From our deconstruction of hundreds of Hollywood blockbusters….

The Hero’s Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the Hollywood movies we have deconstructed are based on this template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.

The 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) Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.

Sample Movie Deconstructed: Alien (1979)

• Context using text and visuals [we learn about the Nostromo].

• Introducing characters, motivations, status [Ripley et al wake up and eat].

• Call to Adventure [Mother tells Dallas they're on a detour].

• Hero’s capabilities [Ripley knows it's not the right system].

• Refusal of the Call [Dallas tells the crew that they're on a detour; they don't like it; Hawks and Doves polarized].

• Journey to the First Threshold on the Magic Carpet is not smooth [to the planet on the Nostromo; the ship can just about make it; repairs needed after landing].

• Viewing the First Threshold from a distance [inside the ship]. Very unwelcoming, inhospitable. Hawks push for the adventure and Doves push against it [Kane wants to go in, Lambert not too thrilled].

• Preparing to enter the First Threshold.

• Entering the First Threshold. Dangerous. Completely different from the World they are familiar with [dark, windy, inhospitable].

• Hero meets Allies [Ripley argues with Parker, interacts with Ash and we meet Jones].

• Doves against the adventure, Hawks for it [Kane versus Lambert].

• Threshold Guardian [the ship and the fossilized skeleton].

• Hero resistant to the adventure. Pushed into it by the Shape Shifter.

• Into the depths. Kane proceeds down. No Way Back (1). Kane attacked by the alien pod.

• No Way Back (2) . Ripley resistant to letting them into the ship. Countered by the Shape Shifter.

• Road of Trials (1). Learning. We learn that the alien is keeping Kane alive and has acid for blood.

• Preparing for the physical separation [Brett and Parker repair the Nostromo].

• Polarization between the Hero and Shape Shifter developed [Ripley versus Ash].

• Trial. Conflict. [finding the dead alien in Kane's room].

• Hero Shape Shifter polarization developed. Ash, Dallas and Ripley examine the alien [Ripley wants to kill it, Ash wants to keep it].

• Hero and Ally relationship developed [Ripley and Dallas].

• Belly of the Whale [Nostromo takes off]. Characters developed.

• Marker of change. Alien explodes out of Kane’s chest.

• Reaction to the change [Kane's burial].

• Road of Trials Ripley et al hunt for the Alien; Brett killed].

• Realizing the magnitude of the task ["that thing is huge."] Preparing for next Trials.

• Foreshadow of the coming Ordeal [Dallas in the computer room].

• Road of Trials [Dallas dies in the shaft].

• Hero and Shape Sifter polarization.

• Seize the Sword. Ripley finds out that the specimen is to be collected.

• Woman as Temptress. Near death experience [Ash nearly kills Ripley; Ash dies].

• Atonement with the Father [Ripley faces the revived Ash].

• Apotheosis. They cannot kill the Alien.

• Ultimate Boon. They’re going to blow up the ship.

• Refusal of the Return [Ripley et al prepare to escape].

• Rescue from Without. Ripley forced back in order to rescuer Parker and Lambert. Ripley triggers the nuke.

• Crossing the Return Threshold. Ripley tries to disarm the nuke.

• Magic Flight. Ripley makes a run for it. Escapes. Nostromo destroyed.

• Master of the Two Worlds. Hand-to-hand battle. Ripley throws it out into space.

• Freedom to Live. Jones put to sleep. Physical expressions of Joy: Ripley smiles.

Learn more…

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.clickok.co.uk/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

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You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at http://www.clickok.co.uk/

In our last article we discussed about the necessity of the language for expression and the force that written word can become.

Here we continue, uninterrupted.

A written sentence has to convey the fullness of the meaning without any help of gestures or voice modulation available to the spoken word.

This led to development of the rules for written language. First and foremost is the grammar. If your writings do not follow these rules they won’t be read. Grammatical errors are acceptable in our conversations but when it comes to writing it is an unforgivable mistake.

