The Consumer Salon

Creating great article submissions for article directories is a great way to get your name out there as an expert in the industry and helping people get the information that will let them make better use of your products and services.

Here’s How It Works

You write a create great article submissions for free article directories. When a blogger or newsletter editor or webmaster is looking for fresh, informative content for their site relating to the information in your article submission, they copy and paste your writing, including your bio box, and place it on their site. When someone searches for phrases that are relevant to your article submissions, the sites that have your articles will come up in the search list. Bingo! You land readers, the webmaster gains traffic, and the searcher gets the information she needs and the lead to your website with a world more to offer her. Everybody wins!

Creating Great Article Submissions

You can write 1000 mediocre or even downright bad articles and it won’t do you a bit of good, and in fact, could hurt you. Fluffy articles or articles that are thinly veiled advertisements for your business or services aren’t going to be picked up by webmasters and bloggers looking for articles that will interest their reading public. They want to draw people to their site with great information and keep them coming back by providing provocative content. Write article submissions that will do this for them and you’ll get your article picked up and posted all over the Internet.

Here are some tips to help you write great article submissions guaranteed to get picked up by reputable sites and spread around the Internet:

Limit word length. Writing for websites, newsletters, and any online print is most effective when it is between 500 and 700 words. This gives you enough room to give details on any given subject but not so long that your reader won’t make it to the bottom of the article and read your all important author bio box.

Spell check and grammar check. You want to establish yourself as an expert and even if your field of expertise is pine cone birdfeeders (obviously a subject completely unrelated to grammar or spelling), misspelled words and bad grammar give the impression that the writer is an amateur.

Careful keyword usage. Though utilizing keywords and keyword phrases in your article submissions is necessary to signal the search engines, overuse looks like Internet spam to search engine software and can prove ineffective. Using keywords and their variants as well as words associated with the keyword phrase is the best way to get good SEO results.

Careful formatting usage. Using heading tags like H1, H2, and H3 and so on is not recommended for successful article submissions. On the other hand, italics, bold print, bullet points and the like are eye catching and help break up the information and make it easier for your reader to scan on a computer screen. Use these judiciously and consistently.

Don’t include affiliate links. Most article directories have strict rules about how many links may be included in each article submission. Affiliate links make the article as well as the website that prints it look unprofessional. Most webmasters stay away from these kinds of articles.

Don’t forget your resource box. This is the reason you wrote the article in the first place, right? Include your name and a brief bit about how you came to your expertise, your website address, and a few words about what you have to offer. Keep it short, succinct, and insightful. Write it in the third person and don’t include an email address as it may be picked up by spam software. Again, this is not an advertisement, but a modest, brief resume type piece of information for the reader.

Make sure your article submissions end up in the right directories. And in the right categories. Every article directory has a myriad of guidelines and regulations. Follow them and make sure that your article ends up categorized in a place that those who want to find it will be able to easily.

Adrian Lawrence is the webmaster of Article Alley a popular free content directory web site. Please feel free to republish this article providing this resource box remains intact with a working hyperlink to our site.

No-one knows for certain how the name of an Irish Mid-Western city came to be associated with the short, irreverent, often bawdy verses of the limerick.

Some people believe that it came from the school of poets who lived in Croom, Co. Limerick in the nineteenth century; their specialisation was short satiric verses. The genre became a fixture in Victorian times, due in no small part to the author of nonsense verse, Edward Lear.

In the history of Irish literature the town of Croom, in Co. Limerick, is celebrated as the meeting place of the 18th century Fili na Maighe, the Gaelic poets of the Maigue. This was the original birth place of ‘the Limerick’. The Maigue poets, writing in their native Irish, produced a great body of poetry, and the custom was widely adopted in other locations in Limerick City and County. Soon the neighbouring Counties of Cork, Clare and Tipperary began to pen the satirical verse.

Two anthologies on the subject, published this century, list 42 poets and Irish scholars (part-time poets) of County Limerick who were known to have composed Limericks. The themes of these early works included love-poems, drinking songs, poems on national affairs, and satires on public figures.

