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So we begin where we have so diligently been instructed to start, at the beginning. Our teachers berate us over topic sentences and main ideas using the terms interchangeably but stressing that they are distinctively different from each other. It is that paradox which boggles my mind and evokes writer’s block. I like to consider that I have more fulfilling things to do than to keep track of which is which in my first paragraph. I would much rather get a root canal than agonize over some imaginary division between essential two words that mean the same thing to me. Remember that the topic sentence is to introduce the subject matter. For example a proper topic sentence for piece of work would be, “I hate three paragraph essays.” The main idea would probably be the same thing but together differently or I think you have to explain it. After deliberating through that issue and introducing the topic we are told to write a transitional sentence and push ourselves to get to the bulk of the essay where you explain your subject.

Most instructors dictate that you have at least three points of defense and/or explanation. I assume three was chosen because it is the number of the trinity or because it was inspired by Hitler’s Third Reich. The three paragraph essay is stifling to creative expression in its rigid structure. An English teacher once tried to explain the divinity of the three paragraph essay by comparing it to a triangle saying, “The triangle is one of the strongest structural shapes, which can endure a great amount of weight that’s what makes it perfect for an essay.” I personally don’t appreciate the comparison, because in my opinion the triangle is the most dangerous shape. It has pointy ends which can break skin depending on the degree of the angle, but that’s geometry. It has also been brought to my attention that a three paragraph essay looks like a fat chick. A small light bit of writing on top followed by a heavy middle section ending with a little bubble of words for feet. It just isn’t proportional or aesthetically pleasing. The three paragraph essay also doesn’t lend itself to an agreeable flow of thoughts. Everything of significance is crammed into the center. Three paragraph essays read more like an E. E. Cummings poem whereeverythingisranintoexaggeratetherateofspeechorthought. Jokes aside, it really does push everything in to close together. Readers that skim through derive very little because there are no breaks between the thoughts to slow them down to take matters into consideration. New ideas should not just be broken down into sentences they can be expanded into paragraphs so one has more room to explain. Having only one paragraph pressures writers to use concise words, and let’s face it some of us don’t like to visit words outside of: good, bad, cool, dumb, and weird.

The three paragraph essay of course cannot do without the conclusion. So, this gives the writer an opportunity to be redundant by saying what they have already wasted our time with. Three paragraph essays are rigid, terribly proportioned, and dull to look at and read. That’s why writing three paragraph essays are annoying to write.

So we begin where we have so diligently been instructed to start, at the beginning. Our teachers berate us over topic sentences and main ideas using the terms interchangeably but stressing that they are distinctively different from each other. It is that paradox which boggles my mind and evokes writer’s block. I like to consider that I have more fulfilling things to do than to keep track of which is which in my first paragraph. I would much rather get a root canal than agonize over some imaginary division between essential two words that mean the same thing to me. Remember that the topic sentence is to introduce the subject matter. For example a proper topic sentence for piece of work would be, “I hate three paragraph essays.” The main idea would probably be the same thing but together differently or I think you have to explain it. After deliberating through that issue and introducing the topic we are told to write a transitional sentence and push ourselves to get to the bulk of the essay where you explain your subject.

Most instructors dictate that you have at least three points of defense and/or explanation. I assume three was chosen because it is the number of the trinity or because it was inspired by Hitler’s Third Reich. The three paragraph essay is stifling to creative expression in its rigid structure. An English teacher once tried to explain the divinity of the three paragraph essay by comparing it to a triangle saying, “The triangle is one of the strongest structural shapes, which can endure a great amount of weight that’s what makes it perfect for an essay.” I personally don’t appreciate the comparison, because in my opinion the triangle is the most dangerous shape. It has pointy ends which can break skin depending on the degree of the angle, but that’s geometry. It has also been brought to my attention that a three paragraph essay looks like a fat chick. A small light bit of writing on top followed by a heavy middle section ending with a little bubble of words for feet. It just isn’t proportional or aesthetically pleasing. The three paragraph essay also doesn’t lend itself to an agreeable flow of thoughts. Everything of significance is crammed into the center. Three paragraph essays read more like an E. E. Cummings poem whereeverythingisranintoexaggeratetherateofspeechorthought. Jokes aside, it really does push everything in to close together. Readers that skim through derive very little because there are no breaks between the thoughts to slow them down to take matters into consideration. New ideas should not just be broken down into sentences they can be expanded into paragraphs so one has more room to explain. Having only one paragraph pressures writers to use concise words, and let’s face it some of us don’t like to visit words outside of: good, bad, cool, dumb, and weird.

