Self-Esteem Boost and the 17 Stages (Pt. 1)

So I'm doing a little fist pump in my little neck of the woods because I just got some news from a couple contests my teacher put my work in. The story got best of my level in one and first in state in another. Now I'm convinced that I'm not completely wasting my time! Oh, and my birthday just passed. Think I'm going through an early mid-life crisis...

Onto what I said I would do almost two months ago. Joseph Campbell wrote this incredibly brilliant layout of how our favorite hero stories go. It's called "The 17 Stages of the Monomyth" or "The Hero's Journey." And no matter how much you're against step-by-step plot diagrams that seem like taking the easy way out, you'll see that many novels follow this process, whether the author of them realizes this or not.

Today, I'll explain the first of three sections The Hero's Journey is split into. So, without further ado, let's get started.

Departure

1. The Call to Adventure - This is where the hero is first introduced. He/she is living their normal life (they aren't exactly a hero yet) when something extraordinary happens that changes their life. 
2. Refusal of the Call - The hero is reluctant to believe that the extraordinary thing is for real or just doesn't want to take action.
3. Supernatural Aid - The hero is given a weapon of some sort to help him/her on their journey by a mentor. The mentor is, in Campbell's words, "often a little old crone or old man."
4. The Crossing of the First Threshold - At this point, the hero passes through the gate and into the unknown. Most of the time, they mean this literally.
5. Belly of the Whale - Now the hero realizes that they are forever in the unknown. They are "in a sphere of rebirth."

These few steps should sound extremely familiar to how most books and movies begin. I can think of about 5 previews I've heard today that include the first ones.

Well, I'm too lazy so I'll leave off here today, but I promise to post the rest soon or you can just Bing it or whatever you kids do these days (My gosh I'm so old!).

Write on!
~Dusky

I am NOT a Computer Whiz

Lately I've been noticing that I have an extremely limited knowledge (<--this being generous) of web design and things of the sort. I thought I was doing good just setting up the template pattern for this blog! I admit it isn't all that grand or original, but I'll be darned if it doesn't work  for now!

Back to my point, I'm either going to have add a thorough Wikipedia research/translation expedition to my growing "To Do" list or find someone who's more capable with this sort of thing.... I see many headdesks in my future. If anyone has any info they'd like to share, I'd be eternally grateful.

Despite my downfalls in the technology field, I am so excited to finally be writing again! Sadly, I'm having to take a break from my current WIP to work on my English project. The project is surprisingly fun, though. After learning the aspects of Joseph Campbell's "17 Stages of the Monomyth" theory (more to come on this in the next post), everyone in my class is creating their own short story based on his outline of a hero's journey. It works surprisingly well! Mine is about a murder and...er, I'll tell you when I get past the first few plotholes (due Monday!). This is one of my first shots at realistic fiction, so wish me luck!

Anywho, happy Friday everyone, and lay off the Girl Scout cookies!

Writing on,
~Dusky

Hiatus Status: Nearing the End

Thank you, thank you. Hold the applause, please, you're embarrassing me!

So I realize I've been away for a couple of months, but now I'm back from my dark cave/sanctuary where I retreated after realizing that I had a huge, Superman-approved case of mental breakdown. And after that lovely vacation of nonstop anime marathons (mainly Hetalia), I am pleased to announce my return to the literary world!

With some new tips, of course!

In the spirit of my rebirth and the survival of Single's Awareness Day, here are some things that will help you find your muse if you are currently lost:

• All right. Sit down and go to your happy place (It sounds cheesy now, but you'll see).
• Now think about that little something, or somethings, that inspires you to write. This could be anything. It may be something physical like a loved one or an object, or maybe it's just some feeling inside you that keeps you writing away aimlessly every day.
• Whatever it is, write down exactly what it is that comes to mind and how you feel when you are thinking about it.
• Keep this little bit of information close to you at all times when you are writing. It will remind you what all this work is for and perhaps inspire that oh-so-crucial plot twist!

Sorry if this begins to make your skin crawl with all this touchy-feely stuff, but don't knock it till you try it, eh?

Oh, and just to let you know, I am now officially a member of Fan Fiction! My username is Bex.of.Sealand if you're actually interested, though I currently have nothing worth mentioning posted there yet.

Bye for now,
~Dusky

Merry Christmas, Hanukka, etc. Guys!

