NWC #25- "Hero's
Journey" Nov 26th at 8am
Format a standard HERO'S
JOURNEY about your own life.
State what you want to do-
some ideal fantastic thing.
And then slap together the
story of you as a hero!
You need a hero- you!
You need a mentor- ??
You need a villain!!! have fun with this one PLEASE don't be nice
Look. The most important
part of this is that you set up (quickly!) a sense of normal- put in a strong
inciting incident and call to action- REFUSE THE CALL TO ACTION- and then go
kick some ass, take all the names, save the things, and be amazing.
Bonus- wear super hero
tights WHILE YOU WRITE
NOT A HERO'S JOURNEY
SIDEKICK
Not
feeling very heroic.
HERO?
Well,
let's be honest, it's hardest to land one of these writing challenges over the
Thanksgiving holiday. I come home to
spend time with family, and so this half hour right now is all I get. Not much time to craft anything even mildly
heroic.
SIDEKICK
You
bought your mom a new computer today.
HERO?
That's true.
That's true.
SIDEKICK
And
you got the full brain transferred from the old one to the new one.
HERO?
Also
true.
SIDEKICK
And
you got all the connections to the internet set up and the new software loaded,
and all the updates to the old software, and the email box is all up and
running.
HERO?
Again,
true. That's what family holidays are,
tech support.
SIDEKICK
And
you have to admit watching the first two episodes of the new Gilmore Girls
cycle was fun.
HERO?
Yes,
but also probably not the best thing for a struggling writer to watch.
SIDEKICK
Why
not? The writing's clever, the
characters are fun. It's like hanging
out with old friends.
HERO?
Yes,
but at the halfway point, Rory's been disappointed by all the potential feelers
and nascent projects in their infancy coming to nothing, one right after the
other. No one wants her or what she's
writing. She's got a few decent notches
in her belt but no career, no home, no life.
SIDEKICK
You
have a home.
HERO?
I
have a mortgage on a home.
SIDEKICK
Yes,
but you get to live there, and settle and make a home. Month by month the payments aren't just rent,
they're making it yours.
HERO?
OK. But I'd hardly call the writing a career.
SIDEKICK
It's
more than a hobby.
HERO?
Yes,
but the collaborations have been less than successful for the most part. Mostly it's just me pushing the rock up the
hill, alone, waiting for something to hit.
I have no idea what's going to happen next.
SIDEKICK
Isn't
that exciting?
HERO?
Right
now. It's exhausting.
And
I don't really have a sidekick.
SIDEKICK
You
have a lot of people in your corner.
HERO?
Yes.
SIDEKICK
Not
just your family.
HERO?
No.
SIDEKICK
Something's
bound to hit.
HERO?
My
most significant relationship right now is with a fellow writer who pays me to
sit on the phone with him and brainstorm.
And he's straight. With a
girlfriend. And halfway across the country.
SIDEKICK
Well,
who's fault is that?
HERO?
Mine. I'll grant you. I'm not prioritizing it. There's no love interest. No prince.
SIDEKICK
Because
- ?
HERO?
Because
the writing's never let me down.
Collaborators
maybe, but never the writing.
Guys
are -
SIDEKICK
Complicated.
HERO?
You
don't get rewrites. Bad first
impression, done.
SIDEKICK
They're
probably feeling the same pressure.
HERO?
You
never appreciate the opportunities when you're in college or high school. They just seem endless. There will never come a day when no one looks
at you on the street. Except that day
does in fact come, and I'm long past it.
SIDEKICK
Well
-
HERO?
Priorities.
SIDEKICK
Yeah.
HERO?
Something
other than a fictional sidekick would be nice.
SIDEKICK
Yup.
HERO?
Guess
I better get on that.
SIDEKICK
Yup.
HERO?
Whattaya
know. Time's up.
SIDEKICK
For
today.
HERO?
Maybe
the other two episodes of the Gilmore Girls end on a more hopeful note.
SIDEKICK
That'll
have to wait til tomorrow. Right now you
have to deal with the two dogs, the cat, your mother and your younger brother,
and seeing the 8pm showing of Dr. Strange.
HERO?
At
least his problems will be worse.
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