] On Writing a Novel for Publication - The Problem With Writing Material That Is Derogatory to Someone
Novelists sometimes have a great story on their hip that they're bursting to tell, but a character in the tale is fashioned around a real person with negative traits. So the question is, what's the best way to write about an unflattering characterization that happens to be true?
William Goldman Stated It Best
For anyone who might not be familiar with Mr. Goldman, he wrote BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID, WHEN HARRY MET SALLY, and THE PRINCESS BRIDE, among many other works. He mentioned in one of his memoirs that he'd written something which wasn't necessarily unflattering about a man he'd known years earlier, but for whatever reason the person took umbrage.
Mr. Goldman suggested that no one write anything negative about someone--if the text might be identifiable with the person being written about--until that individual is dead! As strong as that might sound, I think it's great advice. And to take this one step further, the family of the person can also be offended, and if it could be proved that the material was a deliberate smear, there could be legal ramifications, especially if the party wasn't a public figure.
Even the Most Innocuous Implication Can Be Misconstrued
Who wants to gamble with the way someone's waffle might go down on a given day? I know a writer who had to print a retraction because he misstated a man's occupation from 30 years ago. And this wasn't as if the fellow was the president of a company and he classified him as a clerk. This offended party was a medical technician and the author wrote that he was a lab technician. Both professions at the time carried the identical pay grade, and each continues to be viewed as a prestigious position. Go figure, but the man was dismayed because he felt that the lab technician title was debasing.
More Serious Scenarios Can Occur
If all it amounted to was a retraction, most writers wouldn't be too concerned about what they wrote about anyone. But if a character can be readily identified as the one depicted in the story, and the person feels libeled, let the fireworks begin! If a writer is considering someone as a template for a character in a story, and this person for example was a notorious shoplifter as a young boy in Chicago, my suggestion is to make the character a middle-aged woman in Tuscaloosa who reads fortunes. Seriously, it's not worth the risk. Remember, if the person being written about knows the writer, this individual will be acutely aware of whom the author is modeling the character.
Wait Until the Person Is Deceased and Then Look Further
I touched on this earlier. Even after the person is dead, I'd take a hard look at the individual's family and assess how the negative material might affect them. Only after every hoop is jumped through, and all the questions fully satisfied, would I then venture onto this turf. And I'd constantly ask myself if it's worth besmirching this person's name or family to try to sell my novel--when an imaginary character, adequately removed from the real individual and lineage, would serve my purpose just as well. Please think about this, as leaning to the cautious side of this equation might save a lot of grief and money down the road.
Robert L. Bacon, Founder
The Perfect Write�
New Free Manuscript Service for Serious Writers! The Perfect Write� is now providing a Free Opening-Chapter Critique and Line Edit. Paste the first chapter of your manuscript (up to 5000 words) to [mailto:theperfectwrite@aol.com]theperfectwrite@aol.com (no attachments). In addition to the critique, The Perfect Write� will line edit, if applicable, up to the first three-pages of your double-spaced material also at no charge.
Also Free! Receive The Perfect Write� Newsletters that feature articles on writing at a publishable level. Click here http://www.theperfectwrite.com/ and scroll to the bottom of The Perfect Write� Home Page for the simple two-step sign-up box.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?On-Writing-a-Novel-for-Publication---The-Problem-With-Writing-Material-That-Is-Derogatory-to-Someone&id=6607008] On Writing a Novel for Publication - The Problem With Writing Material That Is Derogatory to Someone
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Striking a Balance Between Your Writing Life and Personal Life
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Harriet_Hodgson]Harriet Hodgson
I subscribe to two marketing websites. A recent posting on one website asked people how they manage to find a balance between their work and personal life. It's a good question. After 35+ years as a freelance writer I've found that balance and you can too.
Regular breaks help you clarify your thinking, prevent muscle strain, eye strain and burnout. These tips may help you find the balance you are seeking.
1. Put breaks on your "To Do" list. I'm a list-maker and always will be. As soon as I complete a task I cross it off my list. Breaks are part of every list I make. The Mayo Clinic website, in an article titled "Eyestrain," recommends a 20/20/20 approach to work. You stop looking at the computer screen every 20 minutes and look at something that is 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
2. Plan your work day. Early morning is my best writing time and I take advantage of it. I get up early and write for an hour before breakfast. My work day is divided into two parts, new writing in the morning and keeping up with the book business in the afternoon. Afternoons are also devoted to proofreading.
3. Allow enough lead time. Well before the deadline I start work on an article or book. This prevents stress and makes writing a joyful experience. Of course I've had times when I scrambled to meet a deadline, but this doesn't happen often.
4. Divide big tasks into small steps. Before I start writing I have a specific goal in mind, such as working out kinks in a troublesome paragraph, finishing a page, or concluding a chapter. Small steps help me stay on track and on task. When I reach the mid-point of a book I always cheer because I know I'm making progress.
5. Do something different. The last three months I've been working on two books and became obsessed with them. I didn't plan to write the second book, a short resource for children, yet when the idea came to me I felt I should act on it. Thank goodness I recognized my writing obsession and called time out. What am I doing? I'm going on a cook's tour of St Paul, Minnesota and participating in more social events.
6. Connect with family. More than any other, this tip helps me find balance in my life. Family connections vary. Recently I attended a baby's birthday party (she just turned one), went to lunch with my daughter, and enjoyed a restaurant dinner with my husband.
7. Take care of yourself. I try to get eight hours of sleep a night and eat balanced meals. Regular breaks are also self-care. Doreen Martel writes about breaks in her Helium website article, "The Importance of Taking Regular Breaks as a Writer." She thinks breaks are essential for freelancers like me and recommends a 15 minute break between breakfast and lunch, an hour break mid-day, and another break after dinner.
Why should you take regular breaks? Breaks make you more productive and that's something every writer wants.
Copyright 2011 by Harriet Hodgson http://www.harriethodgson.com/
Harriet Hodgson is the author of 30 published books and shopping two manuscripts now. "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from Amazon. Centering Corporation has published several of her books, including "Writing to Recover: The Journey from Loss and Grief to a New Life" and a companion journal, "The Spiritual Woman: Quotes to Refresh and Sustain Your Soul," and "Happy Again! Your New and Meaningful Life After Loss."
Hodgson has two other new books out, "101 Affirmations to Ease Your Grief Journey" and "Real Meals on 18 Wheels: A Guide for Healthy Living on the Highway," Kathryn Clements, RD, co-author. Both books are available from Amazon. Please visit Harriet's website and learn more about this busy author and grandmother.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Striking-a-Balance-Between-Your-Writing-Life-and-Personal-Life&id=6609106] Striking a Balance Between Your Writing Life and Personal Life
I subscribe to two marketing websites. A recent posting on one website asked people how they manage to find a balance between their work and personal life. It's a good question. After 35+ years as a freelance writer I've found that balance and you can too.
Regular breaks help you clarify your thinking, prevent muscle strain, eye strain and burnout. These tips may help you find the balance you are seeking.
1. Put breaks on your "To Do" list. I'm a list-maker and always will be. As soon as I complete a task I cross it off my list. Breaks are part of every list I make. The Mayo Clinic website, in an article titled "Eyestrain," recommends a 20/20/20 approach to work. You stop looking at the computer screen every 20 minutes and look at something that is 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
2. Plan your work day. Early morning is my best writing time and I take advantage of it. I get up early and write for an hour before breakfast. My work day is divided into two parts, new writing in the morning and keeping up with the book business in the afternoon. Afternoons are also devoted to proofreading.
3. Allow enough lead time. Well before the deadline I start work on an article or book. This prevents stress and makes writing a joyful experience. Of course I've had times when I scrambled to meet a deadline, but this doesn't happen often.
4. Divide big tasks into small steps. Before I start writing I have a specific goal in mind, such as working out kinks in a troublesome paragraph, finishing a page, or concluding a chapter. Small steps help me stay on track and on task. When I reach the mid-point of a book I always cheer because I know I'm making progress.
5. Do something different. The last three months I've been working on two books and became obsessed with them. I didn't plan to write the second book, a short resource for children, yet when the idea came to me I felt I should act on it. Thank goodness I recognized my writing obsession and called time out. What am I doing? I'm going on a cook's tour of St Paul, Minnesota and participating in more social events.
6. Connect with family. More than any other, this tip helps me find balance in my life. Family connections vary. Recently I attended a baby's birthday party (she just turned one), went to lunch with my daughter, and enjoyed a restaurant dinner with my husband.
7. Take care of yourself. I try to get eight hours of sleep a night and eat balanced meals. Regular breaks are also self-care. Doreen Martel writes about breaks in her Helium website article, "The Importance of Taking Regular Breaks as a Writer." She thinks breaks are essential for freelancers like me and recommends a 15 minute break between breakfast and lunch, an hour break mid-day, and another break after dinner.
Why should you take regular breaks? Breaks make you more productive and that's something every writer wants.
Copyright 2011 by Harriet Hodgson http://www.harriethodgson.com/
Harriet Hodgson is the author of 30 published books and shopping two manuscripts now. "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from Amazon. Centering Corporation has published several of her books, including "Writing to Recover: The Journey from Loss and Grief to a New Life" and a companion journal, "The Spiritual Woman: Quotes to Refresh and Sustain Your Soul," and "Happy Again! Your New and Meaningful Life After Loss."