Correct spellings are another requirement of a good writing. Spelling errors popularly referred as typos (We are now in a world where people type more than they write!) spoil the taste of good reading .One must watch for these errors.

Everybody hates spelling mistakes. It does not matter whether the people themselves are good at it not. Food should be perfect for everybody’s palate irrespective of their culinary knowledge.

The last requirement of a sentence making is the use of right words.

There is not much scope for alteration and leverage as for as the spellings and grammar are concerned. So it is the combination of right words that makes a writing unique.

One must strive to choose the optimum set of words for the sentence within the framework of the grammar. The need varies from one writing to another and many a words can be used with different meaning attached it them in different perspectives. But to make a good writing careful selection is a must.

One has to choose wisely. Pause and ponder deliberately to look for the options best suited for your sentence and narration.

Words have originated at different times in different cultures. These words carry with than a subtle aura or personality and they import this aura to the sentence which they are put in.

Let us have an example.

Wealth, money moolah or cash! There are so many terms to describe money.

But each of them does brings a little different impact on our brains. This is because though our upbringing and culture we start imparting a different image to different words.
This difference could also be due to difference in intelligence and cultural background.

But because the language is passed from one generation to another in a rather clear cut and organized manner the words themselves leaves an imprint on the learning mind provided we take out other variables. This imprint or image is then generated back each time the word is encountered.

Every writing would incite a response in the reader. That is the aim of the writing. That is what a good writer wants.

If you are writing a sales copy the effect should lead the readers to the sales. Better you use your words better is the copy and its desired effect. Same goes for a webpage, e-book, email or anything you write. The factor that will differentiate a bang from thud is the right use of the words.

How far did you penetrate the minds of the reader will depend mainly on the words that you used to create the writing if we keep the reader related factors (for example education, intelligence, culture, language proficiency etc)

The choice of words will ultimately depend upon your style and vocabulary you have. Style comes from your personality and inferences you carry. Vocabulary comes from constant reading and inculcation.

We will discuss these aspects in next article.

Till Then.

© copyright Arun Pal Singh

Author is successful writer and internet marketer. You are invited to join his free article directory http://www.authorcontent.com and contribute your creative work.

I have been speaking professionally for a lot of years and I am very comfortable in front of an audience. In spite of this I still feel the need to learn more about the art of speaking. The best place for me to learn is at the feet of those who are achieving beyond where I am at present. That’s why I am constantly looking for resources that will take me to the next level of expertise. When I find someone I admire and want to emulate I order their products, study them and apply those ideas that fit my style.

A percentage of my earnings each month goes into this process . It’s a fact that professional development for a speaker is of paramount importance if you are to improve and continue to progress.

The one area that interests me the most and in which my need for improvement is the greatest is the business side of speaking. Not only is it important, it is vitally important. There are some speakers who say that learning how to market yourself and your services
should be the central focus of every speaker.

In my continued research into the subject of how to market myself as a speaker I have picked up quite a few strategies that really do work but I am always on the lookout for more. Thus my monthly investment in professional development.

There are people in our business whose experience and expertise can really help you grow as a speaker. These are the people you want to access. If I am achieving the results you would like to achieve then access my material. The important thing is to find someone who can take you to the next level.

Don’t be afraid to pay for the information you need. Just make certain that the person from whom you are purchasing a product offers a 100%, no questions asked guarantee. With this kind of guarantee you have nothing to lose. If a person buys my product and isn’t happy with what they get, then I don’t want them to have it. Send it back and your money is refunded without hesitation and without question. I must say that in the five years I have been selling my public speaking manuals and CDs I have only had one returned and that one was sent back to me highlighted with a yellow marker. Some people!!!

The people I look to for advice and speaking wisdom are Burt Dubin and Tom Antion. These speakers have achieved a position in the speaking business that I want to achieve therefore I study them. I subscribe to their newsletters and purchase their products. Both have impressed me and their material was certainly worth the money. Burt and Tom provide access to free articles and both are willing to answer questions when contacted.

If you would like to take a look at their sites just type their name plus the word speaker into your favourite search engine and they will appear. They are worth a visit.