Hope you guys are enjoying Christmas break and whatever holiday you celebrate! If you're editing a NaNo novel, good luck! If not, hope you enjoy yourself ; )

Who knows karate? I really want to learn, but am short of cash now. No one? Ah well...

Hunger Games fans: This may not be news to you, but there's these 2 published parodies of The Hunger Games. The first is The Younger Games, which is about a 12-year-old in a kid game (I think) who has a chance to win but could also stay with this other guy she probably likes (great description, I know). The other is called The Hunger But Mainly Death Games that really gets into the definition of parody. The book picks at every quirky thing it can from the original book and seriously exposes it.

Just thought I'd share with you : )

And if any of you sees the video game commercial with Chuck Norris in it, give it a huge laugh for me. Lol, "But Chuck Norris isn't a hunter, because hunting implies the possibility of failure." Love it!

And don't forget to tell Dusky what you want for Christmas!

Write on,
~Dusky

Note to Self: NaNo Tips

As we all could have guessed, my attempt at NaNoWriMo last month was a total fail. Of epic proportions. But, lucky for you/me, I picked up a few things while my fingers tripped over themselves in an attempt to catch up to the word count. And now that I've slept and gone through the five stages of grief, I'm here to share them with you/myself!

1. Clear your schedule. If possible, clear a path to that outrageous word count goal. But don't forget to say "Excuse me" to Aunt Sue for shoving her birthday party into the hot dog stand on the curb.
2. Get support. Let people know that you're doing NaNo so people know that you're not going crazy when trying to keep up with the everyday things (homework, eating, etc.), you just happen to be writing a 50k novel in 30 days, which admittedly is about the same as being insane. Besides, you need all the encouragement you can get.
3. Don't slow down! If you stop to take a "little break," they will turn into entire days spent nitpicking with every little thing that doesn't involve accomplishing your goal.
4. Just. Write. Do not, do NOT unlock that little nag inside your head that tells you to rewrite, go back, and essentially throw away your rushed work. She/he can stay in their cage until December, where they can stay happily busy correcting the sorry crap that plopped out of your overworked brain.

See that Dusky? Don't forget!

On a side note, hope you guys had an awesome Thanksgiving! Can't wait till Christmas : )

~Dusky

NaNo Fun

I could sit here and glamorize the month of November as NaNoWriMo all day, but the truth is, you must work. A lot. Work is sometimes hard, but it can be fun if you enjoy what you're working on. In November, you better be ready to type your phalanges off. You need to be kicking off with a running start when your clock strikes 12 AM to start off a new month. Of course, some have no problem cranking out 1,667 words a day for 30 days, but others find it challenging.

I am one of those people. Sadly, my word count is pitiful, my homework pile is practically touching the ceiling, and I have subconsciously created my own distractions. But no worries! This is only my first NaNoWriMo so I'm only getting my toes wet this go around. Next year, I shall be prepared!

I hope you are doing well with your NaNo project and best of luck to you!

Well, I'm off to work. Ciao!

~Dusky

P.S.: Did anyone else make a wish at 11:11 yesterday?

Happy Writers' Day!

Happy Writers' Day everybody! Celebrate and have a good time, which usually means taking a few minutes to toast with a mug of coffee and getting back to work. Seriously, though, good job guys. Keep making your awesome stories : )

Is anyone else freaking out about this NaNoWriMo thing? I just can't wait! I'm not so sure I'll be able to make the deadline, though. I mean, I haven't even been able to post on here for weeks since I've had so much work to do (I happen to have a little more time this morning). And now I've found out I'm getting my braces off on the first of November.... Ah, well. Guess I just need to look at the positives, eh?

There's finally cold weather here! It's been hot for so long, I was thrilled to wear a hoodie yesterday. Still excited today. There's hope that I shall happily freeze in peace. Ah, fall.

Service Announcement: Don't eat the cantaloupes! Listeria is really not fun : ( Sadly, the outbreak is still not officially over. Sorry.

Last but not least: One more reason Japan is better than China. A toddler in China, who was 2, was hit by a car not too long ago. The car just drove off and dozens of people walked by her broken body, but none stopped to help. A surveillance camera shows people driving and walking around her, and they kept going. Eventually one kind old lady pulled her to safety. Thank God.

Unfortunately that's all  the time I have this morning. Stay pumped guys!

~Dusky