Two of the first, and most famous, exponents of the Limerick poem were poet and publican Sean O’ Tuama (1706-’75), and his friend Andrias MacCriath (1710-’93). O’ Tuama and MacCraith grew up together in Kilmallock, Co. Limerick and were educated in one of the many hedge schools of the time, with a traditional education incorporating Latin and Greek studies.

O’ Tuama later became a publican and word of his hospitality grew, as did the popularity of the Limerick. Poets in North Cork, Clare and Tipperary began to pen the verses. O’ Tuama and his friend fell out and as a result scathing Limerick verses were written by them to castigate the other. O’ Tuama wrote:

“I sell the best Brandy and Sherry

To make all my customers merry,

But at times their finances

Run short as it chances,

And then I feel very sad, very”.

To which MacCraith replied……..

“O’Tuama! You boast yourself handy,

At selling good ale and bright Brandy

But the fact is your liquor

Makes everyone sicker,

I tell you this I your good friend, Andy”.

About The Author

Jae Taylor

Limerick.com is a popular portal website for Limerick City in Ireland. It covers all aspects of Limerick including a comprehensive resource section on Limerick Poems. You can visit the site here:

http://www.limerick.com/limericks/limericks.html

From our deconstruction of hundreds of Hollywood blockbusters at www.managing-creativity.com/

The Hero’s Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the Hollywood movies we have deconstructed are based on this template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.

The Hero’s Journey:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.

and more…

Sample Movie Deconstructed: Chicago (2002)

FADE IN: Context: Jazz era.

Foreshadow of the Shape Shifter: Velma arrives.

Shape Shifter ’s Capabilities: don’t worry, I can do it alone.

Meeting the Shape Shifter: Velma sings “..al that Jazz” on her own.

Meeting the Hero: Roxie watches Velma.

Foreshadow of the Journey: Cops waiting for Velma.

Dissuaded from the Journey: lets go babe.

Developing the Hero: Roxie takes her ‘brother’ home.

Pushing toward the Journey: don’t you think it’s time I met your friend?

Warning: wake up, you’re never gonna have a show and I’m just a furniture salesman.

Call to Adventure: Roxie shoots Fred.

Foreshadow of the Transformation: Roxie sees herself as a dancer in the mirror.

Meeting the Fool: Amos takes the blame for the murder.

Foreshadow of the Transformation: Roxie dancing.

Developing the Fool [lyrics]: Amos.

Developing the Hero [lyrics]: Roxie’s character.

Refusal: the cops don’t believe Amos did it.

Pushed to the First Threshold: Roxie arrested; taken to jail.

Meeting and developing the Mentor: Matron Morton.

Resisting the Outer Cave: I don’t think I belong here.

Foreshadow of the Journey: Velma gives Morton some money for the publicity.

Rules of the Cave: when you’re good to mama, mama’s good to you.

Middle Cave / Meeting Allies: the other inmates and their crimes; “…you would have done the same…”; Cicero.

Inner Cave: Roxie sees Velma and Morton dealing.

Resistance to the Physical Separation: keep your paws off my underwear.

Pushed to the Physical Separation: in Morton’s office; if you tell them the truth they’ll hang you; you need [Mentor] Billy Flynn.

Developing the Mentor: Billy Flynn.

Resisting the Physical Separation: do you have $5k?

Physical Separation: Amos brings Billy $2k; he takes the case.

New Self: Billy manipulates Roxie’s background; the new clothes and dress.

Developing the Shape Shifter: Velma notices that Billy notices Roxie above herself.

Developing Characters and Relationships: Velma advises Roxie not to let Billy hog the limelight.

Trial 1: the press conference.

Success of Trial 1: everybody wants to be Roxie.

Transformed: Morton visits Roxie in her cell; paying the other girl to do her laundry.

Hero and Fool Backstory: Roxie sings about her and Amos.

Foreshadow of the Resolution: I’m gonna be Roxie.