The message in this article is an important one. Find someone a level above where you are. Develop trust with that person and invest in your professional development. The dividends are well worth the expenditure.

Mike Moore is an international speaker on “Humor in the Workplace”, “Humor and Workplace Stress”, and “Maximizing Staff Potential Using Humor and Recognition.”

http://www.motivationalplus.com

The secret is out! A lot of people have suddenly realized that the best way to get one-way, inbound links to their websites and build their credibility is to write and publish articles. This is the reason behind the current surge of interest in article writing. The downside of the rush is that it is now harder to get articles published in high traffic locations. However, if you follow some simple rules, and also practice a lot, it is possible to produce articles that will stand out from the crowd. Here are some guidelines that I try to follow as much as possible.

1. Write about something that is “hot” or topical. Right now in the field of online marketing, for example, there is a lot of interest in Google’s latest update, Blogs, RSS, Adsense and yes, article writing. If possible select one of these current topics and give your insight and experience on subject. Topical articles stand a much better chance of being published than do articles which deal with subjects that have already been written to death.

2. Keep your eyes open for news articles and information related to your field of activity. For example, within the last two weeks a major news story announced the results of a study showing that people who owned and walked their dogs lost 14 pounds in a year, the same amount as is lost in a typical weight loss program. If you are in the fitness or exercise field, this is a nice piece of news to build an article around.

3. Format your articles properly and remember that you are not writing a literary essay. Internet and ezine articles typically have short paragraphs. This makes them easier to read. Also, stick to an article size of 500-800 words. If the article is either too long or too short then it may not be published. If your article is composed of dense and long paragraphs this could also be a cause for rejection.

4. Give concrete examples and make your article a short “tutorial.” How-to articles are always popular. People go online to find solutions to their problems and to find out how to do things. If you are writing about web design, then show how to accomplish a particular task with some html code within the very article itself.

5. Give urls of helpful sources where people can get more information on the subject. The more information you give the more useful your article will be and the more likely that it will be published, read and published again in other places

6. Write with the spirit of giving, not getting. If you try to sell yourself or your product in the main body of the article itself then you will not succeed. On the other hand, if you go out of your way to provide solid information and advice to your readers, then you will gain respect and people will be curious to read the lines about you in the resource box at the end of the article. It is best to keep your selling out of the article. The few dollars that you can get from an affiliate sale is nothing compared to value of becoming recognized as a reliable authority in your area of business.

So don’t be deterred by the competition. Keep on writing and you will be well rewarded for your efforts.

Donald Nelson is an editor, web developer and social worker. He is the director of A1-Optimization-http://www.a1-optimization.com , a firm providing copywriting, search engine optimization,article writing and web promotion services.

Employee Drug Test

Drug examination has become a popular problem across the earth. Some societies do drug trials on freshly working people or active employees to verify a drug-free surrounding at workplace.

Insurance offices and courts carry out drug screens on a normal ground on suspected individuals. The serious enquiry that comes to your head, when you go for such trial is how to pass a drug exam?

Cyber sites such as Drug Blood Test provides the up-to-date detoxification products including permanent cleaners, synthetic urine products, and saliva clean products, detoxify drinks and home drug exam kits.

Pass Nicotine Drug Test

Pass The Drug Test offers professional support for every item, with support brought home the bacon by drug test professionals all are highly experienced with assorted types of drug testing types and issues. Support is available by e-mail and phone. Shipping is instantaneous, with complete privateness assured, using plainly and discrete boxing materials to conserve total customer privateness.

Drug Niacin Passing Test

Involved on the new site is a sizeable order of products for detoxification and testing uses. Permanent cleaners are offered in 3, 5 and 7, 10, 14, 21 and 30 day formulas, with a assortment of herbs, roots, barks and minerals that are famous lipids destroyers which work to break down fat cells and eradicate toxins wholly. Synthetic Substance urine is offered, which accommodates all ingredients commonly acquired in urine, particularly balanced for pH with specific gravity, creatin and other wee wee characteristics. A saliva cleaning mouthwash is offered up will clean toxins from the mouth with just 3 minutes of use. We offer a range of detox drinks, every last one bearing the most efficient herbs and fiber to help free the body of toxins that may have piled up.