Hodgson has two other new books out, "101 Affirmations to Ease Your Grief Journey" and "Real Meals on 18 Wheels: A Guide for Healthy Living on the Highway," Kathryn Clements, RD, co-author. Both books are available from Amazon. Please visit Harriet's website and learn more about this busy author and grandmother.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Striking-a-Balance-Between-Your-Writing-Life-and-Personal-Life&id=6609106] Striking a Balance Between Your Writing Life and Personal Life
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
To Write Excellent Children's Stories, Your Characters Must Evolve
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Rick_Alimonti]Rick Alimonti
Perhaps the act of forgiveness, true forgiveness, is the ultimate example of taking a second look. In this process three critical participants in the story evolve:
1. The character taking the second look evolves by opening his mind to another and to greater depths of the person "looked at"
2. The character being looked at also changes in the minds of the reader/observer as a newer deeper component of them is revealed to us
3. The reader evolves as he experiences these revelations along with the characters. Indeed the reader may well be brought along for this second look just like a character in your story.
Characters can "evolve" simply by revealing aspects of themselves that we may not at first be allowed to see. Although perhaps not a true evolution because the part revealed to us was there all along, the effect on the reader is much the same.
For example, in Katherine Patterson's wonderful Bridge to Tarabithia (a truly remarkable children's book that takes chance and delivers powerfully), I am particularly drawn to the character of the father. At first blush, he seems a somewhat heartless and unfeeling character - maybe even one of the "monsters" of Taribithia. Yet, when we see him respond to the tragedy of the death of Leslie and comfort his son Jess, a new side of him is revealed. We are treated to a similar wonderful revelation from Jess's teacher Mrs. Meyers.
After these revelations of true depth, tenderness, and feeling, we cannot think of these characters the same way again. Revealing a deeper side of a character who, it turns out, is not quite the character we first expected, can be one of the most powerful aspects of writing. It can only happen a few times in a given story, but if you reflect on various stories you have enjoyed, you will find that many of them have such eye-opening moments. Here are a few across genres:
-Literature. Ebenezer Scrooge awakening on Christmas morning a changed man.
-Film. Captain Von Trapp, whose heart is softened by the "sound of music."
-Pop Song. Leader of the Pack. "They told me he was bad, but I knew that he was sad."
I personally cannot write without character evolution, and my writing seems empty without it.
In my first published book, which was about stranger danger, a child learned that we could not judge people by appearances. In my second, a young dinosaur learned not to, quite literally, judge another triceratops by its stripes. In my third book, young Tommy and his friends open themselves up to possibilities both around them and within them that "older and wiser" minds may have shut out.
There might be some who would say that a children's story should be simple with stock predictable characters. I think this sells our (child) reader short. By the time a child can read, she has already come to understand learning, change, the complexities of friendship and relationships, the many components of friends (and certainly parents and siblings!). Give them characters that grow and evolve. They deserve them. They will understand them, and perhaps even grow with them.
Rick Alimonti is nationally and internationally recognized as an expert it Aviation Law, and his law firm has clients throughout the US and Europe. He has always loved airplanes and aviation and became a private pilot in 1994. He has a passion for teaching and promoting legal ethics and speaks and published several times a year on legal ethics.
Rick's children's books focus on character growth and understanding. It could be said that his characters evolve and learn to see the possibilities within themselves and others. In Tommy and the T-Tops, a picture book for children published in 2009, a young dinosaur learns that the striped triceratops from distant heard can teach quite a lot to his green-colored herd. In the Fix-It Shop, Tommy Jameson and other characters come to accept that life has possibilities beyond the ordinary. Tommy, in particular, learns of the strength and magic that was with him all along - even if he never escapes the confines of his wheelchair.
For more Information go to: http://www.alimontibooks.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?To-Write-Excellent-Childrens-Stories,-Your-Characters-Must-Evolve&id=6601635] To Write Excellent Children's Stories, Your Characters Must Evolve
Perhaps the act of forgiveness, true forgiveness, is the ultimate example of taking a second look. In this process three critical participants in the story evolve:
1. The character taking the second look evolves by opening his mind to another and to greater depths of the person "looked at"
2. The character being looked at also changes in the minds of the reader/observer as a newer deeper component of them is revealed to us
3. The reader evolves as he experiences these revelations along with the characters. Indeed the reader may well be brought along for this second look just like a character in your story.
Characters can "evolve" simply by revealing aspects of themselves that we may not at first be allowed to see. Although perhaps not a true evolution because the part revealed to us was there all along, the effect on the reader is much the same.
For example, in Katherine Patterson's wonderful Bridge to Tarabithia (a truly remarkable children's book that takes chance and delivers powerfully), I am particularly drawn to the character of the father. At first blush, he seems a somewhat heartless and unfeeling character - maybe even one of the "monsters" of Taribithia. Yet, when we see him respond to the tragedy of the death of Leslie and comfort his son Jess, a new side of him is revealed. We are treated to a similar wonderful revelation from Jess's teacher Mrs. Meyers.
After these revelations of true depth, tenderness, and feeling, we cannot think of these characters the same way again. Revealing a deeper side of a character who, it turns out, is not quite the character we first expected, can be one of the most powerful aspects of writing. It can only happen a few times in a given story, but if you reflect on various stories you have enjoyed, you will find that many of them have such eye-opening moments. Here are a few across genres:
-Literature. Ebenezer Scrooge awakening on Christmas morning a changed man.
-Film. Captain Von Trapp, whose heart is softened by the "sound of music."
-Pop Song. Leader of the Pack. "They told me he was bad, but I knew that he was sad."
I personally cannot write without character evolution, and my writing seems empty without it.
In my first published book, which was about stranger danger, a child learned that we could not judge people by appearances. In my second, a young dinosaur learned not to, quite literally, judge another triceratops by its stripes. In my third book, young Tommy and his friends open themselves up to possibilities both around them and within them that "older and wiser" minds may have shut out.
There might be some who would say that a children's story should be simple with stock predictable characters. I think this sells our (child) reader short. By the time a child can read, she has already come to understand learning, change, the complexities of friendship and relationships, the many components of friends (and certainly parents and siblings!). Give them characters that grow and evolve. They deserve them. They will understand them, and perhaps even grow with them.
Rick Alimonti is nationally and internationally recognized as an expert it Aviation Law, and his law firm has clients throughout the US and Europe. He has always loved airplanes and aviation and became a private pilot in 1994. He has a passion for teaching and promoting legal ethics and speaks and published several times a year on legal ethics.
Rick's children's books focus on character growth and understanding. It could be said that his characters evolve and learn to see the possibilities within themselves and others. In Tommy and the T-Tops, a picture book for children published in 2009, a young dinosaur learns that the striped triceratops from distant heard can teach quite a lot to his green-colored herd. In the Fix-It Shop, Tommy Jameson and other characters come to accept that life has possibilities beyond the ordinary. Tommy, in particular, learns of the strength and magic that was with him all along - even if he never escapes the confines of his wheelchair.
For more Information go to: http://www.alimontibooks.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?To-Write-Excellent-Childrens-Stories,-Your-Characters-Must-Evolve&id=6601635] To Write Excellent Children's Stories, Your Characters Must Evolve
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Getting the Creative Juices Flowing - Do You Write by Hand, on a Computer, Or a Vintage Typewriter?
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jurgen_Wolff]Jurgen Wolff
It's what you write that counts, not whether you write by hand, or on a computer or even on a vintage typewriter. However, you may find that switching to a method you don't normally use could get your creative juices flowing and help you get over writer's block. Here are six situations that will help you decide which way to write.
When to write by hand
1. When you're brainstorming, consider writing by hand and creating a mind map. This allows you to get down your ideas quickly, build on them, and indicate (with arrows, for instance) how they relate to each other. Although you can get mind mapping software, using it feels more mechanical than just jotting things down as they come to you. If you're not sure how to create a mind map, the Wikipedia entry provides a good succinct guide.
2. When you want to take your time and get in touch with the more sensual, physical element of writing-from your brain through your arm and hand onto the surface of paper-handwriting is the way to do it. It's especially recommended for poetry.
When to write on a computer
3. When the material is coming to you quickly and almost effortlessly, using the computer usually is the fastest way of getting it down, at least if you're a reasonably good typist. If you've been using one of the other methods, consider switching to this during your "flow" periods to make sure that you don't lose any thoughts.
4. Are you writing to a deadline? Using a computer makes the job of editing and creating several drafts much quicker and easier.
When to write on a vintage typewriter
5. If you find yourself writing too fast and you'd like to slow down to consider your wording more carefully, this is the way to go. With no way to quickly cut or paste text, using a vintage typewriter is a real commitment.
6. Has the romance gone out of writing? If you're of a certain age your image of a real writer was somebody sitting at a typewriter, maybe typing with two fingers, yanking out the sheet of paper and crumpling it up and rolling in a fresh sheet. To get back in touch with the age of Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Gertrude Stein (not to mention those great Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell movies), have an occasional session at a vintage typewriter. Eye shade optional.
The most important principle
The over-riding principle is that when the words aren't flowing, switch to a different way of writing. By changing the physicality of your writing process you are also likely to turn your thoughts in a different direction-and that's the way to get your creative juices flowing again.