The three paragraph essay of course cannot do without the conclusion. So, this gives the writer an opportunity to be redundant by saying what they have already wasted our time with. Three paragraph essays are rigid, terribly proportioned, and dull to look at and read. That’s why writing three paragraph essays are annoying to write.

“Babe” Didrickson Zaharias was a phenomenal athlete. This Texan ran, jumped, rode horses, and played basketball and baseball&ndashwith tremendous flair.

In the Olympic tryouts in 1932, she won five first places in track and field events. In the games of that year in Los Angeles, she won a gold medal in the women’s 80 meter hurdles, a gold medal in the javelin throw, and a silver medal in the high jump.

After the Olympics, Zaharias turned to golf. Although she started from scratch, she won the National Women’s Amateur and the British Women’s Amateur.

The press hailed her as a “natural athlete.” They often referred to as an “automatic champion.”

But the real story behind Zaharias fairy-tale success was her painstaking diligence. Her success came from studied repetition. In every sport she undertook, she was methodical, deliberate, and persistent. She was neither “natural” nor “automatic.”

When, for example, she played golf for the first time, she did not automatically master the game. Instead she studied the game carefully, covering all its complex skill sets, under the tutelage of the finest golf teacher she could find. She looked at all the elements of the golf swing, broke it down into parts, then put it all together in a fluid movement.

Besides using an analytical approach to understand the game, Zaharias also locked the information into her motor nervous system through exhaustive practice. She would spend as many as 12 hours a day on the golf course, hitting as many as a thousand balls. Her hands would often becomes so sore that she could hardly grip her club. She stopped only long enough to tape up her hands before picking up the club again.

Zaharias learned to play golf the right way. She started out by hiring an exceptional teacher. She analyzed each part of the golf swing then put them all together in a fluid motion. She practiced for about 12 hours a day. She exercised self-discipline and self-sacrifice. And she didn’t doubt herself. Her previous successes had created an enduring self-confidence. She believed that if she applied herself she would be a golf champion. She proved this belief true.

Zaharias took a risk. She risked her reputation as an athlete by trying something new. She also risked the time and money it cost her to perfect her new sport.

Above all, she was methodical in the way she went about inventing herself as a champion golfer. She chose a gifted teacher, studied all aspects of the game, and put her new knowledge into practice, converting theory into motor learning, coordination, and stamina.

“Babe” Didrickson Zaharias was a phenomenal athlete. This Texan ran, jumped, rode horses, and played basketball and baseball&ndashwith tremendous flair.

In the Olympic tryouts in 1932, she won five first places in track and field events. In the games of that year in Los Angeles, she won a gold medal in the women’s 80 meter hurdles, a gold medal in the javelin throw, and a silver medal in the high jump.

After the Olympics, Zaharias turned to golf. Although she started from scratch, she won the National Women’s Amateur and the British Women’s Amateur.

The press hailed her as a “natural athlete.” They often referred to as an “automatic champion.”

But the real story behind Zaharias fairy-tale success was her painstaking diligence. Her success came from studied repetition. In every sport she undertook, she was methodical, deliberate, and persistent. She was neither “natural” nor “automatic.”

When, for example, she played golf for the first time, she did not automatically master the game. Instead she studied the game carefully, covering all its complex skill sets, under the tutelage of the finest golf teacher she could find. She looked at all the elements of the golf swing, broke it down into parts, then put it all together in a fluid movement.

