One Day...

...until I hop on a plane (alone, for the first time) and fly to LA, where some college students in bright red t-shirts will put me on a bus to the campus of Thomas Aquinas College!

I'll be there for two weeks, participating in the TAC Great Books Summer Program. We have classes for two weeks to familiarize ourselves with their unique curriculum and determine whether or not the college is a good fit for us.
I'm incredibly excited, but also somewhat terrified, for this new experience. It's definitely way outside my comfort zone, especially the flying alone part. (So prayers would be appreciated!)

Two of my online classmates from Kolbe Academy are also going to the summer program, so it will be cool to meet up and make friends in person! It's certainly a relief to at least know the names of two of the 130-ish students who will be there.
We won't have much internet access while we're there (as we'll be doing things like hiking, going to the beach, and having bonfires), so I probably won't blog about it until after I return.
Please pray for me and all the students and staff participating in this wonderful opportunity!

4 Reasons I've Loved Homeschooling through High School

As I begin planning (despite my mother's insistence that it's too early in the summer) my senior year of high school, I'm realizing how glad I am that I am homeschooling through high school. Here are four reasons why.

1. You can choose what to learn. 

Sure, it's the USA and you need certain high school credits to graduate, but hey, this isn't middle school anymore! Your mother (despite what many non-homeschooled students think) is no longer teaching you out of a book. Even in schools high-schoolers get a lot more flexibility in what classes they take when. And homeschooling just takes that to the next level. For instance, I want to be an author. So my mom and I found out about several online courses on fiction writing being offered by a published author. And I took them, and they were some amazing classes. And I also happen to love history and theology. So we found an online course on the Protestant Reformation. One of the best classes I've ever taken. I'm not very good with math and I don't plan to go into anything STEM-related. So for high school physics Mom pulled our "Conceptual Physics" textbook and I did that in sophomore year. In eighth grade, I was already taking mostly high school classes, including Government, Biology, Literature, and French 1. I have an affinity for Latin, so I went to the local Catholic high school for Latin 1, 2, and 3, plus AP Latin from 7th to 10th grade. As a homeschooler, I have that kind of flexibility and the ability to shape my education based on my learning preferences and career goals.

2. You have free time.

"Free time" is rather a foreign word to most high-schoolers. My little sister could tell you that. But when eight hours of your day aren't ruled by an electronic bell (which, for the record, sounds nothing like a bell), you find that you can make time for things that matter to you as an individual. I'm a musician: I take piano lessons and voice lessons, sing in choir, and play a little organ. Because I'm homeschooled, I have the time to go to concert choir at the public school every day, play piano at nursing homes, participate in church choir, and learn piano and voice duets with my sisters and friends. I'm a writer: anyone who reads this blog knows that. Homeschooling allows me to set aside an hour every day to work on my current novel or short story, and gives me the opportunity to realistically participate in things such as NaNoWriMo. Actually, since I finished AP Latin last year, I've found I have even more free time, since I don't have to spend an hour every day translating Julius Caesar or Vergil. I have time to take tea breaks during math, go on walks while memorizing Shakespeare, read a chapter of a book during breakfast, and go to Eucharistic Adoration and daily Mass.

3. You can learn about colleges firsthand. 

This is related to reason number 2 above. I'm exciting for senior year because based on the number of high school credits I still need (which is technically zero), I can make time this year for college visits. I'm already planning road-trips to the closer colleges, and finding good dates to visit some of the further ones. This summer I'm going to the Thomas Aquinas College summer program (among other things) instead of working a summer job. I also hope to return to a couple of the convents I visited on the Nun Run last summer, and maybe go on retreats to a few other ones, too. Homeschooling allows me to actually make all this happen.

4. Family life is good practice.

By the time you enter high school, chances are your parents are viewing you more as a responsible individual and you have more responsibilities. This time of growing up and being able to get to know your parents as peers, or friends, with whom you can have real, meaningful conversations and experiences, is priceless. Homeschooling offers 24/7 access to at least one parent, so you can learn together. Since I entered high school, my mom and I have been home alone together for countless hours. And we've gotten to know each other so much better and she has taught me so much, that I couldn't have wished it any other way. We have conversations about theology or history while making dinner and listen to classics while knitting and drinking tea. Dad and I love going to classical music concerts together and listening to lectures while he drives me around. There's so much to learn from your parents, even just by being in their presence. And spending most of your day at home really ingrains in you the give-and-take of family life. Which is useful in college communities, religious communities, work communities...basically anywhere.

Those are the top four reasons I've absolutely loved being homeschooled through high school. Are there any other awesome aspects of homeschooling I missed?

Writing Class!!!

