Harsh mistress

The most successful creative writers do not just describe scenes or events; they write about them in such a way that the reader feels that they are actually experiencing the event themselves.

Two ways that a writer can do this are by the use of show not tell and onomatopoeia.

If there is one aspect of creative writing that is more important than any other, I would have to say that is show not tell.

Show not tell is a technique of writing whereby the writer shows how something feels, not how it looks. The aim is to create a picture in the reader's mind rather than using a whole lot of adjectives such as exciting or beautiful.

Describing a woman as beautiful is not very helpful to the reader as everyone has their own vision of beauty. However, when the writer describes the cloud of jasmine perfume that surrounds her, her voluptuous body and her mass of thick chestnut curls, the reader gets quite a strong feeling about the woman.

When you are describing something, try to describe its color, smell, sound, taste, shape and texture as applicable.

The following description of a garden evokes a feeling in the reader.

An old gnarled plum tree loaded with enormous purple plums stood in the middle of the garden. A family of magpies had made their nest on a top branch and all day long the garden reverberated with the screeching of the fledglings as they called out for their next meal. Bees buzzed around a rambling jasmine vine that twisted over an old decaying hen house. The thick scent of jasmine hung heavily in the air.

Such a vivid description of the garden includes the elements of color, smell, sound and shape. The reader has a real sense of being in the garden. The use of color, smell and sound has created a mental image that brings the garden to life.

Show, not tell is about getting the reader to make their own observations.

On the one hand one could write, 'The dress was old'.

Another way to describe the scene is, 'Mary gently lifted the dress from the cardboard box. The satin was now yellowed and the imitation pearls were dull and chipped. She wiped away a cobweb from the bodice and held the dress tenderly to her cheeks'.

The word old is never used, but there is no doubt in the mind of the reader that the dress is in fact old. However, the mood that is evoked by the description of Mary looking at the dress draws in the reader so that they feel they are actually looking at the dress too.

The use of onomatopoeia in creative writing also creates a mood. Onomatopoeia is a grouping of words that imitate the sound of the thing they are trying to describe. Examples of onomatopoeia are buzz, sizzle, screech, crackle. The use of these words in writing evokes a feeling in the reader because they can hear the sound. Onomatopoeia brings out the full flavor of the word. When writing children's books this is particularly important. Children love these 'sound' words.

The use of the above strategies will bring much more life to your writing.

The Hero's Journey (also known as the Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. It is upon this structure that situations are superimposed. This is why stories such as Alien (1979), Gladiator (2000), Godfather (1972), American Beauty (1999), Annie Hall (1977) and many others (all deconstructed at www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html) appear to be different but are all constructed, almost sequence by sequence, in the same way.

The following blockbusters have all been structured around the Hero's Journey template: Titanic, 1997 - grossed over $600,000,000; Star Wars, 1977 - grossed over $460,000,000; Shrek 2, 2004 - grossed over $436,000,000; ET, 1982 - grossed over $434,000,000; Spiderman, 2002 - grossed over $432,000,000. So how come you don't know it inside out?

For a number of very valid reasons, if you want to write (and sell) successful stories, whether they're Hollywood blockbusters, Indie successes, novels or other story forms, you need to master the Hero's Journey in a very detailed way...

THE ROAD OF TRIALS SHOULD BE CALLED THE ROAD OF TRANSFORMATIONS

The Road of Trials should be known as the Road of Transformations. That is the purpose of the Trials - to incrementally transform the Hero from an Old Self to a New Self; to dissolve away the Old Self. This is a deeper transformation than that which occurs during the First Threshold.

This is a huge and often favourite part of many stories and is achieved using distinct and focused techniques and processes - knowing the patterns that this stage can follow makes writing successful stories a whole lot easier. Patterns include:

Pulling away from the Old Self. In An Officer and a Gentleman (1983), Zach accepts Paula as his girlfriend - he's never had a girl before.

Demonstrating suitability to the New World and the New Self. In City Slickers (1991), Mitch is at home around the campfire and takes on Curly - someone whom he's afraid of.

Demonstrating deep Transformation. In The Godfather (1972), Michael decides to marry Apollonia - a Sicilian marriage was something he would not have considered previously.

FORWARD

The 188 stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188+ stage template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.

[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE 188 STAGE HERO'S JOURNEY:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Tells you what to write. For example, at a certain stage of the story, the focus should be on the Call to Adventure and the micro elements within.

ABRIDGED TIPS, EXCERPTS AND EXAMPLES:

(simply go to www.clickok.co.uk for full details)

*****Resisting the Belly of the Whale*****

Resisting the Belly of the Whale is often a norm, even for willing heroes. In Brokeback Mountain (2005), after sex, Ennis rides out alone, without saying anything.

*****Blood and Transmogrification*****

The progression of the Transmogrification - the physical change - is often symbolised by the appearance of blood. In Straw Dogs (1971), David shoots the bird...the bloood seeps out and onto his clothes.