The end of NaNoWriMo

If you're still wondering what NaNoWriMo is (and maybe how to pronounce it), go here. Beyond that, there isn't much I can do to help you.
Anyway, I can't believe it, but I finished my novel. That's right, I wrote 50,000 words in 30 days. As I've mentioned before, the writing is atrocious and little short of deletion-worthy, but editing will fix all that. But first, starting in December, I'm going to edit my first novel. It's going to take a long time. But it will be a nice change from writing over an hour a day. And now that I'm sick of hearing from one set of characters, I can go back to the other. It's really a win-win situation.
My advice to people interested in NaNoWriMo: Don't do it unless you know you'll have an hour a day to spend writing. It's too stressful to try busting out thousands of words in one sitting. And it's not rewarding. The whole ordeal is really only slightly rewarding...you slave away in front of the computer for 30 days and all you have to show for it is 50,000 words of questionable writing. But even though I'm saying all this, I really enjoyed doing NaNoWriMo. It was a fun new challenge, and it taught me a lot about using my writing time as efficiently as possible.
At some point I'll start my third novel...yes, I have an idea for a third novel. But for now I'll be an editor.

The delight of a writers' group

On Friday we had our first quasi-official Skype meeting. It was an amazing success! I'm overly-amazingly excited for the rest of this summer, spending Friday evenings with such awesome people who share my passion for writing! And from all over the country--on the first day we had inhabitants of Delaware, New Jersey, Georgia, Nebraska, and South Dakota. And we were missing two or three!

We began by quickly introducing ourselves and our stories. Then we went through a list of archetypes (like the ones I blogged about) and told about our characters that fit that role. We also did a little sketch of our protagonists' reactions to being shut in a dark room for interrogation. 

Once we all have our books, we will start going through that. I expect we will send each other snippets of writing, to garner constructive criticism. We'll help each other with messy spots, plot obstacles, character development, and especially encouragement. It will be nice to have the accountability so I actually get writing done over the summer. It's a delight to hear about other peoples' stories, and realize how many other teenagers are writing novels! It's also a great opportunity to apply what the lovely Professor Conroy has taught us. The hour-and-a-half flew by. (Especially with delicious homemade zucchini-carrot quiche for dinner.) 

I'll probably post updates on our group sometimes...right now I'm looking into getting a name for us. St. Francis de Sales is the patron saint of writers, so maybe after him.

 

Writing Update

Things have been busy lately as the semester is winding down. Writing has languished, unfortunately, mainly due to the nice weather, but I hope to get back on track now that a few classes are ending.
However, there have been developments related to writing, if not in my story. Our weekly Skype sessions are growing--we have three new members joining us and a prospective fourth. Over the summer we are going to be reading some books (starting with Description and Setting by Ron Rozelle) in order to work on the things we've learned in class. We will be doing exercises, helping each other, and write-write-writing. The whole thing will be immensely helpful for actually getting something done over the summer. (You know summer, that time of year when you have time to do everything, but motivation to do nothing but read murder mysteries and lie in the sun.)
In regards to my story...things are moving along at a slow pace. I'm working on the scene that will lead up to the climax and the scene that will lead up to that scene. (Confusing, I know.) Next on the agenda is hopefully the climax, then either going back to work on characters or going forward to write the resolution. There is still a gap in the middle--once I've got the Approach and Ordeal worked out I'll go back and fill it in. Things are starting to take shape...finally. If I stay on track, a rough draft is within sight by the end of the summer!

