The Modern Monomyth: Mythological Storytelling--Stages of the Hero's Journey

My new book, Mythological Storytelling is available for purchase! Check it out:


              

As a fiction writer, the goal is to create a story that resonates with the audience. We all want to write something gripping that people will share with friends and family; a narrative that lasts with the reader for years to come. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. Many of us start out with a passion for storytelling. We love exploring new worlds and developing complex characters. So we begin to write. But at some point, every storyteller realizes that in order to become a professional, we must hone our natural talent into a skill. So, what do we do? We buy books on writing. There’s a book out there for everything. Some teach plot, others character. There are books that explain how to write action, suspense, conflict, dialogue, setting, theme, etc... 
But no matter how logical we structure our story, or how perfectly we construct our prose, the story doesn’t seem to have that “X-factor.” 

Even well known professionals face this problem. Think about how many times you’ve gone to the movies or picked up a book by a writer you follow, or a franchise you love, only to be completely let down. How many forgettable novels or films have you come across in your lifetime? Some written by reputable authors and screenwriters. Even though the action, mystery, or romance was great, the story still fell flat. The narrative lacked some mystical element that every great story seems to inherently possess. 

This is the major problem every author, writer, poet, screenwriter, and storyteller face. 

The Modern Monomyth series is aimed to teach writers from all walks of life how to fuel their stories with the power of myth. By utilizing mythological elements from the Monomyth (also known as the Hero's Journey), authors are able to connect with their audience on a deep psychological level. 

This book provides a definition of the Monomyth and it’s early origins. It teaches the three act structure as it pertains to the Hero's Journey and explains the difference between the known world and the special world of your story. You’ll learn what really makes a character heroic, and how plot and character feed off of each other, creating both an inner and outer journey. We’ll outline the 18 distinct stages of the hero’s journey and briefly discuss the main archetypes of the Monomyth. For each stage, this book provides at least four modern examples from well known stories. Each example will help you understand Hero’s Journey, and help you identify the stages in your own book. Every chapter concludes with action steps, which you can immediately use on your story. These will help you infuse mythic power and life into the narrative. By the end of the book, you’ll have a basic understanding of the Monomyth and a road map for your own story.

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3 Way's Information Technology Changed How Authors Write Novels

As an author, information technology has flipped the script on how we write. The three major areas it helps are:  1) rough drafts, 2) collaboration, 3) publishing.

With that being said, let me provide some examples.

Drafting

The key to rough drafts are speed. The faster you get words on paper the better. I call it word-vomiting. In the past I used to hand-write or type out rough drafts. The problem is, you think much faster than you can type or write. If you’re not fast enough, you can lose some great ideas. However, now that smartphones have a dictation feature speed is a non issue. You can talk much faster than you write or type and the phone will capture the nearly all of your words. Despite the fact that a degree of fidelity lost in translation this is still far more effective for the rough draft. You can easily mitigate errors in future drafts and editing.

Collaboration

After your drafts are done, you eventually need to send your work to an editor. In the past this used to be a cumbersome process of e-mailing back and forth. Version control can quickly become problematic. However, with collaboration tools like Google Docs, Google Hangouts, Skype, and MS Project (to name a few), teams can quickly coordinate in near real time. This speeds up the process and while allowing effective collaboration.

Publishing

Lastly, publishing has always been the bane of a writer’s existence. Particularly new authors. Although many are great at creating engaging stories, they’re not that skilled at obtaining legitimate publishers. However, with the advent of self-publishing and it’s adoption by behemoth companies like Amazon, information technology has provided a great venue for first time authors to showcase their work. Furthermore, large publishing houses can rate “new talent” based on real life sales, opposed to taking large risks with no name authors.

What about you? How do you use technology to write in the 21'st century?

PS.com... If you want to see more on this topic, and why I believe everyone can write their own book, check out the following video:

Follow Josh onYouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/user/Tipperdy
Or Twitter: @Joshumusprime

Or Facebook: www.facebook.com/thepolymathparadigm

And you can his NaNo progress here: http://nanowrimo.org/participants/tipperdy

And he has a book on military transitions here: http://www.amazon.com/About-Face-Josh-Coker-ebook/dp/B00N4GYB84/

NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) 2014

Hey guys what's going on? Josh here from Polymathics, the blog that helps you become a modern day renaissance man. 

And today we're talking about a topic that I love... 

NaNoWriMo 

Any of you guys know that is? I think some of you do, but for those of you that don't, I will tell you. Have you ever imagined your novel sitting on the bookshelves of Barnes and Noble? Right next to Hemingway, or Orson Scott Card? Well now is your chance! Because November is National Novel Writer's Month. Hence, "NaNoWriMo." For the neophytes in the room, let me elaborate. Essentially writers from around the wold get together and pledge to write a novel; at least 50,000 words! Now this is the prime opportunity for you to write a story. If you've been waiting and putting it off, or said, "Awe I can never be an author." This is the prime time to prove that theory wrong. 

Let me tell you why. 

First, you're gonna have tons of support. There are lots of people on the interwebz and the YouTubez (like me) giving all kinds advice; showing you the ropes. Also there are local communities throughout the various states and regions. Each with their own liaisons and writers groups. Here you can mingle with other writers who are going through the same struggles; the same tribulations; the same writers block. You meet some wonderful people. It's one of the greatest experiences I had.  My first novel, I had been struggling to for over a decade. Then I decided to do NaNo (based on a friends relentless nagging...) and less than thirty days, I had the first draft completed! I was so pumped because finally I had accomplished this lifelong goal that seemed to allude me. The words were on the paper. I could see the proof; the fruits of my labor. To top it off, there was a nice winners certificate that they gave me.  I got to show it off to everybody on Facebook and Twitter. What a badass I was... 

It was wonderful. 

If you've ever considered writing a novel, highly recommend. Just in case, I've listed all of the pros and cons here on my YouTube channel: 

Anyways, National Novel Writing Month Just started a few minutes ago, so I better get to typing...

If you'd like to follow my progress or learn more about NaNoWriMo, checkz outz the following linkz belowz. 

Follow Josh on Twitter: @Joshumusprime

Or Facebook: www.facebook.com/thepolymathparadigm

And you can his NaNo progress here: http://nanowrimo.org/participants/tipperdy

And he has a book on military transitions here: http://www.amazon.com/About-Face-Josh-Coker-ebook/dp/B00N4GYB84/