Your writing coach Jurgen Wolff shows you how to achieve writing success in his book, YOUR WRITING COACH (published by Nicholas Brealey Publishing), available now from barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com and book stores. He has written more than 100 episodes of television, six non-fiction books, short stories, articles, and plays. He is also an international creativity and writing teacher coach. More tips and techniques are available at his website: [http://www.timetowrite.com]http://www.timetowrite.com, where you can also sign up for his free monthly Brainstorm e-bulletin. Also see his writing blog at [http://www.timetowrite.blogs.com]http://www.timetowrite.blogs.com.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Getting-the-Creative-Juices-Flowing---Do-You-Write-by-Hand,-on-a-Computer,-Or-a-Vintage-Typewriter?&id=6604642] Getting the Creative Juices Flowing - Do You Write by Hand, on a Computer, Or a Vintage Typewriter?
It's what you write that counts, not whether you write by hand, or on a computer or even on a vintage typewriter. However, you may find that switching to a method you don't normally use could get your creative juices flowing and help you get over writer's block. Here are six situations that will help you decide which way to write.
When to write by hand
1. When you're brainstorming, consider writing by hand and creating a mind map. This allows you to get down your ideas quickly, build on them, and indicate (with arrows, for instance) how they relate to each other. Although you can get mind mapping software, using it feels more mechanical than just jotting things down as they come to you. If you're not sure how to create a mind map, the Wikipedia entry provides a good succinct guide.
2. When you want to take your time and get in touch with the more sensual, physical element of writing-from your brain through your arm and hand onto the surface of paper-handwriting is the way to do it. It's especially recommended for poetry.
When to write on a computer
3. When the material is coming to you quickly and almost effortlessly, using the computer usually is the fastest way of getting it down, at least if you're a reasonably good typist. If you've been using one of the other methods, consider switching to this during your "flow" periods to make sure that you don't lose any thoughts.
4. Are you writing to a deadline? Using a computer makes the job of editing and creating several drafts much quicker and easier.
When to write on a vintage typewriter
5. If you find yourself writing too fast and you'd like to slow down to consider your wording more carefully, this is the way to go. With no way to quickly cut or paste text, using a vintage typewriter is a real commitment.
6. Has the romance gone out of writing? If you're of a certain age your image of a real writer was somebody sitting at a typewriter, maybe typing with two fingers, yanking out the sheet of paper and crumpling it up and rolling in a fresh sheet. To get back in touch with the age of Hemingway, Fitzgerald, and Gertrude Stein (not to mention those great Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell movies), have an occasional session at a vintage typewriter. Eye shade optional.
The most important principle
The over-riding principle is that when the words aren't flowing, switch to a different way of writing. By changing the physicality of your writing process you are also likely to turn your thoughts in a different direction-and that's the way to get your creative juices flowing again.
Your writing coach Jurgen Wolff shows you how to achieve writing success in his book, YOUR WRITING COACH (published by Nicholas Brealey Publishing), available now from barnesandnoble.com and amazon.com and book stores. He has written more than 100 episodes of television, six non-fiction books, short stories, articles, and plays. He is also an international creativity and writing teacher coach. More tips and techniques are available at his website: [http://www.timetowrite.com]http://www.timetowrite.com, where you can also sign up for his free monthly Brainstorm e-bulletin. Also see his writing blog at [http://www.timetowrite.blogs.com]http://www.timetowrite.blogs.com.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Getting-the-Creative-Juices-Flowing---Do-You-Write-by-Hand,-on-a-Computer,-Or-a-Vintage-Typewriter?&id=6604642] Getting the Creative Juices Flowing - Do You Write by Hand, on a Computer, Or a Vintage Typewriter?
Friday, November 11, 2011
How to Develop Villainous Characteristic Traits in Your Writing
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Sheila_C_Skillman]Sheila C Skillman
An effective fictional villain has, to my mind, one essential characteristic. The villain should build up in the reader a passionate desire for his or her comeuppance. If the novel ends without one, or the villain is allowed to triumph, that makes for a profound sense of dissatisfaction in the reader.
So how do you as the fiction writer build up this strong emotional reaction in your reader? Fundamentally, you need to show the main protagonist, your hero, striving to attain the storygoal, and constantly being undermined or threatened or endangered by the subtle, invidious workings of the villain. Within classic story structure, this kind of subtle hostility then builds up to violent attack, death traps, and the blackest of black moments for the hero.
A villain is one who exploits, manipulates, betrays. A villain is utterly self-seeking, wreaks havoc in the lives of others, and destroys without pity. But a villain may take the form of a hostile environment; adverse political or economic circumstances; a psychological state; or an inner demon. Your villain may appear as a pious, moaning, self-appointed martyr; or a religious hypocrite (the Bronte sisters excelled in portraying those); the true villain can be not the one who actually does the evil, but the one who lurks in the background creating the conditions for the evil to germinate and thrive and flourish. The joy of fiction is that this kind of villain may be brought out into the light, and be exposed. The tragedy of life is that this kind of villain often goes undiscovered and unpunished.
But we fiction writers often do ensure that our villains get their comeuppance. Charles Dickens sets up poetic justice for Fagin and Quilp; J.K. Rowling brings Lord Voldemort to his final downfall; Wilkie Collins arranges an ignominious end for his Napoleonic master-criminal Count Fosco. Of course there are the fiction writers who supply the exceptions that prove the rule. For Thomas Hardy, perhaps, the pitiless gods are the villains; they are the ones who bring Tess of the d'Urbervilles to a tragic end. And do they get their comeuppance? No. Nevertheless, Hardy brings all his novels to a satisfying conclusion; and there is much to be learned from a careful study of his outcomes. Why does a tragic end satisfy us? We look at all the elements of this; and it turns out that there is a deep level of meaning present. What we abhor is a vacuum. We always seek meaning. Sometimes a story with a beginning, a middle and an end supplies that meaning in itself. And just seeing that pattern, recognising that meaning, can supply the same emotional response as the comeuppance of the villain.
S.C.Skillman is the author of exciting new psychological thriller novel "Mystical Circles". Reviewers have enjoyed the "intense psychological drama in a beautiful setting". You can buy the book on Amazon and through the Kindle Bookstore, or visit the author's website to find out more, and click the secure payment gateway to buy a signed copy at [http://www.scskillman.co.uk]http://www.scskillman.co.uk.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Develop-Villainous-Characteristic-Traits-in-Your-Writing&id=6601103] How to Develop Villainous Characteristic Traits in Your Writing
An effective fictional villain has, to my mind, one essential characteristic. The villain should build up in the reader a passionate desire for his or her comeuppance. If the novel ends without one, or the villain is allowed to triumph, that makes for a profound sense of dissatisfaction in the reader.
So how do you as the fiction writer build up this strong emotional reaction in your reader? Fundamentally, you need to show the main protagonist, your hero, striving to attain the storygoal, and constantly being undermined or threatened or endangered by the subtle, invidious workings of the villain. Within classic story structure, this kind of subtle hostility then builds up to violent attack, death traps, and the blackest of black moments for the hero.
A villain is one who exploits, manipulates, betrays. A villain is utterly self-seeking, wreaks havoc in the lives of others, and destroys without pity. But a villain may take the form of a hostile environment; adverse political or economic circumstances; a psychological state; or an inner demon. Your villain may appear as a pious, moaning, self-appointed martyr; or a religious hypocrite (the Bronte sisters excelled in portraying those); the true villain can be not the one who actually does the evil, but the one who lurks in the background creating the conditions for the evil to germinate and thrive and flourish. The joy of fiction is that this kind of villain may be brought out into the light, and be exposed. The tragedy of life is that this kind of villain often goes undiscovered and unpunished.
But we fiction writers often do ensure that our villains get their comeuppance. Charles Dickens sets up poetic justice for Fagin and Quilp; J.K. Rowling brings Lord Voldemort to his final downfall; Wilkie Collins arranges an ignominious end for his Napoleonic master-criminal Count Fosco. Of course there are the fiction writers who supply the exceptions that prove the rule. For Thomas Hardy, perhaps, the pitiless gods are the villains; they are the ones who bring Tess of the d'Urbervilles to a tragic end. And do they get their comeuppance? No. Nevertheless, Hardy brings all his novels to a satisfying conclusion; and there is much to be learned from a careful study of his outcomes. Why does a tragic end satisfy us? We look at all the elements of this; and it turns out that there is a deep level of meaning present. What we abhor is a vacuum. We always seek meaning. Sometimes a story with a beginning, a middle and an end supplies that meaning in itself. And just seeing that pattern, recognising that meaning, can supply the same emotional response as the comeuppance of the villain.
S.C.Skillman is the author of exciting new psychological thriller novel "Mystical Circles". Reviewers have enjoyed the "intense psychological drama in a beautiful setting". You can buy the book on Amazon and through the Kindle Bookstore, or visit the author's website to find out more, and click the secure payment gateway to buy a signed copy at [http://www.scskillman.co.uk]http://www.scskillman.co.uk.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?How-to-Develop-Villainous-Characteristic-Traits-in-Your-Writing&id=6601103] How to Develop Villainous Characteristic Traits in Your Writing
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Improving Your Work: A Book Author's Ongoing Challenge
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Harriet_Hodgson]Harriet Hodgson
After decades of writing I have an established style, yet try to improve my work. My options include writing courses, conferences, day-long workshops, and joining a writers' group. Some options are more appealing than others. I'm not interested in taking more courses, for example, or joining a writer's group because I've done these things before.