Hooray! I'm enrolled in an online writing class, yet again!
This one is called "Writing the Short Story." Knowing how to write short stories is a useful skill to have, because it's a way to get published quickly and there are a lot of money-giving contests out there for short stories. But short stories are, in my opinion, way harder to write than novels. (Novel count: two in post-production, one in pre-production. Short Story count: zero.) How do you introduce and develop a plot, realistic characters, and emotional interest with so little space? The fewer words you have to work with, the harder it is to make readers care about the story. So you have to be really deliberate in your word choice. No time for flowery descriptions and drawn-out conversations, no purple prose. Just the bare essentials. And somehow get (and keep) the reader interested. Wha???
So that's why I'm taking a class on it. I've gotta learn the secrets of such a mystifying skill!
It's lovely to have writing homework again. Perfect way to spend my next three Thursday mornings. (Sorry, concert choir.)
I should have a writing update appearing soon...!

Various Life-y Stuff

Wow, all my recent posts have been about writing or books. What else is happening in my life?
Thinking about it, I almost said "not much." But then I remembered...
-I'm working on several essays for contests, in addition to editing my book and freewriting.
-I received the "official" (mail) report of my PSAT scores today, and overall I'm in the 94th percentile, so that's cool.
-Thomas Aquinas College notified me that they are reviewing my application for the Summer Program so I should receive something about that soon.
-In piano, I'm working on memorizing pieces for Festival in early March.
-In voice, I'm working on my solo for contest, which will double as my solo for the Senior Honor Choir audition. Plus learning music for Regional Honor choir, which is next week!
-Preparing for Lent, which is weirdly early this year! I like it early, though, because that means my birthday isn't in Lent.
-Still slowly teaching myself German for fun, and trying to catch up in American history. In Church History I began the chapter on the Protestant Reformation today.
-Online classes (algebra 2 and chemistry) are plugging along at a good pace. We get a nice break for Presidents' Day, during which I'll probably work ahead in chemistry.
-I've been baking a lot recently, but expecting that to slow down with the beginning of Lent. Every year Mom and I do no desserts. Plus, I'm excited for lots of vegetarian dishes! For some reason I really like vegetarian food.
-Patrick is coming for a visit the day after Mom's birthday!
-I did a cool braid thing in Tessie's hair today.
Well, I think that about catches you up for the non-book-related things I've been doing. But really, it's mostly writing. And missing summer.

T-minus 5 days!

I don't recall whether I've mentioned this here, but I have the amazing privilege of going on pilgrimage to the March for Life in Washington, D.C. this year. I'm super excited and I think it will be a fruitful trip. As an added bonus, D.C. is supposed to be having 40-degree weather while we're there, which is a welcome change from the high of -5° we have here on Sunday.
And we leave five days from now! It's a sold 24-hour bus ride from Sioux Falls to our nation's capital, but I have lots of experience sleeping in cars so I'm not too worried. Plus I won't have homework to worry about since it will be exam week.
Send in intentions and I'll be happy to pray for them while on pilgrimage!

New Desk!

I got a new desk! It's wide enough for both my computer (for online classes) and my laptop (for writing) to fit on it. Plus there's a lot of storage. It makes my room feel bigger, too!

I took the opportunity to do some lettering art on Sunday evening:

Beautiful Things

First of all, I found out ten minutes ago that I got 100% on my most recent math test. That's my first 100 in math since I started high school!
An old family friend stopped by on her way to North Dakota and spent the night with us. It was a fun, short visit!

Kind of an awkward picture but you get the point!

We went for coffee after Mass this morning.

On Friday we went to Sioux Falls to see my friend's Schola Cantorum (of the Cathedral) perform a Requiem Mass by Cristobal de Morales. (What a name, right?) It was absolutely gorgeous. In each part the soprano voice would open with one line of the chant from the Requiem Mass, then sing the chant melody very slowly while the lower voices filled in the overlapping harmonies.

A lot of us friends met up at the concert.

The program.

 

The last piece of news is that I made it into North Central Regional Honor Choir! I'm overjoyed and excited to have such an experience. Shoutout to my voice teacher for helping me audition!

Accomplishments

They've been rolling in at a good pace this past week.

We had our first choir concert on Monday.

I also finished the first draft of my book on Monday! I can't believe it's finally done, after over two years of planning and writing. Now I'm planning to do NaNoWriMo, after which it'll be time to put on my editor's hat! I sadly don't have a photo of this momentous occasion, but I will say that in my excitement I forgot to type the words THE END.

Oh, and in passing, I received a 100% on my first chemistry exam.

On Tuesday was our first quiz bowl of the season. It was a success, and as usual a ton of fun!

And then yesterday I took the PSAT/NMSQT. The English part was very easy, but the math part was harder than the ACT in my opinion. I was exhausted for the rest of the day. I always like checking the boxes at the beginning, though, saying both my parents have a graduate degree!

I hope things keep going this well!

Various

September is humming along at quite a pace. Things have been picking up speed.

In choir, robe sizing was today. Our first concert is less than a month away!

First algebra II test was submitted. 

Russian Lit started on Thursday and is proving to be quite enjoyable so far. We'll see how we feel when it's time to write papers...