Besides using an analytical approach to understand the game, Zaharias also locked the information into her motor nervous system through exhaustive practice. She would spend as many as 12 hours a day on the golf course, hitting as many as a thousand balls. Her hands would often becomes so sore that she could hardly grip her club. She stopped only long enough to tape up her hands before picking up the club again.

Zaharias learned to play golf the right way. She started out by hiring an exceptional teacher. She analyzed each part of the golf swing then put them all together in a fluid motion. She practiced for about 12 hours a day. She exercised self-discipline and self-sacrifice. And she didn’t doubt herself. Her previous successes had created an enduring self-confidence. She believed that if she applied herself she would be a golf champion. She proved this belief true.

Zaharias took a risk. She risked her reputation as an athlete by trying something new. She also risked the time and money it cost her to perfect her new sport.

Above all, she was methodical in the way she went about inventing herself as a champion golfer. She chose a gifted teacher, studied all aspects of the game, and put her new knowledge into practice, converting theory into motor learning, coordination, and stamina.

Keeping a journal is a most rewarding experience. I have had several kinds of journals; one was a book where I wrote in it and another was a binder where I wrote the events of the day and also added everything from a chicken feather to cards, thank you notes and pictures. That was really a fun book. It’s amazing the things you forget until you open your journal or look at a picture and all of the related memories instantly come to mind and you can talk about it as if it happened today. That is surely amazing!

This amazing book can also tell you details of a special vacation, or your parents 50 year anniversary, or that special day when you turned 21; what about graduation and all of those feelings you felt.? Wouldn’t it be neat to read those fond memories? Those words will take you right back to that moment, feelings and all. What about special times with family and friends? I can remember what an eventful day it was when I climbed a mountain. I was awestruck as I watched others climb straight up. To my amazement, my feet just kept moving and I did it too. What an experience to practically do the splits in trying to climb the huge rocks. When I got to the top of the mountain, I stood on a ledge with the very top at chest height and declared that I made it. This fellow told me I hadn’t made it as I wasn’t on the top. I said I was good where I was. He said I would really regret not getting to the top if I didn’t get up there, so, “Get up here!” he said, as he gave me his hand. I was petrified. Though my body was rigid in fear, I crawled to the very top of the mountain that day. I even laid down over a rock straight out from the mountain top and looked down 3000 feet to the ground. I couldn’t believe I did that. I am forever grateful to that fellow for talking me into going to the top of the mountain because today, I am unstoppable. I can do whatever I want to do. Success in it’s finest is my intention and if I can take others with me, I help them on their way to success as well.

There are also family journals where everyone writes about family events from their perspective. There could be one person who summarizes family events from year to year such as family re-unions. All of those moments and memories come and go and it just takes a wonderful journal to flash them back right before your eyes again.

Parents can keep their favorite drawings and pictures of their children. I have a picture my son drew of me when he was very young and I still feel warm when I look at it. Grandparents can write about their fun times with their grandchildren. Children can start writing journals at quite a young age. My grandson is eight years old and he writes a lot. He writes about sports, school, his friends and other activities. We can write about our pets as we love them so much. I have had numereous pets and loved them all intensely; each one with their own special personality and they were all considered family. Vacations are a great time to keep a family journal. What fond memories and fun when you read and remember the places you visited, restaurants, perhaps new foods you tried, the new people you met and what you did or the hikes you went on. Let’s not forget all the souvineres we might have taken home. The pictures that were taken that we can ooo and aaaah over are awesome memories. It is truly endless what you can write about.

Please read the exciting conclusion of The Awesome Experience Of Writing A Journal Part 2.

Keeping a journal is a most rewarding experience. I have had several kinds of journals; one was a book where I wrote in it and another was a binder where I wrote the events of the day and also added everything from a chicken feather to cards, thank you notes and pictures. That was really a fun book. It’s amazing the things you forget until you open your journal or look at a picture and all of the related memories instantly come to mind and you can talk about it as if it happened today. That is surely amazing!