You may be trying to improve your work. The options available to you may depend on where you live and the training you already have. Cost also influences your options.
Aaron Potts, in a Today is That Day website article, "Self Improvement Plan: Write it Down -- and Read It," thinks written goals are powerful success tip. This tip has many advantages, according to Potts. First, writing down your goals forces you to be specific. Written goals may serve as a daily reminder. Seeing your goals in print or handwriting makes them real. Finally, written goals may be used to reposition yourself for success.
"Write down your goals in the form of a document, not a list!" Potts advises. I made that document and my goals include adding long sentences to break up short prose, learning new vocabulary words, and focusing on summary paragraphs at the end of chapters.
The Writerly Life blog posted an article that grabbed my attention instantly, "Why That Writing Improvement Book Won't Help You." According to the author, who lists his or her initials as BLH, these books are often vague and advice like "find your center" isn't helpful. Often these books encourage "homogenous writing," the author continues, and that doesn't help either. Finally, the author says these books tend to be more about marketing than writing.
The article pertains to fuction writing and, though I write nonfiction, I found it helpful. Besides, I already own books about writing and don't want to spend money on more.
The Janel's Jumble blog addresses writing skills in a post titled, "Writing Improvement Tools." The author of the post jots down a story idea each day. These notes include scenes, character sketches, beginning and ending sentences. Each week Janel writes a story from a prompt. "I tend to think EVERY story I write could eventually be published," she declares. Her final tip is to read in an unfamiliar genre, something I do and enjoy.
To improve my writing I take a break and read poetry or mysteries. Robert Frost's poems always inspire me and I note his word choices and descriptive language. For a change of pace I've read books about marketing and economics. While I'm interested in marketing, economics can be a turn-off.
In the end, I've found writing is what improves an author's work. So I keep practicing and practicing. Waiting a month and then reading my manuscript again is one of the most helpful things I do. Do you want to improve your writing? Consider your options, pick the best, and pursue them. Most of all, keep writing!
Copyright 2011 by Harriet Hodgson http://www.harriethodgson.com/
Harriet Hodgson has been an independent journalist for 35+ years. Her 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from Amazon. Centering Corporation published her 26th book, "Writing to Recover: The Journey from Loss and Grief to a New Life," a companion journal, "The Spiritual Woman: Quotes to Refresh and Sustain Your Soul," and "Happy Again! Your New and Meaningful Life After Loss."
Hodgson has two other new books out, "101 Affirmations to Ease Your Grief Journey," and "Real Meals on 18 Wheels: A Guide for Healthy Living on the Highway," Kathryn Clements, RD, co-author. Both books are available from Amazon. Please visit Harriet's website and learn more about this busy author and grandmother.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Improving-Your-Work:-A-Book-Authors-Ongoing-Challenge&id=6614428] Improving Your Work: A Book Author's Ongoing Challenge
After decades of writing I have an established style, yet try to improve my work. My options include writing courses, conferences, day-long workshops, and joining a writers' group. Some options are more appealing than others. I'm not interested in taking more courses, for example, or joining a writer's group because I've done these things before.
You may be trying to improve your work. The options available to you may depend on where you live and the training you already have. Cost also influences your options.
Aaron Potts, in a Today is That Day website article, "Self Improvement Plan: Write it Down -- and Read It," thinks written goals are powerful success tip. This tip has many advantages, according to Potts. First, writing down your goals forces you to be specific. Written goals may serve as a daily reminder. Seeing your goals in print or handwriting makes them real. Finally, written goals may be used to reposition yourself for success.
"Write down your goals in the form of a document, not a list!" Potts advises. I made that document and my goals include adding long sentences to break up short prose, learning new vocabulary words, and focusing on summary paragraphs at the end of chapters.
The Writerly Life blog posted an article that grabbed my attention instantly, "Why That Writing Improvement Book Won't Help You." According to the author, who lists his or her initials as BLH, these books are often vague and advice like "find your center" isn't helpful. Often these books encourage "homogenous writing," the author continues, and that doesn't help either. Finally, the author says these books tend to be more about marketing than writing.
The article pertains to fuction writing and, though I write nonfiction, I found it helpful. Besides, I already own books about writing and don't want to spend money on more.
The Janel's Jumble blog addresses writing skills in a post titled, "Writing Improvement Tools." The author of the post jots down a story idea each day. These notes include scenes, character sketches, beginning and ending sentences. Each week Janel writes a story from a prompt. "I tend to think EVERY story I write could eventually be published," she declares. Her final tip is to read in an unfamiliar genre, something I do and enjoy.
To improve my writing I take a break and read poetry or mysteries. Robert Frost's poems always inspire me and I note his word choices and descriptive language. For a change of pace I've read books about marketing and economics. While I'm interested in marketing, economics can be a turn-off.
In the end, I've found writing is what improves an author's work. So I keep practicing and practicing. Waiting a month and then reading my manuscript again is one of the most helpful things I do. Do you want to improve your writing? Consider your options, pick the best, and pursue them. Most of all, keep writing!
Copyright 2011 by Harriet Hodgson http://www.harriethodgson.com/
Harriet Hodgson has been an independent journalist for 35+ years. Her 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from Amazon. Centering Corporation published her 26th book, "Writing to Recover: The Journey from Loss and Grief to a New Life," a companion journal, "The Spiritual Woman: Quotes to Refresh and Sustain Your Soul," and "Happy Again! Your New and Meaningful Life After Loss."
Hodgson has two other new books out, "101 Affirmations to Ease Your Grief Journey," and "Real Meals on 18 Wheels: A Guide for Healthy Living on the Highway," Kathryn Clements, RD, co-author. Both books are available from Amazon. Please visit Harriet's website and learn more about this busy author and grandmother.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Improving-Your-Work:-A-Book-Authors-Ongoing-Challenge&id=6614428] Improving Your Work: A Book Author's Ongoing Challenge
Monday, November 7, 2011
The Worst Day of My Life
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Jonathan_Degler]Jonathan Degler
I've always known that my dad loved me, but I guess that hadn't become truly real to me until a day I was stranded in the middle of a parking lot.
I only had three real possessions. The oldest of the three possessions was a Gibson guitar. When most people think of a Gibson guitar, at least people who know guitars, they think of top of the line, up there with the best. Mine however managed to be the worst. Most of the strings would un-tune after a few minutes, somehow the frets were rusty, and body would have dings and nicks from where my brother would knock it off the stand or drop it out of the case. One time, while it was in its case, it was run over by a mini-van. Miraculously it was still intact. Thank the Lord I had sprung for the expensive case.
My second possession was my laptop. Back then it was the bomb. It seemed to weigh about 30 pounds. I carried it all around campus. I told my dad it was for taking notes in class, but really I just played DOOM on my breaks. I even had a cordless mouse that let me navigate the game much easier.
My last possession was my baby blue Chevy S-10 pick-up truck. I had just dropped a large chunk of my college savings fund to help pay for this bad-boy. It was a five-speed stick shift, 4-cylinder, and no A/C. This truck developed my addiction for driving. Most people I know hates to drive, because of nasty traffic, the seemingly wasted time, or just having to sit still for a prolonged period of time. I, on the other hand, lived in the middle of nowhere, so driving became natural. Just getting to Wal-Mart or the gas station took about half an hour, and getting to Arapahoe Community College had a total of two hours round trip.
These long trips gave me my opportunity to rest. I obviously wouldn't sleep, but my mind could relax. I listened to music, observed people, and let my mind wander. It was my haven. One day, my haven was all but destroyed.
My classes were over for the day, and I was new in town, so I had no real friends to talk to. That didn't bother me much, but I still seemed to brighten when I saw my truck. I got to school early for a 7:30 A.M. class, so I got one of the better parking spots. As I approached the driver's side door, I reached into my pocket to pull out my black and yellow Pacific Sunwear lanyard, but left pocket was empty. The left pocket is where I always put my keys, but I guessed maybe I could have put them in my right. They weren't there either.
I remembered retracing my steps in my mind, but shortly finding out the truth when I saw the keys dangling from the ignition. I had locked myself out of my car. Crap. I let my head drop, and window met my forehead sooner than I anticipated, so the impact hurt a little more than I was willing to admit. Of course, I had given my spare key to my father, but he was in town. Which means he would have to drive all the way home, in the boonies, then drive another hour back to the ACC parking lot. Again, he would do just about anything for me, but this wasn't the first time I'd locked my keys in the car. Actually, it wasn't the first time that week.
I had locked my keys in the car already twice that month, and once earlier that week. Both times my dad had bailed me out with the spare key. I could tell that he was getting a little perturbed at the driving and wasted gas that went into my rescues, so I regretting having to call him a third time to ruin the third day this month just for me and my forgetfulness.
That's when a campus security guy drove by slowly. He was patrolling the lot. He briefly waved, but then moved along slowly to the other lots on campus. It was only after he left that I realized the help he could have been to my current situation. Luckily, my only luck of the day, I had the campus number in my phone, so I called and after about half an hour, a security officer came by with the proper tools to jimmy open my lock.
I was happy that I didn't have to bug my dad, but it was clear that this fellow had never done anything like this before. He pulled, pushed and even suggested that I break out a back window. The fellow was of course joking, but my expressionless gaze told him immediately that I wasn't in the mood. Finally he positioned his flat, metal hook in just the right place to pull the lock over into the right spot. Relief must have shown on my face because he brightened up instantly as well.