If you use Ask to seek the internet for us here are 10 Super words to use to get hold of our internet site.

Drug Free Passing Test Tip

Athlete Drug Testing as well offers drug examination kits including saliva, hair and urine based tests to insure that detox programs are effective. For more information, visit Pass Hair Test If you have any questions, please call us at: 800-727-7123

Wedding favors have become an integral part of a wedding. And many brides, and couples, search for unique wedding favors which will make a statement and from which the guests will remember this wedding with fond memories.

So when you’re planning your wedding, one of the decisions you’ll undoubtedly need to make is in the selection of wedding favors for your guests – and what better wedding favors than heirloom wedding favors. These small gifts are a wonderful way to show your guests that you appreciate them coming to celebrate your special day and to say a small, personal “thank you” to your guests for their attendance, their friendship, and their wedding gifts to you.

No longer limited to weddings for the wealthy or well-to-do, unique wedding favors can now be ordered from a number of sources, including online companies, for a fraction of what they once cost. Even a modest or small wedding can be made much more special by providing thoughtful and even unique wedding favors for the guests.

Wedding favors are typically small but thoughtful items that serve as a memento of your beautiful day. Traditional items include things like ornate bottle-stoppers, cake servers, and serving spoons. Such items are intended to be a keepsake for the wedding guests rather than something they will actually use in everyday life.

Some couples, however, will choose wedding favors that serve double duty as a reminder of the event as well as a useful item. Small picture frames, decorated place card holders, lovely candy dishes, pen and pencil sets, and other such favors fall into this category. Edible wedding favors such as mints or candies in an attractive tin are also available. The choices are truly limited only by your imagination.

Typical wedding favors come with traditional wedding theme designs including bells, doves, hearts, flowers, and flowing ribbons, but can also include more modern motifs like dolphins. With the more costly but far more personalized option of custom ordering, virtually anything is possible.

The most important consideration is selecting wedding favors is to remember that these are items meant simply to say “thank you.” You’re not going to find the perfect item that will please each and every guest at your wedding, but a little thoughtfulness will result in favors that will at least let your guests know that you’re thinking of them. The guests at your wedding are primarily your family and your friends, and they will invariably appreciate a small souvenir of the event.

Wedding favors should not be confused with the traditional gifts provided by the bride and groom to members of their wedding party. It is proper to provide the bridesmaids and groomsmen with a more personal and separate gift. Anything that says you appreciate their friendship and participation in your special day is appropriate for these close friends or family members.

Your wedding is undoubtedly one of the most important days in your life and all of the planning that goes into this momentous event reflects that importance, helping to make your special day a beautiful experience for all involved. Selecting the perfect wedding favors – unique wedding favors – can help make that dream of beauty and perfection into a reality!

For unique wedding favors that you can make yourself (of have made for you), go to http://www.learnhowguides.com/WeddingFavors/index.html and take a look at the Wonderful Crocheted Wedding Favors that you can make and give to your wedding guests.

Algebra as a Science

Algebra is considered a fundamental arm of mathematics which puts the light on how to deal with all situations involving numbers and variables. By Nature and historically, there is so much to articulate about teaching and studying of Algebra as a generalized arithmetic which goes through systematic mathematical procedures such as induction, generalization and proof. So, the students get to develop their skills in algebra progressively, for example by getting the information from tutors or software programs, which offer bit by bit illustrative solutions. Algebra software programs offer all the previously used approaches of Algebra teaching with a new scientific touch to drive the information smoothly into the pupil’s brains. Many pupils don’t even know how very useful Algebra is! They complain about its impracticality ignoring that Algebra, generally math, instructs their mind how to think logically and correctly. The typical way to learn Algebra is in school, from being a kid till becoming an adult pupils get their information from the teacher. With the enormous growth of engineering science, new techniques have been formulated to learn Algebra, such as using packages which is a more convenient way to learn Algebra. These software programs deliver information in a progressive approach in to student’s heads.

