How to begin a story--A few tips on starting your novel, screenplay, or short story

How to begin a story--A few tips on starting your novel, screenplay, or short story

In this video, Josh introduces his book, Mythological Storytelling: Classic Stages of the Hero's Journey and shows action items on how to start your story. These tips are perfect questions to ask yourself when you're writing the beginning of your novel, screenplay, or short story.

Get his book here.

Below is an excerpt:

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 its 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 roadmap for your own story.

Follow Josh!!!!
Email: jcoker@story-ninjas.com
Instagram: @Joshumusprime
Twitter: @Joshumusprime
Facebook: Josh Coker
Snapchat: @Joshumusprime
Blog http://ift.tt/2kfeQCt
Amazon: Josh Coker