With that I shook his hand and walked around to the other side of the vehicle to get my backpack out of the shade. I didn't want my spiffy new laptop computer sitting out in the Colorado sun. When I did though I encountered my second speed bump. My front passenger tire was completely flat. My relief from opening the door was carrying over into my next problem, so I wasn't as upset as you'd imagine. I'd changed plenty of flat tires, so it wasn't going to be a problem.
Now is the point in my story where things really start to avalanche. I bend down to look under my truck to retrieve my spare tire when I noticed a bike lock securely fastening the spare tire in place. At first I was confused. I thought I missed a step and I needed a special key or something to unlock the tire, but after a moment of thought I came to the conclusion that I was yet again stuck. My relief had no successfully worn off and was being replaced with a mild rage.
I called my campus police friend back and told him about my new problem. He just chuckled. It was the kind of chuckle you hear from someone who isn't actually amused. A disgusted chuckle would describe it better. He was as tired of my as I was of him. Reluctantly he agreed to bring bolt cutters and rescue me for the second time. I do believe thought that he took it upon himself to take his time though. It was well over forty-five minutes before he pulled up behind my parking spot.
He quickly "unlocked" my tire, and forgoing the handshake, packed up and drove off. From there I pulled my tire iron out of my truck and used it to unwind the crank that held the tire in place. My mind wandered to all the stress and time I had wasted just trying to get off campus. It was also particularly hot, and I was sure that I was beginning to redden and burn on my arms and neck. I snapped out of autopilot when my tire iron didn't quite fit onto the lug nuts of my flat tire. I was confused. Why would a tire iron not fit the lug nuts? Whatever the absurd reason was, my rage had now reached a new level. Not only were my keys locked in the car, but the tire was flat, the spare was locked up, and now my lug nuts were the wrong size.
In hind site, I'm convinced that this was the point in my life where I developed a very real problem with anger.
Anyway, I was not about to call the security guy back to my car, otherwise I'm sure he would have loved to try out the dusty taser strapped to his hip. Instead I absentmindedly reached for my new ratchet set that I had stowed back there for no real purpose. If I had thought it through a bit, I might have skipped it, but I was in no mood to think. I just matched the right sized socket to the lug nut, attached the ratchet, and began to tug. I had no leverage with the six-inch handle. In my frustration I resorted to standing on the lever and slamming my full weight down in an attempt to loosen the nut. After a few mini-jumps, it finally gave! I was thrilled! I looked down, and instead of a loosened nut, I saw a bend ratchet. I had actually bent a steel handle to about 130 degrees! Had I been a violent person, I might have given a good punch into my window. I restrained myself though.
I was out of ideas. I rested my back against the truck and slowly slid until I was sitting on the asphalt with my knees curled up tightly against my chest. Normally I am a patient guy, so I wasn't worried about the hours that I could have been spending on homework or watching Harry Potter. I was worried though about not getting to my youth group later that evening. I was the leader of the small Jr. High youth group at the time, and I was supposed to be there to lead a Bible study. I looked down to my watch and found that it was already almost five. There was only an hour, and I still needed my tired changed, to drive all the way home to pick up my stuff, I needed to pick up some students, and get all the way back into town. Essentially, I was screwed.
My day had hit rock bottom. I was stranded and too ashamed to call anyone for help, not that I had anyone really to call except for my dad. That's when it finally dawned on me that I would have to call my dad to have him bail me out. I had accepted the fact that he was going to be upset. I was too old to be yelled at, but I knew when he was disappointed or frustrated with me.
It took me a few moments to get up the courage to call him, but I knew it was my only option. He picked up immediately.
"This is Dave."
"Hey, Dad."
"What's up Jon?"
I hesitated, "Umm..." I stopped again. "So, I need your help."
"Yeah?" I could tell that silently he was really thinking, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME! YOU LOCKED YOUR KEYS IN YOUR TRUCK AGAIN!" So I just hurried on to the part where he would hopefully feel sorry for me. I spilled out my entire story in probably about forty-five seconds. I exhaled deeply while my dad paused, I'm assuming to soak it all in and decide what to do. Before I knew it, he burst out laughing.
"Sorry"
"What are you sorry for?" He seemed appalled that I would be ashamed to call him for help. I guess I knew deep down that he would always help me out in a bind, and he seemed to understand that this was all out of my control. He could also probably sense how frustrated I already was. He chuckled again, "Are you at school?"
"Yeah."
"I'll be right there." He hung up with another good-hearted laugh. At least I knew he wasn't upset. My rescuer was at the church, so it didn't take long for him to make the trek out to my Arapahoe Community College. Once he did we hopped into his forest green Saturn heading for Target. Our first item of business was to obtain the proper tire iron.
I decided to splurge on the iron that had four different size options. I was convinced that one of them would fit, and after the day I had I wasn't taking any chances.
I remember thinking how I should have just called my dad right from the beginning instead of wasting three hours of my life in the parking lot of Arapahoe Community College. I should have just trusted that even if he was mad, he would still love me enough to stop what he was doing to come get me. He always had in the past, so why should it have stopped then?
Jonathan Degler is the author of the novel "Gone Astray," and more information can be found at http://www.jonathandeglerbooks.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Worst-Day-of-My-Life&id=6605486] The Worst Day of My Life
I've always known that my dad loved me, but I guess that hadn't become truly real to me until a day I was stranded in the middle of a parking lot.
I only had three real possessions. The oldest of the three possessions was a Gibson guitar. When most people think of a Gibson guitar, at least people who know guitars, they think of top of the line, up there with the best. Mine however managed to be the worst. Most of the strings would un-tune after a few minutes, somehow the frets were rusty, and body would have dings and nicks from where my brother would knock it off the stand or drop it out of the case. One time, while it was in its case, it was run over by a mini-van. Miraculously it was still intact. Thank the Lord I had sprung for the expensive case.
My second possession was my laptop. Back then it was the bomb. It seemed to weigh about 30 pounds. I carried it all around campus. I told my dad it was for taking notes in class, but really I just played DOOM on my breaks. I even had a cordless mouse that let me navigate the game much easier.
My last possession was my baby blue Chevy S-10 pick-up truck. I had just dropped a large chunk of my college savings fund to help pay for this bad-boy. It was a five-speed stick shift, 4-cylinder, and no A/C. This truck developed my addiction for driving. Most people I know hates to drive, because of nasty traffic, the seemingly wasted time, or just having to sit still for a prolonged period of time. I, on the other hand, lived in the middle of nowhere, so driving became natural. Just getting to Wal-Mart or the gas station took about half an hour, and getting to Arapahoe Community College had a total of two hours round trip.
These long trips gave me my opportunity to rest. I obviously wouldn't sleep, but my mind could relax. I listened to music, observed people, and let my mind wander. It was my haven. One day, my haven was all but destroyed.
My classes were over for the day, and I was new in town, so I had no real friends to talk to. That didn't bother me much, but I still seemed to brighten when I saw my truck. I got to school early for a 7:30 A.M. class, so I got one of the better parking spots. As I approached the driver's side door, I reached into my pocket to pull out my black and yellow Pacific Sunwear lanyard, but left pocket was empty. The left pocket is where I always put my keys, but I guessed maybe I could have put them in my right. They weren't there either.
I remembered retracing my steps in my mind, but shortly finding out the truth when I saw the keys dangling from the ignition. I had locked myself out of my car. Crap. I let my head drop, and window met my forehead sooner than I anticipated, so the impact hurt a little more than I was willing to admit. Of course, I had given my spare key to my father, but he was in town. Which means he would have to drive all the way home, in the boonies, then drive another hour back to the ACC parking lot. Again, he would do just about anything for me, but this wasn't the first time I'd locked my keys in the car. Actually, it wasn't the first time that week.
I had locked my keys in the car already twice that month, and once earlier that week. Both times my dad had bailed me out with the spare key. I could tell that he was getting a little perturbed at the driving and wasted gas that went into my rescues, so I regretting having to call him a third time to ruin the third day this month just for me and my forgetfulness.
That's when a campus security guy drove by slowly. He was patrolling the lot. He briefly waved, but then moved along slowly to the other lots on campus. It was only after he left that I realized the help he could have been to my current situation. Luckily, my only luck of the day, I had the campus number in my phone, so I called and after about half an hour, a security officer came by with the proper tools to jimmy open my lock.
I was happy that I didn't have to bug my dad, but it was clear that this fellow had never done anything like this before. He pulled, pushed and even suggested that I break out a back window. The fellow was of course joking, but my expressionless gaze told him immediately that I wasn't in the mood. Finally he positioned his flat, metal hook in just the right place to pull the lock over into the right spot. Relief must have shown on my face because he brightened up instantly as well.
With that I shook his hand and walked around to the other side of the vehicle to get my backpack out of the shade. I didn't want my spiffy new laptop computer sitting out in the Colorado sun. When I did though I encountered my second speed bump. My front passenger tire was completely flat. My relief from opening the door was carrying over into my next problem, so I wasn't as upset as you'd imagine. I'd changed plenty of flat tires, so it wasn't going to be a problem.
Now is the point in my story where things really start to avalanche. I bend down to look under my truck to retrieve my spare tire when I noticed a bike lock securely fastening the spare tire in place. At first I was confused. I thought I missed a step and I needed a special key or something to unlock the tire, but after a moment of thought I came to the conclusion that I was yet again stuck. My relief had no successfully worn off and was being replaced with a mild rage.