This amazing book can also tell you details of a special vacation, or your parents 50 year anniversary, or that special day when you turned 21; what about graduation and all of those feelings you felt.? Wouldn’t it be neat to read those fond memories? Those words will take you right back to that moment, feelings and all. What about special times with family and friends? I can remember what an eventful day it was when I climbed a mountain. I was awestruck as I watched others climb straight up. To my amazement, my feet just kept moving and I did it too. What an experience to practically do the splits in trying to climb the huge rocks. When I got to the top of the mountain, I stood on a ledge with the very top at chest height and declared that I made it. This fellow told me I hadn’t made it as I wasn’t on the top. I said I was good where I was. He said I would really regret not getting to the top if I didn’t get up there, so, “Get up here!” he said, as he gave me his hand. I was petrified. Though my body was rigid in fear, I crawled to the very top of the mountain that day. I even laid down over a rock straight out from the mountain top and looked down 3000 feet to the ground. I couldn’t believe I did that. I am forever grateful to that fellow for talking me into going to the top of the mountain because today, I am unstoppable. I can do whatever I want to do. Success in it’s finest is my intention and if I can take others with me, I help them on their way to success as well.

There are also family journals where everyone writes about family events from their perspective. There could be one person who summarizes family events from year to year such as family re-unions. All of those moments and memories come and go and it just takes a wonderful journal to flash them back right before your eyes again.

Parents can keep their favorite drawings and pictures of their children. I have a picture my son drew of me when he was very young and I still feel warm when I look at it. Grandparents can write about their fun times with their grandchildren. Children can start writing journals at quite a young age. My grandson is eight years old and he writes a lot. He writes about sports, school, his friends and other activities. We can write about our pets as we love them so much. I have had numereous pets and loved them all intensely; each one with their own special personality and they were all considered family. Vacations are a great time to keep a family journal. What fond memories and fun when you read and remember the places you visited, restaurants, perhaps new foods you tried, the new people you met and what you did or the hikes you went on. Let’s not forget all the souvineres we might have taken home. The pictures that were taken that we can ooo and aaaah over are awesome memories. It is truly endless what you can write about.

Please read the exciting conclusion of The Awesome Experience Of Writing A Journal Part 2.

There are many ways to get ahead in the cut throat world of internet marketing, but very few of them are easy and not all are ethical. The number of choices can be mind boggling at times. Ezines, newsletters, RSS feeds, Web 2.0 marketing and many more can all be effective, depending on your situation. However, very few offer all of the benefits that you get from article marketing. Read on to find out more.

Internet marketing is all about getting the best results for the least possible investment of your time and money. By writing good articles and submitting them to article directories you can drive significant traffic to your website. It is not the only way to do this, but few of the alternatives have so many benefits.

Search engine optimization

There is no better way to drive traffic to your website than by appearing at the top of the search engine rankings. While many internet users will ignore advertisements they will happily click through to search engine results. Advertising campaigns can of course be very effective, but they can be prohibitively expensive.

When you submit articles to article directories you will create backlinks to your website. The search engines will award you for these and you will will get a higher page ranking. Be careful though. Search engines can now recognize duplicate content so a unique version of each article article must be submitted to each directory for your campaign to be effective. Article submission alone may not help you to get to the very top of the search pages, but it will certainly increase your ranking.

Create direct traffic

By submitting articles to article directories you are giving websites free license to publish your articles. If you can produce quality articles that people want to publish and read you could find them appearing on hundreds, if not thousands, of websites. Each time a reader reads one of your articles there is a chance they will click through to your website through the resource box link, thus increasing traffic and sales.

You can make a name for yourself

The most successful internet marketers are well known in their field, or across the web in general. As an internet and article marketer you want to do the same. Try to become an authority on your niche subject and get your name known. If you are successful with this you will find that website owners will actively seek out your articles and be more than happy to publish them, rather than stumbling upon them by chance.

By submitting articles to directories you are already getting your name out there. However, you should back this up with other methods. Become involved in the online community relating to your field. Post helpful replies on forums, or comment on articles in blogs. You may find an opportunity to include a link to your site while doing this, but only do so if it is helpful, relevant and acceptable for that website. On the subject of blogs, you should set up your own. You are already writing articles so these can go in your blog, and you can also add posts including your thoughts, comments or smaller snippets of news when you want. If you engage with the online community in this way you will increase traffic to your website.

