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    The Writer and the Hero's Journey: The Easy Way to Write
    The Writer and the Hero's Journey: The Easy Way to Write
    The Writer and the Hero's Journey: The Easy Way to Write
    Ebook148 pages2 hours

    The Writer and the Hero's Journey: The Easy Way to Write

    By Rob Parnell

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    About this ebook

    This book is designed primarily for writers - or new writers - who desire a better understanding of ideal story structure. "The Writer and the Hero's Journey" is a complete manual for fiction writing mastery. This book will change your writing life forever - for the better.

    Rob Parnell, author of a many acclaimed writing manuals and several novels and short stories, brings you a unique and personal book that examines the hero's journey and its importance to you, the writer, and all your fiction writing, no matter which genre is your specialty.

    Have you ever wanted to be able to structure a short story or novel around your hero/heroine? If so, then using Rob Parnell's modern interpretation of "The Hero's Journey" as a template is a sure-fire way to create a popular fiction work!

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherR&R Books Film Music
    Release dateApr 11, 2023
    ISBN9798223843054
    The Writer and the Hero's Journey: The Easy Way to Write

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      Book preview

      The Writer and the Hero's Journey - Rob Parnell

      True wisdom is less presuming. The wise man doubts often and changes his mind; the fool is obstinate, and doubts not, he knows all things but his own ignorance.

      Akhenaten

      Contents

      FOREWORD

      Introduction

      Module One: The Hero's Mindset

      Exercises 1

      Module Two: Emergence

      Exercises 2

      Module Three: Road of Trials

      Exercises 3

      Module Four: Master of Worlds

      Exercises 4

      Conclusion: A Call to Action

      Writing Resources

      Fiction by Rob Parnell

      Foreword

      We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us.

      Joseph Campbell

      THIS BOOK IS AIMED primarily at writers - or would-be writers - who want a better understanding of ideal story structure. It is meant for the seasoned professional as much as for the beginner. It is also directed towards people who seek a fuller appreciation of the purpose of life in general. All of us ask at some point, Why are we here, what's it all for? Well, the fact is, we're engaged in our own personal hero's journey - writers, perhaps, more than most.

      If there's any particular purpose to our lives it is most likely to fully participate in the majesty of existence and, most importantly, to grow and change for the better as human beings. Of course, we do this in large and small ways throughout the course of our lives. We do it by making decisions daily and by moving towards our short and long-term objectives; by setting goals and reaching beyond our capabilities. If we are not tested by life and circumstance, we must often resort to testing ourselves, through intention and the use of our ambitious nature. But not is some idle way. It is our duty to push ourselves, to change who we are on a regular basis; to create new realities for ourselves and others and thereby co-create the evolving universe.

      If you're lacking a sense of purpose, or don't see the connections between the seemingly random elements in your existence, then this book may teach you to better understand life's lessons and gain some sense of symmetry and meaning from recognizing patterns. I hope this knowledge, too, will dramatically enhance your skill as a writer.

      There are four distinct threads in this book:

      1. The hero's journey as it pertains to fiction writing

      When it comes to structuring timeless stories, the hero's journey is widely accepted as the ideal template for a fictional construct. The hero's journey, according to many sources, is a structure that is implicit in our makeup - and has therefore become interwoven into the fabric of our storytelling since the invention of writing. When we read about fictional characters, it's human nature to want to see them overcome obstacles to their growth. Whether that's by taming a monster, finding true love or by defeating inner demons, the hero's journey provides an ideal template on which to drape a character's progress throughout a story.

      2. The hero's journey as it relates to writers

      To me, the serious writer is fully engaged in a hero's journey: leaving the ordinary world behind to venture forth on a mission, a journey of self-discovery. The would-be writer must learn the craft, and get used to a whole new way of looking at the world, only to be tested, exposed to criticism, rejection, praise, adulation and fans and a new kind of self-awareness. When we navigate the 'slings and arrows of outrageous fortune', we hopefully emerge triumphant, reborn as successful writers, as artists to whom the world becomes a place of creativity and renewed relevance. Over the course of this book, I will draw parallels between the hero's journey and the road that many great writers have taken from beginner to successful artist.

      3. The hero's journey as illustrated by the Major Arcana of the Tarot

      I've had an abiding interest in the Tarot since I discovered it during my twenties, back when I was young enough to be curious about divination and precognition. These days I'm not so interested in the parapyschological aspect of the Tarot, but rather the more fundamental ideas behind the Tarot: that it is somehow a microcosm of all the influences we may experience as a person on Earth. From a purely pleasurable point of view, I'm very fond of studying the archetypal images within the pictographs - and their myriad interpretations. But also, I believe that a great way of coming up with new and original stories is to simply shuffle a Tarot pack, deal out some random cards and let your imagination do the rest. In case you're concerned, it's not necessary to have any prior knowledge of the Tarot to read this book. I do all the work for you. But if my observations inspire you, feel free to purchase any Tarot pack you please, if only to enjoy looking at the pictures!