Approach to the Inmost Cave

Now the Hero has undergone Tests, and made Allies and Enemies, and is Approaching the Inmost Cave. Now is when he discovers which Allies will really go through the Ordeal with him, relaxes before the main Adventure, and reorganizes the group.
This is a place at which a lot of previous planting and foreshadowing comes into play. Someone may remember a valuable piece of information that seemed useless when they received it. Magical equipment from the Mentor may become useful. The Hero may discover that some Allies he thought promising do not have what it takes to go through the Ordeal, and maybe some less impressive members of the group have shown themselves worthy. The Hero may do reconnaissance on the Enemy, prepare weapons, and make plans. Usually he has one last relaxing, friendly moment with his Allies before they enter into battle.
Often the Shapeshifter of the story either reveals himself or reappears at this point. The Shapeshifter may be in the form of a "Temptress," making the Hero doubt his determination and mettle. Or maybe the Shapeshifter turns out to be good, and comes back to join the Hero in his final Ordeal.
Everything that happens at this stage is in preparation for the Ordeal. Everything that has happened previously has been leading up to the Ordeal. The Hero has thrown to the wind all his doubts, misgivings, and fears, and is 100% ready for what's to come, though he does not know whether he will succeed or not. The Hero has come to the conclusion that the possibility of attaining his goal and defeating the Shadow is worth the very real, very concrete risk of all that he may lose if he fails. The stakes are at their highest, and the Hero is at his most courageous.
The Hero and his Allies may encounter another, or several more, Threshold Guardians, blocking their way to the Inmost Cave, the lair of the Shadow. The Shadow's lair is sometimes considered another Special World, tucked into the first Special World like a nesting doll. This means new rules, new stakes and values, and lots of new room to mess up.
Some Heroes have prepared so thoroughly for this Approach, that they have lost any doubt they previously had. They stride boldly into the lair, challenging the Shadow as he has challenged them. Some Heroes, on the other hand, are still uncertain of their abilities, and retain fear and doubt going into the Inmost Cave, but carry on anyway, knowing that this Ordeal is more important than any apprehension they may have.
Approaching the Inmost Cave, the Hero discovers the real character hidden inside his Allies and inside himself.

Tests, Allies, and Enemies

After the Hero has crossed the first threshold, the bulk of the story begins. Most of the story takes place in the stage Tests, Allies, and Enemies. During this stage, the Hero is tested in preparation for the Ordeal, makes allies who help him, and enemies who hinder him.
Tests: The series of trials the Hero goes through and overcomes help him prepare for the ultimate Ordeal. The Mentor may or may not be present at this stage. Tests include natural disasters/terrain that must be crossed, such as rivers, storms, mountains, etc. There can also be man-made obstacles, such as walls, tollbooths, checkpoints, etc. Also, with a Special World comes different atmosphere, rules, culture, and such, so the Hero must learn to live in the Special World as a trial. Every time the Hero passes the test, he knows a little bit more about dealing with the Shadow.
Allies: Along the way, the Hero makes friends. They may have a common goal, or just be along for the ride, or be special Allies called sidekicks. Either way, there is a sense of camaraderie and unity among the Hero and his allies. Sometimes there's a whole group of them, all working together to defeat the Shadow. (Think Fellowship of the Ring, etc.) The sidekick, or any Ally, can act as the reader by asking questions the reader would have, thus filling in important backstory or information crucial to the plot through dialogue.
Enemies: Of course, the Hero is also going to make enemies. They may be minions of the Shadow, or just characters with their own agenda. The goals of the Enemies clash or directly interfere with that of the Hero and his Allies, resulting in more trials. There is a special enemy called the Rival, who may have the same goal as the Hero, but is competing with him to achieve it first or better. The Rival may hinder the Hero's progress on the Journey, making him an enemy, but really he is out for the same reward.
The stage of Tests, Allies, and Enemies is arguably the most important of the Hero's Journey. In it he grows, learns, adapts, and prepares for the stages ahead.

Writing Update

My blog posts lately have been few and far between...not because I'm especially busy, but because the weather has been beautiful! Why blog when you can go for a walk in the sunshine?
Anyway, I've been making  a lot of progress on my story. Recently I was working on the Ordinary World, which was pretty much nonexistent. This week I finished that and connected it to the Call to Adventure. I've also been revising heavily for a couple of months now, so lots of unneeded passages are flying away. I began the story before I had fully worked out the plot, and changed the plot several times (still am), so it was in great need of revision, especially the beginning. Plus, since I added three or four chapters in the beginning, I could take out a lot of backstory from the rest of it since I was able to show it in the Ordinary World.
Yesterday I began the major death scene. It takes place on Holy Thursday, so some of my family members will understand the reason for my questions about Eucharistic processions, etc. Today I plan to actually write the part where the character dies. (Not telling you which one, I'm a spoiler-free blogger!)
The scene I plan to write after that is the climax, then maybe I'll weave in the major Shapeshifter scene. I sometimes write in a linear fashion, just continuing the story chapter by chapter, but currently I need to know what I'm leading up to so I can structure it well. So I'm writing major scenes, then I'll go back and fill in the important-but-less-crucial stuff.

I love this picture.