Algebra’s Covered Area

Same as any other arm of science, A lot of areas are handled by algebra including many theories and constructs. Gcf, or Greatest Common Factor , is one such constructs. Gcf means to rewrite the polynomial as a product of simpler polynomials or of polynomials and monomials. Solving fractions is one of the main parts of algebra which essentially gives students the chance to apply it to the real world. non-linear function represents any function which is a solution of a quadratic polynomial. Multiplying and Dividing Radicals is also an critical area of standard Algebra. An individual can multiply and divide with radicals only if the index, or root, is the same. Other related areas are Adding and Subtracting Radicals; an individual can add or subtract radical terms only if both the index and the radicand are the same. Matrix operations, another key areas of algebra which has a wide applicability when it comes to the real world, includes operations such as adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing. Among other central areas are finding x-intercept of a line and y-intercept of a line – to get the x-intercept of a line, substitute zero for y in the equation and vice versa for finding y-intercept of a line.

You’ve all seen the adverts. “Freelance writers wanted!” they scream from the pages of just about every freelance jobs site on the Internet. “Get paid to blog!”

To many people, this sounds like some kind of dream job. If you keep a blog yourself (and Google says that a few thousand of us do), then the chances are you’re currently blogging for free, either because you see blogging as a good opportunity to drive traffic to your website, convert traffic that’s already there into sales, or just because you feel you have something to say.

If this sounds like you, then of course you’re going to jump at the opportunity to get paid for something you’d do for free. Who wouldn’t? And if you’re a freelance writer looking for work, you’re probably going to jump at the opportunity to: you write, you make money. What could be simpler?

Well, the paid-to-blog business isn’t quite that simple, unfortunately. You see, you’re technically not being paid to blog. What you’re doing is blogging on someone else’s website, and being given a share of the Google Adsense profits your posts make – in most cases, 50% goes to you, the rest to the web page publisher.

Still sound good? It may well do. After all, on the Internet, content is king. There’s good money to be made from Google Adsense (the program whereby you displays Google adverts on your website and are paid every time someone clicks on them). Isn’t there?

Well yes, there is. But in order to make money from blogging on an Adsense site, you’re going to need to be able to do more than just write. First of all, you’re going to have to be able to identify a niche to write in. This can’t be just any old niche, either: it has to be one which you can churn out content on, day in, day out – and content which people will want to read.

You also have to know how to drive traffic to the content you create. On the paid-to-blog sites, some of the traffic is already there: but in order to make real money from this type of writing, you’ll need even more traffic than that. Where are you going to get it? What do you know about internet marketing? About driving traffic to websites? What do you know about search engine optimisation? You’ll need knowledge of all of these things if you want to make money from blogging – and even if you have that knowledge, you’ll still need the energy and enthusiasm to blog every day.

Say you have all of that. What can you make?

Theoretically, there’s no limit to what you make. There are people out there making a very nice living from blogs and adsense. There are even more people, though, who aren’t making a cent. Realistically, you’re much more likely to fall into that second group. So, is blogging for money a great freelance writing opportunity?

In a word, no. Blogging networks are great places for people who’d like to make a few dollars per month doing something they’d happily do for free anyway, or for people looking for a lively blogging community to join. They’re not for serious freelance writers who want to make a living wage from their writing.

Still want to make money from blogging? Find a corporate giant who needs someone to maintain their blog – and is willing to pay for it. Save the paid-to-blog network for your free time.

Making it as a freelance is not easy, especially if you haven’t been published before. However, with a bit of persistence you can be successful. Here are a few tips to get you started.

As a minimum, you should know how to structure a news story or feature article. With news, you’ll need to include the who, what, where, why, when and how of the story. With features, you’ll need to flesh the story out a bit and tell it in an interesting way – and in the way that’s most appropriate for the readers you’re trying to reach. After all, you’d write very different stories for the New York Times and the Surfing Times, wouldn’t you?