Long term gains

Once you have submitted an article to a directory it stays there, and if it is not time-specific it will be published again and again in the future. Bear this in mind when writing articles. Sometimes a newsy, topical article can be a good idea but often it is best to write articles that will have a long shelf life so they remain relevant in the future.

Your article can set up the sale

If a web user happens upon your website through a search engine link or an external link they may not be ready to make a purchase. With article marketing you can use your article to set up the sale. For example, if your article is giving advice on something you can give basic advice in the article while subtly giving the reader the impression that your product or service will provide the ultimate solution to their problem.

Article marketing is cheap

When compared to advertising or even to other marketing strategies, article marketing is very cost effective. It can be done for free if you make all of the submissions yourself by hand. However, even using a service or software to make articles unique and submit them to directories need not cost a lot.

So, if you are not already using article marketing to drive traffic to your website you should start now.

There are many ways to get ahead in the cut throat world of internet marketing, but very few of them are easy and not all are ethical. The number of choices can be mind boggling at times. Ezines, newsletters, RSS feeds, Web 2.0 marketing and many more can all be effective, depending on your situation. However, very few offer all of the benefits that you get from article marketing. Read on to find out more.

Internet marketing is all about getting the best results for the least possible investment of your time and money. By writing good articles and submitting them to article directories you can drive significant traffic to your website. It is not the only way to do this, but few of the alternatives have so many benefits.

Search engine optimization

There is no better way to drive traffic to your website than by appearing at the top of the search engine rankings. While many internet users will ignore advertisements they will happily click through to search engine results. Advertising campaigns can of course be very effective, but they can be prohibitively expensive.

When you submit articles to article directories you will create backlinks to your website. The search engines will award you for these and you will will get a higher page ranking. Be careful though. Search engines can now recognize duplicate content so a unique version of each article article must be submitted to each directory for your campaign to be effective. Article submission alone may not help you to get to the very top of the search pages, but it will certainly increase your ranking.

Create direct traffic

By submitting articles to article directories you are giving websites free license to publish your articles. If you can produce quality articles that people want to publish and read you could find them appearing on hundreds, if not thousands, of websites. Each time a reader reads one of your articles there is a chance they will click through to your website through the resource box link, thus increasing traffic and sales.

You can make a name for yourself

The most successful internet marketers are well known in their field, or across the web in general. As an internet and article marketer you want to do the same. Try to become an authority on your niche subject and get your name known. If you are successful with this you will find that website owners will actively seek out your articles and be more than happy to publish them, rather than stumbling upon them by chance.

By submitting articles to directories you are already getting your name out there. However, you should back this up with other methods. Become involved in the online community relating to your field. Post helpful replies on forums, or comment on articles in blogs. You may find an opportunity to include a link to your site while doing this, but only do so if it is helpful, relevant and acceptable for that website. On the subject of blogs, you should set up your own. You are already writing articles so these can go in your blog, and you can also add posts including your thoughts, comments or smaller snippets of news when you want. If you engage with the online community in this way you will increase traffic to your website.

Long term gains

Once you have submitted an article to a directory it stays there, and if it is not time-specific it will be published again and again in the future. Bear this in mind when writing articles. Sometimes a newsy, topical article can be a good idea but often it is best to write articles that will have a long shelf life so they remain relevant in the future.

Your article can set up the sale

If a web user happens upon your website through a search engine link or an external link they may not be ready to make a purchase. With article marketing you can use your article to set up the sale. For example, if your article is giving advice on something you can give basic advice in the article while subtly giving the reader the impression that your product or service will provide the ultimate solution to their problem.

Article marketing is cheap

When compared to advertising or even to other marketing strategies, article marketing is very cost effective. It can be done for free if you make all of the submissions yourself by hand. However, even using a service or software to make articles unique and submit them to directories need not cost a lot.