Crossing the First Threshold

Now comes the really juicy part of the story. After meeting with the Mentor, the Hero crosses the first threshold into the Special World. Gone are the doubts and excuses, gone are the fears and protestations. The Hero commits to the journey, for better or worse. Usually something happens to spur this kind of commitment in the Hero, such as the raising of stakes or intensifying of motivation.
Often at the Threshold lives the Threshold Guardian (big surprise there), who must be overcome in order to cross the Threshold. After doing so, the Hero crosses in to the Special World and commences Act II of his Journey.
Sometimes the Special World is not as glittering as the Hero thought. Sometimes the other side of the Threshold is dark, disorienting, dismal. Commitment is not the only problem the Hero faces. After committing there are tests, enemies, and challenges throughout the Journey. Sometimes a problem comes up immediately after the Threshold has been crossed.
The Second Act is when the Hero can put to use the advice, experience, and equipment the Mentor has supplied him with. The Mentor may accompany the Hero on his Journey (think Gandalf and Frodo), but more often he stays behind in the Ordinary World and lets the Hero exercise his new abilities.
The Threshold is often a physical barrier or portal that must be crossed. It could be a bridge, gate, river, international border, tunnel, mountain pass, or anything else that symbolizes the border between Ordinary and Special Worlds.
Crossing the first Threshold is not the end of the Hero's difficulties. It may be just the beginning, in fact.

Meeting with the Mentor

The title of this stage in the Hero's Journey is pretty straightforward. During the Meeting with the Mentor, the Hero meets with the Mentor.
After refusing the Call to Adventure, the Hero needs encouragement, training or equipment to cross the threshold (ding ding ding, sneak peek for the next stage!) of the Adventure.
The Mentor has a variety of options for his/her dramatic function. There is a list of things the Mentor can do (but not usually all of them at once):
Teach,
   Guide,
      Protect,
         Test,
            Train,
               Give magical gifts.
It all makes quite a bit of sense. Think of fairy tales--Cinderella's fairy godmother gave magical gifts. The three fairies in Sleeping Beauty protect her and give her gifts. Rumplestiltskin gives the girl (I don't remember her name) the magical "gift" of spinning the straw into gold for her, though he asks a high price for it. (The Mentor doesn't have to be good, necessarily.)
During the Meeting with the Mentor, the Mentor uses his experience, information, or resources to help prepare the Hero for the Journey ahead. The Mentor is enthusiastic (think about the character Mentor in the Odyssey, then think about how enthusiastic means in Greek, roughly, "spiritually inspired") about teaching the Hero and giving him the equipment necessary for completing the Adventure with success.
In Disney movies, any scene with someone training or teaching the protagonist is the Meeting with the Mentor stage. It's fairly easy to identify. Usually it's that scene with a lot of background music and not much dialogue in which you see the character get better and better at whatever he/she needs to do in a very short amount of time.
Once the Hero is armed with the knowledge, training, and equipment the Mentor gives him, he is ready to embark on his Journey. At this point the Mentor may die, or just leave the story, or go with the Hero on his Adventure. In most stories the Mentor ends up dying to symbolize the Hero's new-found independence.

I liked this picture too much to use it only once.

Refusal of the Call

The next stage of the Hero's Journey is the Refusal of the Call.
This one is usually fairly obvious. The moment of "I'm not good enough" that every Hero experiences. He has received the Call to Adventure and now he must decide whether or not to accept it. There is an inevitable hesitation. The Hero reflects on the risks he runs by going on the Journey. He considers the securities at home he doesn't want to leave. He considers the stakes, the what-ifs, that are associated with the Adventure.

I think this stage is one we experience in real life fairly often. "Should I or shouldn't I?" "What are the pros and cons?" 

The important thing about the Hero is that, in order to be a Hero, he has to accept the Call. He weighs the pros and cons, thinks about the risks involved but also the good that may be achieved, and ultimately says yes. 

This "saying yes" may be spurred on by an external force--maybe the stakes are raised. Maybe his motivation for accepting the Call is increased by a tragic event. Maybe his hesitating has already had negative consequences. Maybe while he is considering whether or not to go his whole family is kidnapped or killed, giving him that extra push he needs to say yes. 

The doubts, fears, misgivings, and uncertainties that accompany the Refusal of the Call make it very relatable for the reader. In any story, the reader projects him- or herself onto the Hero. It is so easy to understand the Hero's hesitation. We all go through that. 