I called my campus police friend back and told him about my new problem. He just chuckled. It was the kind of chuckle you hear from someone who isn't actually amused. A disgusted chuckle would describe it better. He was as tired of my as I was of him. Reluctantly he agreed to bring bolt cutters and rescue me for the second time. I do believe thought that he took it upon himself to take his time though. It was well over forty-five minutes before he pulled up behind my parking spot.
He quickly "unlocked" my tire, and forgoing the handshake, packed up and drove off. From there I pulled my tire iron out of my truck and used it to unwind the crank that held the tire in place. My mind wandered to all the stress and time I had wasted just trying to get off campus. It was also particularly hot, and I was sure that I was beginning to redden and burn on my arms and neck. I snapped out of autopilot when my tire iron didn't quite fit onto the lug nuts of my flat tire. I was confused. Why would a tire iron not fit the lug nuts? Whatever the absurd reason was, my rage had now reached a new level. Not only were my keys locked in the car, but the tire was flat, the spare was locked up, and now my lug nuts were the wrong size.
In hind site, I'm convinced that this was the point in my life where I developed a very real problem with anger.
Anyway, I was not about to call the security guy back to my car, otherwise I'm sure he would have loved to try out the dusty taser strapped to his hip. Instead I absentmindedly reached for my new ratchet set that I had stowed back there for no real purpose. If I had thought it through a bit, I might have skipped it, but I was in no mood to think. I just matched the right sized socket to the lug nut, attached the ratchet, and began to tug. I had no leverage with the six-inch handle. In my frustration I resorted to standing on the lever and slamming my full weight down in an attempt to loosen the nut. After a few mini-jumps, it finally gave! I was thrilled! I looked down, and instead of a loosened nut, I saw a bend ratchet. I had actually bent a steel handle to about 130 degrees! Had I been a violent person, I might have given a good punch into my window. I restrained myself though.
I was out of ideas. I rested my back against the truck and slowly slid until I was sitting on the asphalt with my knees curled up tightly against my chest. Normally I am a patient guy, so I wasn't worried about the hours that I could have been spending on homework or watching Harry Potter. I was worried though about not getting to my youth group later that evening. I was the leader of the small Jr. High youth group at the time, and I was supposed to be there to lead a Bible study. I looked down to my watch and found that it was already almost five. There was only an hour, and I still needed my tired changed, to drive all the way home to pick up my stuff, I needed to pick up some students, and get all the way back into town. Essentially, I was screwed.
My day had hit rock bottom. I was stranded and too ashamed to call anyone for help, not that I had anyone really to call except for my dad. That's when it finally dawned on me that I would have to call my dad to have him bail me out. I had accepted the fact that he was going to be upset. I was too old to be yelled at, but I knew when he was disappointed or frustrated with me.
It took me a few moments to get up the courage to call him, but I knew it was my only option. He picked up immediately.
"This is Dave."
"Hey, Dad."
"What's up Jon?"
I hesitated, "Umm..." I stopped again. "So, I need your help."
"Yeah?" I could tell that silently he was really thinking, "ARE YOU KIDDING ME! YOU LOCKED YOUR KEYS IN YOUR TRUCK AGAIN!" So I just hurried on to the part where he would hopefully feel sorry for me. I spilled out my entire story in probably about forty-five seconds. I exhaled deeply while my dad paused, I'm assuming to soak it all in and decide what to do. Before I knew it, he burst out laughing.
"Sorry"
"What are you sorry for?" He seemed appalled that I would be ashamed to call him for help. I guess I knew deep down that he would always help me out in a bind, and he seemed to understand that this was all out of my control. He could also probably sense how frustrated I already was. He chuckled again, "Are you at school?"
"Yeah."
"I'll be right there." He hung up with another good-hearted laugh. At least I knew he wasn't upset. My rescuer was at the church, so it didn't take long for him to make the trek out to my Arapahoe Community College. Once he did we hopped into his forest green Saturn heading for Target. Our first item of business was to obtain the proper tire iron.
I decided to splurge on the iron that had four different size options. I was convinced that one of them would fit, and after the day I had I wasn't taking any chances.
I remember thinking how I should have just called my dad right from the beginning instead of wasting three hours of my life in the parking lot of Arapahoe Community College. I should have just trusted that even if he was mad, he would still love me enough to stop what he was doing to come get me. He always had in the past, so why should it have stopped then?
Jonathan Degler is the author of the novel "Gone Astray," and more information can be found at http://www.jonathandeglerbooks.com/
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Worst-Day-of-My-Life&id=6605486] The Worst Day of My Life
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Beefing Up Your Closing Paragraphs: Some Tips for Authors
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Harriet_Hodgson]Harriet Hodgson
Whether you're writing an essay, article, book proposal, fiction book, non-fiction book, or business letter, you need to know how to write a closing paragraph. Short as they may be, closing paragraphs are often tricky to write. You have to strike a balance between saying too little and saying too much. Finding the right tone is also a challenge.
In my recent books I've tried to do a better job of writing closing paragraphs. These paragraphs have similarities, yet they differ according to the topic of the book. I want the closing paragraph of each chapter to amplify the topic, touch the reader, and generate interest in the next chapter.
A concluding paragraph or summary isn't the place to bring up new ideas, that's for sure. Even for long-term writers like me, closing paragraphs can be a challenge. "Wrestling with Closing Paragraphs," an article on the English for Students website, offers suggestions for closing essay paragraphs. "Experienced writers occasionally have trouble tying up the threads of arguments and bringing their ideas to conclusion without lapsing into cliches and obvious comments," the article notes.
One problem is that you have too many options. According to the article, "Writing a Good Conclusion Paragraph," posted on the Time 4 Writing website, your options include stating what you want the reader to remember, "wrapping up," showing you accomplished what you set out to do, proving your thesis, and providing closure. You may also "propose a course of action, a solution to an issue, or questions for further study," the article explains.
The Write Place at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota has posted a Leo (Literacy Education Online) article, "Strategies for Writing a Conclusion." According to the article, your paragraph should answer the question, So what?" Avoid repeating information, the article advises. The tip that grabbed me: "Create new meaning." This is a great tip, but how do you do it?
From my perspective as a health and wellness writer, creating new meaning requires hours of thought. Recently I finished a book about finding happiness after loss and grief. It's a concise resource, a quick read for those who are mourning. While I was writing the book I was never at a loss for words. In fact, I could barely keep up with the ideas that flowed from my mind. Then I reached the end of the book and got stuck on the last paragraph.
I revised the paragraph several times. I wrote a new version of it. I meditated about the paragraph and dreamed about it one night. My goal was to leave the reader with a sense of hope and the last sentence had to be just right. Finally, the words came to me:
"Happiness is a personal choice, a gift we give to ourselves. Each morning we have a chance to give ourselves this gift again. I hope you choose happiness for yourself, your family, your friends, and generations to come. Life is a miracle. Today is a new day -- your day -- and you can make it what you want. Your miracle is waiting."
This paragraph meets my writing goals. First, it matches the tone of the book. Second, it repeats the point that happiness is a choice. Third, it uses simple words. Fourth, it includes a call to action. The words "make it what you want" are that call. Have you been struggling with endings? Paying special attention to closing paragraphs can improve your writing. You'll find a bevy of helpful articles on the Internet. Like me, you may find that time and meditation lead to the words you are seeking.
Copyright 2011 by Harriet Hodgson http://www.harriethodgson.com/
Harriet Hodgson has been an independent journalist for 35+ years. Her 26th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written wth Lois Krahn, MD, is available on Amazon. Centering Corporation published her 28th book, "Writing to Recover: The Journey from Loss and Grief to a New Life," a companion journal, "The Spiritual Woman: Quotes to Refresh and Sustain Your Soul, and her latest book, "Happy Againi! Your New and Meaningful Life After Loss." Hodgson has two other new books out, "101 Affirmations to Ease Your Grief Journey" and "Real Meals on 18 Wheels: A Guide for Healthy Livnig on the Highway," Kathryn Clements, RD, co-author. Both books are available from Amazon. Please visit Harriet's website and learn more about this busy author and grandmother.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Beefing-Up-Your-Closing-Paragraphs:-Some-Tips-for-Authors&id=6618970] Beefing Up Your Closing Paragraphs: Some Tips for Authors
Whether you're writing an essay, article, book proposal, fiction book, non-fiction book, or business letter, you need to know how to write a closing paragraph. Short as they may be, closing paragraphs are often tricky to write. You have to strike a balance between saying too little and saying too much. Finding the right tone is also a challenge.
In my recent books I've tried to do a better job of writing closing paragraphs. These paragraphs have similarities, yet they differ according to the topic of the book. I want the closing paragraph of each chapter to amplify the topic, touch the reader, and generate interest in the next chapter.
A concluding paragraph or summary isn't the place to bring up new ideas, that's for sure. Even for long-term writers like me, closing paragraphs can be a challenge. "Wrestling with Closing Paragraphs," an article on the English for Students website, offers suggestions for closing essay paragraphs. "Experienced writers occasionally have trouble tying up the threads of arguments and bringing their ideas to conclusion without lapsing into cliches and obvious comments," the article notes.