Trial 2: Velma proposes a double act.

Trial 3: Billy takes on a new client; Kitty Baxter…until Roxie’s having a baby.

Meeting the Oracle: who’s the father? Amos appears as soon as he hears about the baby.

Developing the Fool: Mr Cellophane.

Seizing the Sword: Amos visits Billy; he’s not the father.

Resisting the Near Death Experience: Roxie doesn’t want to wear the dress; Billy quits.

Near Death Experience: The first female execution.

Reward: Roxie agrees; Give ‘em the Ol’ Razzle Dazzle.

Atonement with the Father: Velma on the stand.

Ultimate Boon: Roxie is innocent.

Apotheosis: Billy tampered with the diary.

Magic Flight: Billy moves onto the next case.

Refusal: no one wants to take Roxie’s picture anymore; there ain’t no baby; we’ll be in touch.

Rescue from Without: Velma appears.

Crossing the Return Threshold: there’s only one business where that’s no problem.

Master of Two Worlds: the double act.

Freedom to Live: rapturous applause, thank you.

FADE OUT:

Learn more…

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.managing-creativity.com/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author’s name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at http://managing-creativity.com/

A “writing rule” that shocked me when I first started studying how to write copy was “eliminate your adverbs…and many of your adjectives.” Then I read Stephen King’s book on writing and he said the same thing. What gives with that? Don’t adverbs and adjectives add color and interest to the sentence?

Nope. It turns out that adverbs (and many adjectives) are just a lazy writers way to paint a picture. Instead, the goal is to replace common, mundane verbs with verbs that paint pictures.

For instance: Instead of saying “majestic mountains” you can say “Mountains that reach 3 miles into the sky.” Instead of “The water ran noisly over the falls” you could say the water “gushed” or “roared.” Instead of “walked shakily” you could say “toddled” or “stumbled.” Instead of “drove quickly” say “sped” or “roared” or even “screeched.”

The first step toward improving whatever you’ve written is editing. And editing should include highlighting every adverb. Then study each one and find a way to replace each tired “verb/adverb” with a powerful verb. You’ll be amazed at the new power and vibrancy in your copy.

Even if you’re writing a letter to friend, try this trick to spice up your words and paint pictures your reader can see and feel. And have fun! It is a great exercise in stretching your mind.

Marte Cliff is a Freelance Copywriter with many more tips to share. Visit her at marte-cliff.com and sign up for a free monthly advertising ezine. Marte also offers a no-obligation critique of your present advertising.

To help build your profile and reputation within a large company create or contribute to, an internal newsletter. Your company collegues are an excellent network for you – lift your internal reputation by writing an internal newsletter that people will read. This article is full of tips to help you get started.

Write for the company newsletter. Offer to provide articles or updates for the internal newsletter. This is a great way to work with the production team (who are often volunteers looking for content for the newsletter).

When writing for internal correspondence here is a couple of questions and tips:

What do you know your topic? List on one piece of paper all the different aspects to your topic. You may like to create a map of your brainstorm to identify major headings or important points. This map will also help you locate sub points for each major heading.

Who will use the information or tips? Make a list of the people within the organisation that would be interested in your topic, and make a note of how to write this in a way that will appeal to them.

Why will they use it? This question will help you to structure your thoughts and write them in a way that is appropriate for your colleagues. Is it just for information? Will it help them do their job better? Will it boost their productivity? Will their lives be easier as a result of knowing your information – consider these questions when you write about your knowledge:

Why will people read it? This is similar to the question above, make it interesting and assist your team by explaining the main points of the article in the title or first sentence.

What tips can you give your co-workers about your knowledge? Try and turn your information into easily applied tips that people can apply straight away if appropriate.

Create an opening and closing paragraph – in the first paragraph or sentence state the premise of your article. In the closing paragraph or sentence remind your readers of the main points.

Create a call to action from the article – in the closing paragraph you might like to suggest action they can take to apply this knowledge or improve their understanding. You might suggest further websites they could review, books to read, other articles or texts on the subject – give them suggestions for what to do with this information you have shared in your article.