Freelancing is not an excuse to have lots of snack breaks or sit in the garden. Treat it like a job. Set some time aside each day to look at newspapers and magazines, look at job sites and, most importantly, do some writing. Keep copies of your articles, of correspondence (whether email or snail mail) and of all relevant bills so you can claim any tax relief or expenses due to you.

Make sure you have the right equipment: telephone and mobile phone; PC or laptop; a dictaphone or other recorder; a printer and a scanner.

Ideas are your bread and butter: keep having them. Have you got any interests, hobbies or obsessions? Has anything unusual happened to your friends or members of your family? These are all good starting points for articles. Look for work in new magazines that don’t have established links with freelancers. They are more likely to give new writers a chance.

So how do you get an editor to give you a try? Read the magazine or paper to see what kinds of articles they publish and suggest material that you think might be appropriate. Look in the archives to make sure your idea hasn’t been published before and then send a query to the editor (by email or snail mail depending on his or her preference). Do a bit of legwork (by phone) and find out the editor’s name so you can address your query to the right person.

Your query should lead the editor into your story. My advice is to write the lead and then say how you would develop the story. Remember to include any information about specialist sources you may have access to or areas of expertise. This will help to convince the editor that you are serious. However, don’t give away so much of your material that the editor can commission someone else to do it. Think of the extras you can provide – sending photos and material for sidebars will make the editor’s life easier.

Once you’ve got that commission, be professional and deliver on time. If you let an editor down once, you won’t be hired again.

Finally, if you want to get paid on time, find out who’s responsible for paying you (it may be an accounting department rather than the editor) so you can send your invoice in as soon as the work is delivered. Try to get the details of the commission in writing. If the editor won’t send you a letter, then you send one confirming the agreement you’ve made. That way, you’ll have some comeback if there’s a query later.

If you do all this, there’s a good chance that an editor will give you a try. A final word of advice, though; if your article is good enough to go in the magazine, it’s good enough for an editor to pay you. Don’t work for nothing unless it’s absolutely unavoidable.

Good luck!

Sharon Hurley Hall is a freelance writer, ghostwriter and editor. Sharon worked in publishing for 18 years, writing articles and editing and designing books and magazines. She has also lectured on journalism. For more information or to contact Sharon, visit doublehdesign.com. Sharon also publishes freelance writing advice

It goes without saying that wholesale purchase of stuffed animals is a great way to save money for retailers and bulk users such as gift delivery services. Manufacturers sell stuffed animals wholesale to retailers, professional business users, and other bulk users. Stuffed animals are ideally purchased wholesale for corporate giveaways.

Wholesale stuffed animals are always cheaper than that are available in the local retail market. Most wholesale transactions take place below the market price. You save on packaging and transportation charges with wholesale purchases. With most manufacturers and wholesalers, packing, transportation, and delivery are free. There are also a few manufactures that make high quality wholesale stuffed animals without the high-end price tag.

Stuffed animals offered wholesale in the market include kangaroos, hippos, elephants, cows, dogs, eagles, cats, cougars, ducks, barking dogs, roaring lions, and leopards. Bears that sing ‘Happy Birthday,’ are also available wholesale. Wholesalers of stuffed animals assemble, sort, and grade goods in large lots and then repack and redistribute them in smaller lots. Most wholesalers provide good customer support.

Wholesale stuffed animals are a great boon to gift shop owners. Not all wholesale merchants supply stuffed animals steadily. In order to ensure prompt delivery of stuffed animals, one needs reliable wholesale suppliers. The Internet is a good source to look for wholesale stuffed animal suppliers. The Web is replete with wholesale dealers offering every kind of stuffed animal. There are a number of online companies supplying quality wholesale plush toys, wholesale teddy bears, and other wholesale stuffed animals. Some online companies specialize in wholesale stuffed animals with a Valentine’s theme. For those who sell a lot of plush around football season, many companies offer stuffed animals with football themes. There are a number of free websites dedicated to providing customers honest and unbiased business reviews. Some companies offer customers discounts and exchange schemes.