So, if you are not already using article marketing to drive traffic to your website you should start now.

During a career spanning twenty-five years of novel, film, and television work, I’ve two major tools most valuable: the yogic “chakras” for characterization, and Joseph Campbell’s model of the Hero’s Journey for plot structure.

These are not random choices, nor were they selected because of the many intelligent and thoughtful essays on their relationship to successful film or world myth.

Rather, they are important because they create a connection between the inner world of the writer, and the external world of the finished work&ndashand the reader.

A plot structure is nothing more than a tool for organizing events in temporal sequence. While there are more such structures than there are professional writers, few of them meet what thousands of students consider a critical test: are they actually easy to use and apply? A simple tool, however limited, can be of greater use than a complicated tool that requires years to master. Remember: you will achieve real quality in your writing only by mastering your basics.

The Hero’s Journey, extracted from thousands of years of world mythology, has the advantage of actually mimicking the path of life itself. The “three act structure” does not. After all…life isn’t divided into three, or five, or eight acts. Such divisions can be useful tools, but they should never be mistaken for some kind of “truth” about existence. In comparison, note this interpretation (there are others) of the steps of the Hero’s Journey, and to explain them, we’ll look at the first Star Wars movie, “Episode IV, A New Hope”:

1) Hero Confronted With A Challenge. “Come with me, Luke, learn the ways of the Force.” This is pretty clear, right? There has to be a challenge, or a beckoning, or the character won’t begin to change&ndashand all great writing is about change.

2) Hero Initially rejects the challenge, :I promised Uncle Owen I’d work on the moisture evaporators.” A real challenge, one that can provoke real change, will be frightening and exciting. A character will usually have some reservations.

3) Hero accepts the challenge. Luke’s aunt and uncle are killed, freeing him from his oath. If your character doesn’t accept the challenge, there is no story&ndashunless the story is about the consequences of not accepting responsibility.

4) The Road of trials. Traveling to the desert town and cantina, getting on Han Solo’s spaceship, traveling to other planets, etc. This is the section where locations and sequence interact. The character travels, learns, commits actions that force inter-action with the environment, and the environment responds positively or negatively, with greater and greater stakes as the story proceeds.

5) Gaining Allies and Powers. Luke meets Han Solo, and Chewbacca, and Obi-Wan, and Princess Leia. He learns of the Force, and the use of Light Sabers, and how to fly and fight and rescue princesses. If your character doesn’t have to grow in order to resolve the problem, you may have chosen the wrong problem or character!

6) Initial Confrontation with Evil, and defeat. Obi-Wan’s death. Or possibly the disastrous attack on the Death Star. One is private and emotional, the other spectacular and physical.

7) Dark Night of the Soul. The moment of greatest weakness. Luke begins to believe he cannot win, and everything he loves will die.

Leap of Faith. “Trust your Feelings, Luke.” The leap of Faith is always faith in one of three things: faith in self, faith in your companions, or faith in a higher power. In “Star Wars” it is all three! This may be the only time in the history of cinema that this was true, and helps to explain why George Lucas is a billionaire.

9) Confront Evil&ndashvictorious. The Death Star blows up.

10) Student Becomes the Teacher. Luke is presented with medals, which establish him as a role model.

###

The above ten steps are not some cookie-cutter pattern. They are the combined world wisdom about the path of life itself, the process we go through in achieving any worthwhile goal. There will be fear. There will be defeat. We will need to gain new skills and friends and partners. We must be clear on our acceptance of goals and responsibility. We must have faith. And ultimately, if we have struggled, and learned, and sacrificed, and moved through our fear…we learn and grow and succeed. And then we teach others. This is the pattern of life, and any time you organize information and events into a pattern even vaguely reminiscent of this, the human nervous system, worldwide, will recognize it as story.

It is NOT some kind of cure-all for bad story tellers. What these ten steps are is something analogous to the eighty-eight keys of a piano. Understand the emotional and life significance of each step, and then “play them” as your developed instincts dictate. Make your own kind of music. The pattern has worked for about thirty thousand years. It will work for you, too.