One problem is that you have too many options. According to the article, "Writing a Good Conclusion Paragraph," posted on the Time 4 Writing website, your options include stating what you want the reader to remember, "wrapping up," showing you accomplished what you set out to do, proving your thesis, and providing closure. You may also "propose a course of action, a solution to an issue, or questions for further study," the article explains.
The Write Place at St. Cloud State University in Minnesota has posted a Leo (Literacy Education Online) article, "Strategies for Writing a Conclusion." According to the article, your paragraph should answer the question, So what?" Avoid repeating information, the article advises. The tip that grabbed me: "Create new meaning." This is a great tip, but how do you do it?
From my perspective as a health and wellness writer, creating new meaning requires hours of thought. Recently I finished a book about finding happiness after loss and grief. It's a concise resource, a quick read for those who are mourning. While I was writing the book I was never at a loss for words. In fact, I could barely keep up with the ideas that flowed from my mind. Then I reached the end of the book and got stuck on the last paragraph.
I revised the paragraph several times. I wrote a new version of it. I meditated about the paragraph and dreamed about it one night. My goal was to leave the reader with a sense of hope and the last sentence had to be just right. Finally, the words came to me:
"Happiness is a personal choice, a gift we give to ourselves. Each morning we have a chance to give ourselves this gift again. I hope you choose happiness for yourself, your family, your friends, and generations to come. Life is a miracle. Today is a new day -- your day -- and you can make it what you want. Your miracle is waiting."
This paragraph meets my writing goals. First, it matches the tone of the book. Second, it repeats the point that happiness is a choice. Third, it uses simple words. Fourth, it includes a call to action. The words "make it what you want" are that call. Have you been struggling with endings? Paying special attention to closing paragraphs can improve your writing. You'll find a bevy of helpful articles on the Internet. Like me, you may find that time and meditation lead to the words you are seeking.
Copyright 2011 by Harriet Hodgson http://www.harriethodgson.com/
Harriet Hodgson has been an independent journalist for 35+ years. Her 26th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written wth Lois Krahn, MD, is available on Amazon. Centering Corporation published her 28th book, "Writing to Recover: The Journey from Loss and Grief to a New Life," a companion journal, "The Spiritual Woman: Quotes to Refresh and Sustain Your Soul, and her latest book, "Happy Againi! Your New and Meaningful Life After Loss." Hodgson has two other new books out, "101 Affirmations to Ease Your Grief Journey" and "Real Meals on 18 Wheels: A Guide for Healthy Livnig on the Highway," Kathryn Clements, RD, co-author. Both books are available from Amazon. Please visit Harriet's website and learn more about this busy author and grandmother.
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Beefing-Up-Your-Closing-Paragraphs:-Some-Tips-for-Authors&id=6618970] Beefing Up Your Closing Paragraphs: Some Tips for Authors
Thursday, November 3, 2011
So Start Your Book Already, and Write Like the Wind
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Terry_Sprouse]Terry Sprouse
People love to buy books that show them how to live a better life. Your experiences are unique. You have been tested and have gone through the trial by fire. You are now prepared to write your book and teach others how to find security and satisfaction, just as you were able to. And, as you help others, you create a new income stream for yourself.
Share Your Unique Experience With Others
You have something to say that no one else can say because your experience is unique. Your experience, and your book, can be a valuable example for others, something that they can learn from and perhaps copy and build on to improve their own lives.
You may think, "There are already a lot of books written on my topic, so there's not much more to say." The same could be said of love songs, but people keep writing them, and hopefully always will.
Yes, there are many books written, but I think the world would benefit from one by you. You can bring your authentic experience to the table, an experience that is unique and that connects with other people.
Your Book Meets a Need in Your Own Life
When you write a book, you not help others by sharing the lessons that life has taught you, but you also fill a need in your own life.
Writing your experiences and opinions on paper forces you to focus on what you have accomplished and learned. To put ideas into words on a page requires a thoughtful analysis of what you have done. This analysis deepens the experience for you and when written down, immortalizes the experience. Now it is forever etched in your mind and on the published page.
Writing a book is not for the faint of heart, but you will regret the time that you spend doing it. Writing a book requires such a great effort, to organize your thoughts, to edit & re-write, and to go through periods of doubt and mental stress. But by the time you finally finish, you feel a wave of relief and accomplishment wash over you. You have created something remarkable. And that feeling never really goes away.
Meet Your Two New Best Friends
I encourage you to buy two things to get started:
1.) a new spiral bound notebook, and
2.) a new pen.
These are your new "special" friends. Use them only for recording information about your book. Take them with you everywhere you go. I take my notebook to doctor's appointments, to lunch, to kids sporting events, to church, and it sits close to me when I am sleeping. Write down everything that comes to mind about your book.
Before you know it, ideas will start popping into your mind like popcorn in a microwave oven. You'll read something in a magazine, or hear someone say something in conversation, or see something in a movie, that will spark ideas or quotes for you to note in your special notebook.
Let the Journey Begin
There are few things more rewarding than writing and publishing a book.
Mark Twain said, "Really great people make you feel that you can be great too."
When you write a book, you tell your readers, "I was successful in doing this, and you can do it too."
Don't keep that book simmering inside of you. Let it out, where it belongs. Many people will have their lives enriched by the experiences that you share. You may change their world, and your own.
Terry Sprouse is author of the new book "Carve Out Your Niche: How to Live Your Passion, Write Your Book, & Help Others Change Their World;" and, the award winning "Fix em Up, Rent em Out."
Visit Terry's blog at http://www.carveoutyourniche.com/ to download a free chapter from his new book!
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?So-Start-Your-Book-Already,-and-Write-Like-the-Wind&id=6616550] So Start Your Book Already, and Write Like the Wind
People love to buy books that show them how to live a better life. Your experiences are unique. You have been tested and have gone through the trial by fire. You are now prepared to write your book and teach others how to find security and satisfaction, just as you were able to. And, as you help others, you create a new income stream for yourself.
Share Your Unique Experience With Others
You have something to say that no one else can say because your experience is unique. Your experience, and your book, can be a valuable example for others, something that they can learn from and perhaps copy and build on to improve their own lives.
You may think, "There are already a lot of books written on my topic, so there's not much more to say." The same could be said of love songs, but people keep writing them, and hopefully always will.
Yes, there are many books written, but I think the world would benefit from one by you. You can bring your authentic experience to the table, an experience that is unique and that connects with other people.
Your Book Meets a Need in Your Own Life
When you write a book, you not help others by sharing the lessons that life has taught you, but you also fill a need in your own life.
Writing your experiences and opinions on paper forces you to focus on what you have accomplished and learned. To put ideas into words on a page requires a thoughtful analysis of what you have done. This analysis deepens the experience for you and when written down, immortalizes the experience. Now it is forever etched in your mind and on the published page.
Writing a book is not for the faint of heart, but you will regret the time that you spend doing it. Writing a book requires such a great effort, to organize your thoughts, to edit & re-write, and to go through periods of doubt and mental stress. But by the time you finally finish, you feel a wave of relief and accomplishment wash over you. You have created something remarkable. And that feeling never really goes away.
Meet Your Two New Best Friends
I encourage you to buy two things to get started:
1.) a new spiral bound notebook, and
2.) a new pen.
These are your new "special" friends. Use them only for recording information about your book. Take them with you everywhere you go. I take my notebook to doctor's appointments, to lunch, to kids sporting events, to church, and it sits close to me when I am sleeping. Write down everything that comes to mind about your book.
Before you know it, ideas will start popping into your mind like popcorn in a microwave oven. You'll read something in a magazine, or hear someone say something in conversation, or see something in a movie, that will spark ideas or quotes for you to note in your special notebook.
Let the Journey Begin
There are few things more rewarding than writing and publishing a book.
Mark Twain said, "Really great people make you feel that you can be great too."
When you write a book, you tell your readers, "I was successful in doing this, and you can do it too."
Don't keep that book simmering inside of you. Let it out, where it belongs. Many people will have their lives enriched by the experiences that you share. You may change their world, and your own.
Terry Sprouse is author of the new book "Carve Out Your Niche: How to Live Your Passion, Write Your Book, & Help Others Change Their World;" and, the award winning "Fix em Up, Rent em Out."
Visit Terry's blog at http://www.carveoutyourniche.com/ to download a free chapter from his new book!
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?So-Start-Your-Book-Already,-and-Write-Like-the-Wind&id=6616550] So Start Your Book Already, and Write Like the Wind
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
The Hero Journey Motif As a Tool for Reading and Writing
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Susan_O'Connor]Susan O'Connor
Quite often teachers in middle school and high school find themselves teaching the grade level language arts curriculum from a conservative and sometimes minimalist point of view. What that means is that many follow generic lesson plans devised by a team, a textbook company, or themselves that cover only the very basic or minimal reading comprehension and writing skills. The reasons for this vary:
� They are required to follow a preordained set of standards.
� They aren't sure their students can achieve such a higher level of thinking and so do not take the risk of advancing beyond the suggested plan.
� They use methods with which they are comfortable.
� They may be unfamiliar with the available tools they can use to guide students successfully to higher levels of analysis.
If the reader identifies with any of these circumstances, please read on. Throughout my many years of research and classroom experience, one archetype in particular stands out as a foundation for guiding my students to in-depth analysis of literature. That tool is the monomyth, or hero's journey story pattern. Once students understand the basic components of this archetypal motif, they can analyze a story more easily using a specific set of criteria, but they can also use this tool for writing their own short fiction, a task which I ask them to do as a required entry for writing competition each fall semester. Whether students use this pattern in reading or writing, the hero journey archetype adds clarity and interest and depth to the task.