Speaking of which, I'm entering an essay contest: HSLDA 2015 Essay Contest

Chemistry is getting to the bad part...the part I call "math disguised as science." Scientific notation, significant figures, unit conversions, and I think the gas laws are looming on the horizon.
German is slow but fun! I like cringing at the outdated photos in my textbook.
Religion is awesome. I did the chapter on Revelation today...*sigh*
I'm preparing for the PSAT this year! I'm not worried...it doesn't seem as bad as the ACT.
Latin American History is as cool as I expected so far. Today we talked about Pre-Columbian peoples in Latin America.
After my daily writing today my word count is 87,717. It's getting hard to write the end!
Also about writing, I've been fleshing out some new characters who took up residence in my brain sometime during the winter...or was it November? Anyway, they are definitely out of my comfort zone, and it's been fun.
Tessie and I are preparing to audition for North Central Regional Honor Choir! Which is conveniently located in Sioux Falls this year. Recording is next week.
As of Friday I'm going to be playing piano at a nursing home once a week...should be a good experience.
I'm looking at the clock and realizing I should stop blogging and rejoin the humans who live in my house...then go to bed.
Over and out!

The Beginning of the End...I mean, the school year

Yesterday was the official First Day of School for my one-student academy. (Needless to say, this highly specialized school includes an ultra-customized curriculum and 100% one-on-one time with teachers. Yeah. Homeschooling.)
I had my first day of class for Algebra 2 and Chemistry (history doesn't start until after Labor Day). I'm in the third section of Algebra 2, so there are only six students. Yay for small classes! Chemistry has 18 students, the vast majority of whom I remember from last year or even two years ago, so that's cool.
Concert choir is going well...we just received our permanent seating arrangements (finally). I got a copy of the audition music for All-State Chorus, so I'm having fun working on that in preparation for auditioning!
And and and! Family Camp is this weekend! Hooray hurrah!
Yep, that's all for now. Except that I read about Hernando Cortez yesterday.
The End
I mean, Beginning.

The School Year...and some fun stuff.

Today, Mom and I went school shopping.You know what that means! Notebooks! Hooray!

*Ahem* Anyway, we also signed up for online classes today and are figuring out my schedule for the school year. This year I am doing:

-Algebra 2 (online with Kolbe Academy)

-Chemistry (online with Kolbe Academy)

-American History

-Latin American History (online with Homeschool Connections) (yes, both histories, because why not?)

-Church History for theology

-Russian Literature with Dad

-The usual piano, voice, maybe organ lessons

-Fiction Writing Critique Group with Prof. Conroy

-Concert Choir at the high school

...So yeah, a fairly easy year, considering. 

And speaking of Concert Choir, we had our retreat on Monday. (For choirs, "retreat" means you take a day to learn songs and do team building.) It was somewhat overwhelming and exhausting but very fun! I'm looking forward to that...except maybe the fact that I'm gonna have to actually get dressed every day. Like a normal, school-going person. Hmm...

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!

Spring...and essays.

The warm weather is glorious. There's been much taking of walks and other such activities. For me, there has also been much writing of essays.
First of all, for literature I just finished reading Milton's Paradise Lost. Now I need to write an essay on it. There was an interesting point I thought of. At one part, all the devils in their new home, Hell, are having a meeting regarding the creation of the world. Satan says something about the humans who are about to be created. It reminded me of last year reading Dante's Divine Comedy. In the Inferno there is some discussion about the "foresight of the damned." The idea is that those in Hell can see into the past of earthly events and into the future, but are unable to know what is going on in the present unless informed by someone else. Thus, when Dante speaks with the damned, they often ask him about the political state of Italy. Back to Paradise Lost. Satan, by mentioning the people about to be created, demonstrates just that foresight. He can see into the future, and into the past, but can he see the present? It is to be doubted.

Another Essay I'm writing is for the Jane Austen Society of North America essay contest. The prompt this year is: 

Examine a single Jane Austen novel or several and show different ways characters engage with their culture, views, mores, or living conditions.  How does participation in their world affect each character’s development?  You might look at how a character approaches material culture, physical or emotional space, interpersonal relations, social class, wealth, or gender.  You may consider elements of Jane Austen’s world that have inherently negative or positive influences on characters and events in the novels.

I'm doing my essay on Emma. Emma is the only one of Jane Austen's heroines to be a member of high society and not in need of any money. The novel treats a lot on class distinction. Think of Ms. Bates, the argument with Mr. Knightley regarding Harriet Smith and her potential marriage to Robert Martin the farmer, Mr. Elton's ill-bred bride, the Coles' party, Jane Fairfax's obligation to become a governess. There are so many examples in Emma of how her view of the world is shaped by the society she lives in. There is an essay at the JASNA site about the possibility of Emma being the novel about "ordination." 

I also just finished an essay for my French midterm, which was comparing the writings we have translated of Victor Hugo and Jean de la Fontaine. It was quite easy to write!

And now the 70° weather is calling to me. Off I go!

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.

Language

At the end of my sophomore year I'll have seven high school foreign language credits. Now what?

Something tells me the AP Latin test is coming up soon...

I might take dual-enrollment college-level French next year!

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.

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.