      4. The hero's journey as personified by my own quest to become a professional writer

      I make no apology for including a little of my own memoir in this book. Over the last ten years my students have made one thing very plain to me at every turn: they want to know more about how I became a successful writer. Personally I'm hard-pressed to see the fascination. However, I do understand that most new writers need a roadmap when it comes to planning their creative careers. The transition from cocooned caterpillar to emergent butterfly can seem an almost impossible metamorphosis at first. The courage to say to yourself and the world, I am a writer can be fraught with self-doubt and hesitancy. My own story may help show, in practical terms, what is meant by many of the more philosophical notions I express later in this book.

      My overall hope is that this combination of the above four 'threads' will help you gain a complete understanding of the creative artist's worldview. At the very least this book will enable you to see the sense of using the hero's journey template as a great framework on which to hang your story ideas. I also hope that you will fully understand the hero's journey as a concept. Not just as a whimsical structure for a story template but as something more fundamental: a metaphor for the artist's life: the journey from neophyte to master, from newbie to professional writer.

      In case you don't know me, let me introduce myself. I've been an online writing teacher for over a decade now. In that time I've produced over thirty courses on fiction and nonfiction writing, half a dozen novels and quite a few short stories. Oh, and about five hundred articles. At the same time as I've taught well over a million students, I've also found time to carve out a professional writing career that, much to the surprise of my wife, also a writer, has enabled us to enjoy a comfortable living as full-time independent authors. When we're not writing, my wife and I travel the globe speaking at seminars, workshops and other international venues. We both love writing with a passion, not just as a platform for telling stories, factual and fictional, but also as a self-actualization tool - one that can take anyone from a humdrum existence into a new level of awareness and joy as a creative artist.

      Not to sound too new age about it, I believe that as we venture into the third millennium, we are entering a new level of consciousness - if not that then at least a new direction for humanity. To most of us, the drudgery of the Industrial Revolution is but a distant memory. While modern 'work-ethic' practitioners still bang on about how we might gain purpose and meaning inside corporate structures, I believe we were meant for much more than this. Human beings are surely not designed to be content to merely work for a living.

      The prominent American psychologist, Abraham Maslow, developed a pyramidal hierarchy that predicts the true goal of humans, after safety, security, love, self-esteem and material comfort, is self-actualization, a nebulous term that means, specifically, the development of our innate creativity, the ability to act spontaneously, solve problems, lack prejudice and to understand and appreciate the truth when we hear it.

      To me, this suggests that we should all gravitate towards being self-sufficient and creative. We must all, perhaps at some stage in the near future, aspire to become artists - either figuratively or literally. My teaching has this idea at its heart. That, after absorbing instruction on how to become a better writer, we should aspire to become mini-gods, true masters of our worlds, because that is our fundamental purpose. We must not fear independence of thought, nor the loss of structured income generation. Because true self-determination is not just about being uncompromising, it's about taking responsibility for one's own life, one's actions and thereby one's destiny. In other words, we were born to experience the hero's journey. And not just once, but many times over, in order to achieve full enlightenment, absolute freedom and true peace. And from this self-actualized position we may be in a better place to write stories that could change the world. Okay, this may sound utterly grandiose and largely impractical to you right now. But it is my earnest hope that this book goes some small way to helping you see the world - and your place within it - a little differently.

      Finally, I want this book to inspire you to take the next step in your own hero's journey - at whatever stage you've reached. Whether you're a complete novice who has never written a thing, or a writer on your first steps toward publication, or a professional on the edge of a new project, I sincerely hope you will find this book useful - oh, and fun to read!

      Keep Writing.

      Rob Parnell

      Subscribe to my free online newsletter and receive news about my writing resources at Rob Parnell's Writing Academy.

      Introduction

      We have to do the best we can. This is our sacred human responsibility.

      Albert Einstein

      IMAGINE THE HERO'S journey as an old-fashioned clock-face.

      At twelve o'clock our journey begins. We are at home, safe in our most familiar environment. Yet we are dissatisfied. As the first hour passes, we feel a calling to explore the world and perhaps venture out of our comfort zone to seek answers or find purpose. If not, circumstances may prevail to force that change upon us.

      At three o'clock we begin a series of tests that challenge our preconceptions and lead us on a quest to find solutions, meaning and direction. We may find new friends or discover enemies along the way.

      At six, our world looks a very different place. In our quest to do the right thing, as in overcome our obstacles on the path to truth, the tests are harder, more intense. We delve into a symbolic labyrinth, where we confront our deepest fears; and where our own sense of identity may be challenged. As the clock turns, metaphorically we go deeper into the mystery of life, so much so that we are almost dazed and confused by what we're experiencing.

      At nine, we are tested beyond endurance and will eventually be forced to sacrifice ourselves to uphold our values. But this is in no way a defeat. It is a recognition of our innate courage and determination to persevere with our aims, no matter what. A symbolic death occurs, relieving our old personality,

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