Looking for a plotting formula? In this post, we share an infographic of The Hero's Journey, a device used by writers when plotting their books.
Slow burn romances are stories in which the romance...burns slowly. Instead of instant kissing and love ballads, it's often more of a will-they-won't-they situation.
Celestial symbolism in writing refers to the use of celestial bodies such as the sun, moon, and stars as symbols to convey deeper meanings in a literary work. Celestial symbolism has been used in literature for centuries. It can add depth and meaning to your work by conveying abstract ideas and emotions through concrete images. Symbolism helps to create a mood or atmosphere, and to reinforce themes and motifs throughout a text. The same symbol can represent a variety of things in literature depending on the context and the author's intent, which is why some examples may have more than one association.
Sometimes dialogue sounds stiff, clunky, or unnatural. Try these tricks to make your dialogue sound more natural and less written.
Ah yes, torturing readers, your favourite hobby!
Detailed prompts for your next fantasy project.
I asked my audience which things would make them quit a novel.
This list outlines some cliches I commonly see in modern fantasy novels.
Writers have the ability and responsibility to bring joy, hope and change to the world. Myths and archetypes are powerful tools for transformation. The Virgin’s Promise and the Heroine’s Journey are alternative narrative structures that can breathe new life into the stories we tell
As I read about the path taken by women in traditional stories, mythology and fairy tales, I was struck by how our own lives follow this pattern. The curious thing is that most of us don't realise what true transformation entails.
A plot hole is a gap, contradiction or inconsistency in a storyline that goes against the internal logic of the story. It's the kind of slip-up that makes switched-on readers say, "Wait, hang on a second!"
The following words can often be deleted from your prose just because there are often stronger, more effective ways to write.
Handsome fairies, evil advisors, rebellious princesses who are bad at embroidery...
Reviewing hero’s journey examples can simplify this concept and aid in understanding. Explore each step of the journey and clear examples.
Writers Write is your one-stop writing resource and in this post, we share the hero's journey for Star Wars and The Princess Diaries.
In the world of buzzwords, perhaps none has been more overused and less understood than storytelling. There are 216 TED Talks tagged with #storytelling. “Narrative” is thrown around brainstorms…
Ever since the word “viral” (in relation to content) entered the general lexicon of the internet, achieving it has been the ultimate goal of every person publishing content online. As coveted as this goal has become however, actually “going viral” in any kind of consistent way has eluded most, even skilled marketers. As a result, its […]
Writers have the ability and responsibility to bring joy, hope and change to the world. Myths and archetypes are powerful tools for transformation. The Virgin’s Promise and the Heroine’s Journey are alternative narrative structures that can breathe new life into the stories we tell
As much as I love royals, witches, rebels and assassins, there are other jobs out there for your fantasy heroes!
This can work for redemption arcs, or just for writing morally grey characters.
The traditional Hero is something of a loner. He goes into battle, emerging as the victor. This model doesn't really work for a Heroine's journey.
We’ve heard about it before, but what exactly IS a character arc? How does it affect your characters? And, why does YOUR work of fiction need a character arc? We break down the answers to all…
Check out these FREE character trait activities! This blog post contains a character traits anchor chart and an idea for a character trait lesson where students learn more challenging character trait vocabulary to create a collaborative class book! If you want students to move beyond "nice" and "mean" character trait responses, check this out!
Storytelling earns the attention of your audience. Incorporate it into your marketing strategy and watch your engagement skyrocket.
Create and write a fictional character sketch or profile: Characterization through names, body language, descriptions, roles, jobs, emotions, secrets, weaknesses and more.
A poetry analysis graphic organizer designed to be paired with any poem. Created using Google Slides so it can be printed or assigned digitally. Structure: How many stanzas/verses? What words/phrases emphasize the images or themes? Are there words and/or lines repeated? What is the line length/rhyme scheme? Meaning: What is this poem about? What is the poet’s main message? Does the message change? What are the main ideas in this poem? Imagery: What pictures do you get in your mind when you read the poem? Does the poem contain similes, metaphors or personification? Why do you think the poet has included these images? Language: What words have been used to create images? Are there any complicated words? Is the language simple to understand? Which words and phrases create the images? What adjectives are included? Color, size, comparison? Effect: What is the effect of the poem? What does the poem make you think or feel about? What is the poet trying to say about their subject?
Joseph Campbell's mythology shows writers tried and trusted story structures that satisfy readers. Read more about Campbell's story structure ideas.
Joseph Cambell’s The Hero’s Journey: Summary of the Steps Adapted from Maricopa Center for Learning and Instruction (MCLI) Maricopa Community Colleges URL: (Scroll to bottom of page for…
What is the Fool’s Journey? The ‘Fool’s Journey’ is the term coined by Eden Gray to describe the story of the Major Arcana of the Tarot. Unfortunately, Gray’s own account of the journey is merely a rushed appendix to A Complete Guide to the Tarot, and in the absence of an “authoritative” version (if it isn’t a fool’s journey…
Gail Carriger provides behind the scenes extras and links to research used creating her nonfiction book, The Heroine's Journey.
Want to learn how to write a book that works? Learn how to outline your novel with the Hero's Journey in this post. Free worksheet included! #amwriting #writingtips
The hero’s journey is an ancient storytelling pattern discovered and popularized by the the great mythologist and scholar Joseph Campbell.
Learn how Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey is still the most effective storytelling strategy to write more dynamic screenplays.
Far from being stereotypes, the character archetypes of the Hero's Journey add depth to your characters. If you want to create a compelling cast, read on!
Storytelling comes naturally to humans, but since we live in an unnatural world, we sometimes need a little help doing what we’d naturally do. I’m a big fan of the work of Dan Harmon, writer …
A discussion of the importance of protagonists crossing the threshold, even in stories that don't follow The Hero's Journey.
So I’ve officially started my second novel, and there’s nothing scarier than looking at a blank Word document and thinking to yourself, “How do I even start?” Well, thanks t…
Ken Miyamoto explores the differences between The Hero's Journey and The Heroine's Journey, and discusses why screenwriters should embrace the latter.
A2 Writing task.After teaching how to write an e-mail, my students wrote a reply. They had to answer the questions made on the given mail. It can be used as a test. - ESL worksheets
You can now watch this comic as a video on the YouTube channel!