During a career spanning twenty-five years of novel, film, and television work, I’ve two major tools most valuable: the yogic “chakras” for characterization, and Joseph Campbell’s model of the Hero’s Journey for plot structure.

These are not random choices, nor were they selected because of the many intelligent and thoughtful essays on their relationship to successful film or world myth.

Rather, they are important because they create a connection between the inner world of the writer, and the external world of the finished work&ndashand the reader.

A plot structure is nothing more than a tool for organizing events in temporal sequence. While there are more such structures than there are professional writers, few of them meet what thousands of students consider a critical test: are they actually easy to use and apply? A simple tool, however limited, can be of greater use than a complicated tool that requires years to master. Remember: you will achieve real quality in your writing only by mastering your basics.

The Hero’s Journey, extracted from thousands of years of world mythology, has the advantage of actually mimicking the path of life itself. The “three act structure” does not. After all…life isn’t divided into three, or five, or eight acts. Such divisions can be useful tools, but they should never be mistaken for some kind of “truth” about existence. In comparison, note this interpretation (there are others) of the steps of the Hero’s Journey, and to explain them, we’ll look at the first Star Wars movie, “Episode IV, A New Hope”:

1) Hero Confronted With A Challenge. “Come with me, Luke, learn the ways of the Force.” This is pretty clear, right? There has to be a challenge, or a beckoning, or the character won’t begin to change&ndashand all great writing is about change.

2) Hero Initially rejects the challenge, :I promised Uncle Owen I’d work on the moisture evaporators.” A real challenge, one that can provoke real change, will be frightening and exciting. A character will usually have some reservations.

3) Hero accepts the challenge. Luke’s aunt and uncle are killed, freeing him from his oath. If your character doesn’t accept the challenge, there is no story&ndashunless the story is about the consequences of not accepting responsibility.

4) The Road of trials. Traveling to the desert town and cantina, getting on Han Solo’s spaceship, traveling to other planets, etc. This is the section where locations and sequence interact. The character travels, learns, commits actions that force inter-action with the environment, and the environment responds positively or negatively, with greater and greater stakes as the story proceeds.

5) Gaining Allies and Powers. Luke meets Han Solo, and Chewbacca, and Obi-Wan, and Princess Leia. He learns of the Force, and the use of Light Sabers, and how to fly and fight and rescue princesses. If your character doesn’t have to grow in order to resolve the problem, you may have chosen the wrong problem or character!

6) Initial Confrontation with Evil, and defeat. Obi-Wan’s death. Or possibly the disastrous attack on the Death Star. One is private and emotional, the other spectacular and physical.

7) Dark Night of the Soul. The moment of greatest weakness. Luke begins to believe he cannot win, and everything he loves will die.

Leap of Faith. “Trust your Feelings, Luke.” The leap of Faith is always faith in one of three things: faith in self, faith in your companions, or faith in a higher power. In “Star Wars” it is all three! This may be the only time in the history of cinema that this was true, and helps to explain why George Lucas is a billionaire.

9) Confront Evil&ndashvictorious. The Death Star blows up.

10) Student Becomes the Teacher. Luke is presented with medals, which establish him as a role model.

###

The above ten steps are not some cookie-cutter pattern. They are the combined world wisdom about the path of life itself, the process we go through in achieving any worthwhile goal. There will be fear. There will be defeat. We will need to gain new skills and friends and partners. We must be clear on our acceptance of goals and responsibility. We must have faith. And ultimately, if we have struggled, and learned, and sacrificed, and moved through our fear…we learn and grow and succeed. And then we teach others. This is the pattern of life, and any time you organize information and events into a pattern even vaguely reminiscent of this, the human nervous system, worldwide, will recognize it as story.

It is NOT some kind of cure-all for bad story tellers. What these ten steps are is something analogous to the eighty-eight keys of a piano. Understand the emotional and life significance of each step, and then “play them” as your developed instincts dictate. Make your own kind of music. The pattern has worked for about thirty thousand years. It will work for you, too.