Create a promotional box at the end of the article to allow your colleagues to get in touch with you if they want more information. This should have your name, contact information including phone, fax and email. If you have a website for your department that would also help your readers.

Sharing your knowledge with others is a great gift and personally rewarding so start writing today and structure articles that are easily read and understood for your teammates.

Neen is a Global Productivity Expert: by looking at how they spend their time and energy – and where they focus their attention – Neen helps people to rocket-charge their productivity and performance. A dynamic speaker, author and corporate trainer, Neen demonstrates how boosting your productivity can help you achieve amazing things. With her unique voice, sense of fun and uncommon common-sense, Neen delivers a powerful lesson in productivity. Find out more at http://neenjames.com/

Although significant website traffic to your site can seem to be an uphill battle, once again the pen is the clear winner. Other than free search engine traffic, publishing articles remains as one of the few truly effective ways to get targeted traffic to your site.

If you haven’t already tried your hand at writing an article, it may seem like a pretty daunting task, especially if you don’t think you have the necessary skills. Anyone can write and submit an effective article and it’s easier than you may think.

There is a certain art to writing an article, however, but it doesn’t really require any special skills. You don’t need a degree to write an article and you don’t need to be a programmer to submit your articles to ezines, blogs or any other article distributor to have your article published.

The art of writing an article is in the plan.

If you expect to achieve any amount of success in anything you do, you need to have a well thought out plan and writing an article for publication is no exception. Fortunately, after you have developed your plan, the hard part will be done.

Here are some of the basic elements you should include in your plan to write an effective article:

The first step is to decide what you want to write about but, more importantly, decide what it is you know about your topic that the majority of your readers don’t already know. If you think you don’t know enough about your topic to write an article, do some research.

Albert Einstein once said that he didn’t clutter his mind with information he didn’t need but he knew where to find it if he needed it. There’s a wealth of information available and with a little homework, you’ll have more than enough information for your article in no time.

The next step is to make a list of the main points of your topic. Pick one you want to expand and focus your article around that point. It’s easy to get carried away and to try to pack too much information into a single article. Save the other main points of your topic for other articles.

The next step is to establish the sub-points, if any, of the main point you would like to convey to your readers. How can you further explain the point of your article? For example, what do you feel is important for your readers to know and what pitfalls should they avoid? Point out vulnerabilities and solutions.

The next step is to determine what you want your readers to get out of your article. Simply offering information will read like a text book and won’t be very interesting. Challenge your readers to think about what you’re saying and how they can put it to use in a way they haven’t thought of before — peak their interest.

The next step to decide the ‘color’ of your article. By ‘color’ I mean the style you would like your article to have. For example, your article could be formal, informal, humorous, serious, casual, general, personal — you get the idea.

Now that we’ve gone over the steps to create an article, now let’s put them in order and fill in the blanks.

#1) Decide what the main topic of your article will be.

#2) Establish the sub-points, if any, of your main topic.

#3) Determine what you want your readers to get out of your article.

#4) Pick a ‘color’ for your article — the style you would like to use.

#5) Create a rough draft of your article.

#6) Edit your article. (have someone read your article and offer suggestions)

#7) Check your grammar and spelling.

#8) Create a title for your article. (keep it simple and catchy)

#9) Create a ‘teaser’ for your article. (a ‘teaser’ is a short, 2 or 3 sentence description of the contents of your article)

#10) Create a ‘bio’. (a ‘bio’ is a short, 2 or 3 sentence description of who your are and your qualifications. Remember to put a link to your website in your ‘bio’)

#11) List 4 or 5 of the keywords that relate to your article. (some article distributors require them)

#12) Submit your article to article distributors. (that’s a topic for another article)

The hardest part of writing articles is actually writing and submitting your first one. The more articles you write, the easier and more enjoyable it gets.

So, go ahead — start writing and submitting articles and watch your website traffic skyrocket!

For more website traffic ideas visit http://www.starttheprofits.com.