Although the hero journey motif is ancient, the oldest story structure in literary history that begins with Gilgamesh, it was Joseph Campbell's seminal work with world mythology that produced the most enlightening interpretation of the archetypes in the hero's journey. As with all of Campbell's work, he leads us to see that the stories of mythology are really our own stories, the symbolic pieces of our own lives. Imagine how beneficial such relevant studies can be for students in both reading and writing. So let's get started.
According to Campbell, the hero is called to an adventure, but sometimes he or she either refuses the call for personal reasons or doesn't recognize the call. What follows is an event that helps to change the hero's mind, and he decides to take up the gauntlet. Rarely does the hero go it alone. Help soon shows up in the form of friends, loved ones, even total strangers to accompany the hero to the first threshold crossing into the kingdom of darkness. The hero and his companions leave the world of common day to face the dangers looming in symbolic and even actual darkness. The hero tricks, seduces, destroys, or escapes from the threshold guardian in order to pass into the new world.
As the hero begins this new leg of the journey, she must face tests and trials as she is initiated into the danger. Ogres and demons must be conquered until the hero finds the elixir, the boon-either concrete or abstract--that will change the lives of everyone, including the hero. The supreme ordeal thrusts the hero into the most difficult battle. Named for the Biblical character Jonah who is swallowed by a whale, the supreme ordeal is often referred to as being in the belly of the whale and going on the night sea journey, and also as the archetypal image, facing a life threatening situation in the inmost cave, literal or figurative. The meaning is clear: the hero experiences rebirth in the symbolic womb. This event is the single most defining event that turns the typical adventure story into a quest for good. The hero is not the same person he was when he began the journey.
The hero must now return home with the elixir. Her flight takes various forms. The hero often flees from danger but sometimes he is dismissed, driven out, or escorted home along with his followers. On his return, the sharing of the elixir-the boon, the treasure-improves life for at least the hero and remaining companions if not everyone in their world.
A number of experts believe the monomyth is the underlying structure for the most popular and also most financially successful novels and films today. While this is an interesting and provocative idea, I have found the stories listed here illustrate the elements of the hero's journey quite well for my students' reading and writing benefit. This is only a small sampling of what is available. Once you begin to look for the motif in other works, you'll see what I mean.
� The Last Book in the Universe by Philip Pullman
� The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
� Any of the Harry Potter series
� True Grit (I use the John Wayne film.)
� Jason and the Argonauts (I use Edith Hamilton's Mythology.)
� The Odyssey (Again from Edith Hamilton)
� Theseus and the Minotaur (Edith Hamilton)
� Children on their Birthdays by Truman Capote (film version)
� To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
� Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
� The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho
� Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
� Night by Elie Wiesel
� The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
� Blessings by Anna Quindlen
Good readers make good writers; thus, the monomyth motif can serve as an excellent structure for the short stories I ask students to write for the Scholastic Art & Writing competition. Although this writing contest for grades 7 - 12 is worth devoting precious teaching time to, this article will not delve into the details of the contest. I urge the reader to look at scholasticart&writing.com for more information. What I will explain here is how I use the monomyth structure to prepare students to write their short fiction entries.
The initial action:
� Call to adventure
� Refusal of the call
� Setting out with helpers
Building the action and moving the plot forward:
� Crossing the threshold
� Encountering dangers and conflicts
� The supreme ordeal: facing the main character's greatest fear or challenge, perhaps even death (usually symbolic death, but sometimes actual death)
Building the close with flight/elixir/return
� The main character flees old ways, dangers, fears, and he/she is a changed person. Life is going to be different and usually better for the main character and perhaps even other people in his life. The main character or hero has returned home, literally or figuratively, with the symbolic elixir that solves the initial problem.
For a complete writing workshop which includes plot practice, character depth, paradigm shifts, hamartia, and dialogue and much more, see [http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Susan+O%27Connor%27s+Dance+of+Language&x=0&y=0]See Dance of Language
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Hero-Journey-Motif-As-a-Tool-for-Reading-and-Writing&id=6612116] The Hero Journey Motif As a Tool for Reading and Writing
Quite often teachers in middle school and high school find themselves teaching the grade level language arts curriculum from a conservative and sometimes minimalist point of view. What that means is that many follow generic lesson plans devised by a team, a textbook company, or themselves that cover only the very basic or minimal reading comprehension and writing skills. The reasons for this vary:
� They are required to follow a preordained set of standards.
� They aren't sure their students can achieve such a higher level of thinking and so do not take the risk of advancing beyond the suggested plan.
� They use methods with which they are comfortable.
� They may be unfamiliar with the available tools they can use to guide students successfully to higher levels of analysis.
If the reader identifies with any of these circumstances, please read on. Throughout my many years of research and classroom experience, one archetype in particular stands out as a foundation for guiding my students to in-depth analysis of literature. That tool is the monomyth, or hero's journey story pattern. Once students understand the basic components of this archetypal motif, they can analyze a story more easily using a specific set of criteria, but they can also use this tool for writing their own short fiction, a task which I ask them to do as a required entry for writing competition each fall semester. Whether students use this pattern in reading or writing, the hero journey archetype adds clarity and interest and depth to the task.
Although the hero journey motif is ancient, the oldest story structure in literary history that begins with Gilgamesh, it was Joseph Campbell's seminal work with world mythology that produced the most enlightening interpretation of the archetypes in the hero's journey. As with all of Campbell's work, he leads us to see that the stories of mythology are really our own stories, the symbolic pieces of our own lives. Imagine how beneficial such relevant studies can be for students in both reading and writing. So let's get started.
According to Campbell, the hero is called to an adventure, but sometimes he or she either refuses the call for personal reasons or doesn't recognize the call. What follows is an event that helps to change the hero's mind, and he decides to take up the gauntlet. Rarely does the hero go it alone. Help soon shows up in the form of friends, loved ones, even total strangers to accompany the hero to the first threshold crossing into the kingdom of darkness. The hero and his companions leave the world of common day to face the dangers looming in symbolic and even actual darkness. The hero tricks, seduces, destroys, or escapes from the threshold guardian in order to pass into the new world.
As the hero begins this new leg of the journey, she must face tests and trials as she is initiated into the danger. Ogres and demons must be conquered until the hero finds the elixir, the boon-either concrete or abstract--that will change the lives of everyone, including the hero. The supreme ordeal thrusts the hero into the most difficult battle. Named for the Biblical character Jonah who is swallowed by a whale, the supreme ordeal is often referred to as being in the belly of the whale and going on the night sea journey, and also as the archetypal image, facing a life threatening situation in the inmost cave, literal or figurative. The meaning is clear: the hero experiences rebirth in the symbolic womb. This event is the single most defining event that turns the typical adventure story into a quest for good. The hero is not the same person he was when he began the journey.
The hero must now return home with the elixir. Her flight takes various forms. The hero often flees from danger but sometimes he is dismissed, driven out, or escorted home along with his followers. On his return, the sharing of the elixir-the boon, the treasure-improves life for at least the hero and remaining companions if not everyone in their world.
A number of experts believe the monomyth is the underlying structure for the most popular and also most financially successful novels and films today. While this is an interesting and provocative idea, I have found the stories listed here illustrate the elements of the hero's journey quite well for my students' reading and writing benefit. This is only a small sampling of what is available. Once you begin to look for the motif in other works, you'll see what I mean.
� The Last Book in the Universe by Philip Pullman
� The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer
� Any of the Harry Potter series
� True Grit (I use the John Wayne film.)
� Jason and the Argonauts (I use Edith Hamilton's Mythology.)
� The Odyssey (Again from Edith Hamilton)
� Theseus and the Minotaur (Edith Hamilton)
� Children on their Birthdays by Truman Capote (film version)
� To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
� Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
� The Alchemist by Paolo Coelho
� Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
� Night by Elie Wiesel
� The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
� Blessings by Anna Quindlen
Good readers make good writers; thus, the monomyth motif can serve as an excellent structure for the short stories I ask students to write for the Scholastic Art & Writing competition. Although this writing contest for grades 7 - 12 is worth devoting precious teaching time to, this article will not delve into the details of the contest. I urge the reader to look at scholasticart&writing.com for more information. What I will explain here is how I use the monomyth structure to prepare students to write their short fiction entries.
The initial action:
� Call to adventure
� Refusal of the call
� Setting out with helpers
Building the action and moving the plot forward:
� Crossing the threshold
� Encountering dangers and conflicts
� The supreme ordeal: facing the main character's greatest fear or challenge, perhaps even death (usually symbolic death, but sometimes actual death)
Building the close with flight/elixir/return
� The main character flees old ways, dangers, fears, and he/she is a changed person. Life is going to be different and usually better for the main character and perhaps even other people in his life. The main character or hero has returned home, literally or figuratively, with the symbolic elixir that solves the initial problem.
For a complete writing workshop which includes plot practice, character depth, paradigm shifts, hamartia, and dialogue and much more, see [http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Susan+O%27Connor%27s+Dance+of+Language&x=0&y=0]See Dance of Language
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Hero-Journey-Motif-As-a-Tool-for-Reading-and-Writing&id=6612116] The Hero Journey Motif As a Tool for Reading and Writing
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