The relatable-ness of this stage in the Journey provides ample opportunity for the writer to expound on the Hero's flaws (which have been established in the Ordinary World), show his dependencies and securities at home, and introduce his Mentor. 

Because the Meeting with the Mentor is what comes next. 

The Call to Adventure

The Call to Adventure is just what it sounds like. The Hero has been established in his Ordinary World, and now comes the beginning of his Journey. The Call to Adventure is often issued by a Herald of some sort, bringing a new energy into the world.
I've already talked about the Herald, so I won't go into much detail regarding that.

The Call to Adventure is also called the inciting incident (you've probably heard that one from me before), the initiating incident, the catalyst, or the trigger. All these words signify the same concept of CHANGE. Yes, in all caps. CHANGE is the most important thing to get the story rolling. It's change that compels (propels? impels?) the Hero to begin his Journey. He cannot go on the way he's been getting by. He has crutches, addictions, defense mechanisms. Something happens (something a.k.a. the Call to Adventure) to make it impossible for the Hero to use these coping methods anymore. He must CHANGE or FAIL. That's the idea behind story. The Hero changes. He is "called to adventure." What is adventure? A change in the norm, a shift of lifestyle, a quest to make things better.
Before all this happens, the writer shows the Hero's tragic flaws. (Think tragic hero from ancient Greek plays.) What about my Hero is less than desirable? Personality traits--pride, vanity, recklessness, low self-esteem, hostility, sloth, quick temper, etc. Addictions--power, food or drink, bullying, shouting, passivity, aggression, etc. Wounds--a grudge, a death, a traumatic event, psychological scars, etc. There are always ways in which the Hero needs to change internally to succeed.
Besides all this, there's the obvious external Need For Change. Maybe there's a war on. Maybe someone is in grave danger. Maybe someone lost his job. For some reason, things can't go on the way they have been.
The Hero's realization of this, with or without help from a Herald or synchronicity (a series of accidents or coincidences) or a temptation, is the Call to Adventure.

The Ordinary World

You might be thinking, "Oh no, another one of those weird writing posts." If you are, I don't advise reading any further.

In class this week we are learning about the Ordinary World, which is just what it sounds like. The Ordinary World is the place the Hero lives before his Journey begins--the place in which he is restless, complacent, unhappy, or the like. In the Ordinary World he is just getting by. He has no zest for life, no adventure, and a lot of need for change. His everyday life is flipped upside down when he enters the Special World (which may or may not be a different physical place).
It is important to show the Hero in his Ordinary World before the inciting incident, because it provides contrast. The scenes or chapters that take place in the Ordinary World also leave room for establishing the tone and theme of the story, as well as providing backstory, introducing important characters, and foreshadowing. The less the Ordinary World is like the Special World, the more uncomfortable the Hero will feel when crossing the threshold. And we want our Heros to feel uncomfortable. It makes them real. No one says, "An adventure that hurls me out of everything I ever knew, plunges me into an unknown abyss, presents choices to me of huge importance, and may risk my life? Count me in!" But more on that another time, as we talk about the Call to Adventure and the  Refusal of the Call.
Think about the Ordinary and Special Worlds in stories you know. In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe the Ordinary World is war-torn England, while the Special World is war-torn Narnia. (Notice the foreshadowing there?) In Lord of the Rings, Frodo leaves the Shire and journeys far across Middle Earth. In Anne of Green Gables, Matthew and Marilla's lives are incomplete (though they don't know it) until Ann arrives and turns things upside-down. See a pattern here?
The writer must establish the Ordinary World in which the Hero lives in order to show the true specialness of the Special World.

Writing!

Writing class started up again! Rejoice, o ye mountains! Rise up, ye seas, to the heavens! (Okay that was a bit much, but writing is very exciting.)

This semester we are delving deeper into the Hero's Journey--and what each stage means for our stories. There are five whole people in it this semester, but I'm not complaining! Fewer students translates into more teacher time so we are all quite content with the set-up. 

I've been supplementing the writing I do for class with 30 minutes of free writing daily--which lately has ended up being more editing my early chapters than actually writing. But hey, it has to be done eventually. Also my writing buddies and I have renewed our weekly Skype dates, which really helps in expanding ideas, getting feedback, and encouraging each other. No one said being an author was easy!

So all in all, good start to the semester. I have high hopes for 2015, namely, to finish my book about Helena! Also to come up with a title for it...and then start giving Sebastian, Antonio and friends some adventures of their own.