How To End Your Story
September 21, 2009 by The Passionate Writer
Filed under Fiction Writing, Writing Tips
A story’s ending should conclude the story’s plot and theme satisfactorily to the reader. The last thing you want to do is create an ending or dénouement that struggles in its conclusions. The kind of ending you choose for your story will depend on the kind of story you are telling: one that rises to [...]
A Hero’s Journey – Part 3: The Journey’s Map
July 22, 2009 by The Passionate Writer
Filed under Fiction Writing, Writing Tips
Christopher Vogler, author of The Writer’s Journey, describes a 12-stage journey based on the three-act storyline of the Greeks. It is also based on Joseph Campbell’s 8-step transformation model.
The twelve steps fall within the three Acts, which consist of:
Separation: ordinary world; call to adventure; refusal of the call; meeting with the mentor; and crossing the [...]
A Hero’s Journey – Part 2: Archetypes
July 21, 2009 by The Passionate Writer
Filed under Fiction Writing, Writing Tips
The world of fairy tales and myth is peopled with recurring character types and relationships. Heroes on a quest, heralds and wise old men or women who provide them with “gifts”, shady fellow-travelers—threshold guardians—who may “block” the path, tricksters who confuse and complicate things and evil villains who simply want to destroy our hero. Joseph [...]
Five Ways to Get Your Science Fiction Stories Published
July 21, 2009 by The Passionate Writer
Filed under Fiction Writing, Publishing, Writing Tips
Before you submit your “science fiction” short story to a magazine that publishes science fiction, it’s wise for you to know what the science fiction genre is. And what it isn’t. Richard Treitel provides us with a pretty good definition of science fiction: fiction set in a world that differs from our everyday world in [...]
A Hero’s Journey – Part 1: The Journey
July 19, 2009 by The Passionate Writer
Filed under Fiction Writing, Writing Tips
“Midway upon the journey of our life I found myself within a forest dark, For the straightforward pathway had been lost.” — Dante Alighieri (Divine Comedy)
“Summoned or not, the god will come.” — Motto over the door of Carl Jung’s house
According to Christopher Vogler (author of The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers) “all stories [...]
