New Technical Writer - The Four Dimensions of Your User-Reader

To create an effective User Document, the writer must know who he-she is writing for. This article presents four dimensions (Skills, Attitude, Knowledge and Experience) for describing the User of your product (your Documentation Reader), and how to build a Persona that turns your generic User into an almost-real person. The article stresses the need to actually USE this information when structuring and writing your User Document.

188 Stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) - The Hero Is Sent On A Trivial Task

During the Period of Desolation, where the Hero is not committed to the Journey........

188 Stage Hero's Journey - Monomyth - Capabilities

The Mentor, though he (or she) may have a legend, must demonstrate his (or her) capabilities. In Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Bonnie thinks Clyde’s faking the armed robbery back story.

188 Stage Hero's Journey - Monomyth - Characters And Archetypes

Apart from the Hero, it is these archetypes' challenges that provide the basis for subplot.

188 Stage Hero's Journey - Monomyth - Allies and Enemies

The Hero often has Allies in his Ordinary World that will accompany him on his Journey (often these are developed or more are encountered in the First Threshold). In Lord of the Rings (2001), Frodo has Sam and Pippin et al. It is these Allies' Challenges that form the basis of the subplot.

Writing Your Book--How to Find the Time to Write

Let's face a couple of facts: 1. Writing a book will take a chunk of time and energy. 2. Your life is already full, and you have no extra time. Given these two facts, how can you make the time to write the book you have inside your head, the book that’s been calling to you to write for months or even years?

Ignorance in Literature

The public needs to be educated (simple as that); in school they do not teach a view on literature as a whole, or its relation to any other part. Often the teachers consider this subject dull at best, not natural. There are literary masterworks out there, but most of them are not what we think they are. Hemingway, Faulkner, Fitzgerald, Joyce ( ‘Ulysses’ his masterpiece is nothing but a reckless Picasso), as was Gertrude Stein’s work, none have what I called masterwork interwoven in them, yes

188 Stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) - All Stories Are Quests And The Process Of All Quests Is-

All stories are Quests and the process of embarking upon and completing the Quest is the 188 stage Hero's Journey.

Casanova's Memoirs

The characters we create aren't necessarily likable, but they do have traits in common with Casanova.

Write Your Novel Step By Step (Part 10)

In writing my novel I learnt a lot of things the hard way so I just wanted to put this series out there for would be writers to help them on their path to writing their own book.

188 Stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) Hero's Journey - Back to the Good Side

The detective hero relays his knowledge to the good cop, showing us whose side he's really on. In The Maltese Falcon (1939), Sam calls the cops in the presence of O'Shaugnessey.

188 Stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) Hero's Journey - Refusal

The detective hero refuses to give the treasure up easily. In The Maltese Falcon (1939), Sam goes to the meeting without the Falcon.

188 Stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) Hero's Journey - Magic Flight

The detective hero is pulled toward the final confrontation. In The Maltese Falcon (1939), Sam receives the phone call.

188 Stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth)- Detective Genre- Inciting Incident

The femme fatale client will enter the hero detective's office and mention that he was recommended to her. She will spin a yarn. The female client requires that the hero find someone. It will seem like a trivial task, but there will be warnings of danger. Some action will demonstrate that the female client is being liberal with the truth. In The Maltese Falcon (1939), O'Shaughnessy spins her story.

188 Stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth)- Femme Fatale

One day a very attractive, moneyed female client walks into the detective hero's office. She is every man's dream and knows it; she leaves all competitors in her wake, including the secretary, who may (later on in the story) ask the hero whether he will marry her. She and the secretary may bond or not. In The Maltese Falcon (1939), Precious tells Sam she's a knockout.