Mike Burke is the author of numerous articles and has an affection for website marketing. Learn how to drive tons of targeted traffic to your site without spending a dime on advertising.
Visit us at http://www.starttheprofits.com.

I recently finished a fairly lengthy contract negotiation with a new client on a batch of articles he wanted me to write for his spanking new web site. The theme of his site is about personal finance and since he is a capable certified public accountant, I knew that at least he had a strong understanding of the field when we began our negotiations. Still, self knowledge can derail any expert’s plans without valuable input from a writing professional. I must state that the original ideas he had for his site changed dramatically once he began to talk with me. How so? I shaped his expectations by including realistic ideas as well probable outcomes. Any seasoned content writer should be able to do this for his clients. Do you?

First Problem: Your client may want you to write 50 articles on a variety of subjects.

Questions to ask include:

Do each of these articles fit into the theme of your site? If not, why are they part of the picture?

How long shall each article generally be? Anything above 500 words will usually mean extensive scrolling for your visitors or a link to a second page to continue. Short, pithy articles succeed the most online. Scholarly reports do not. Know your targeted audience.

My Solution: I trimmed the length of each of his articles down to 350 to 450 words. Any topics not related to personal finance were thrown out.

Second Problem: Your client wants you to source all of your information, that is, include extensive quotes from other sites and periodicals.

My Solution: Again, this is the internet we are writing for, not some literary journal. Articles written will contain only our own words, however if a quote is mentioned credit will be given by way of a link to another web site, otherwise the quote will be left out altogether.

Third Problem: Unrelated photography will be included and “matched” to various articles.

My Solution: Since I am acting primarily as a ghostwriter, whatever other objects are placed on the site doesn’t concern me. Still, since I want to have a long term business relationship with this individual I tactfully mentioned that certain types of pictures would take away from his site, specifically he could be negatively impacted financially by less than studio quality photographs [when in doubt, hit 'em where it counts: his wallet, that is].

There were several other minor issues that needed to be addressed and they were handled with ease. The fact that I was honest with the client gave him an opportunity to see that I was looking beyond the original job and looking out for his best interests. A truly professional writer looks at the big picture and isn’t afraid to speak up when necessary. I helped the client make important changes, won the account, and now I am playing a significant part of this man’s success.

What could be better than all that?

Matthew Keegan is The Article Writer who writes on just about any and every issue imaginable. You can preview samples from his high performing site at http://www.thearticlewriter.com

“Wow, what a fabulous presentation!” they said as they stood up after your speech. “Wow,” they said as they mingled after the event.

You, yes, you … WILL produce an impact.

What will it be?

Can you make it a “wow”?

Of course you can.

And the first step is to understand that it is not a mystery. It is something that you create. “Wow” is not an accidental by-product of a presentation. You create it deliberately.

The first thing to do is to define what it is that you want to create. What exactly is that “wow”? In other words, you need to define:

How will your audience respond to your speech or presentation?

What will they take away with them and remember?
What will they remember of you?

Why will they think “Wow what a fabulous presentation!”?

Start by defining the purpose of your presentation or speech. What do you want its impact to be?

You need to articulate whether you want to inform, persuade, inspire, motivate, entertain, shock … You may even want to do several of these things – in different parts of your presentation. But they must not be left to chance or you risk creating “Ho-hum …” rather than “wow!”

Then define the message; the central message of your presentation – what one thing do you want the audience to take away? This message can be called a thesis statement or a theme. It can be given a number of names, but you need to be able to state it in one sentence. That way you will stay focused on that outcome when you are planning

When you have those two things articulated, the things you want people to remember, the impact you want to make; then you can create the structure and the language of your presentation to support them. The whole speech can be organised to reinforce that impact and that message.

The second of the questions was “What do I want them to remember of me?”

Who are you? How will you be remembered after this presentation? Are you professional, poised, articulate? Are you warm, folksy, creative, nurturing? Maybe you want to be seen as ballistic, confronting, no-nonsense, boot camp material. What message will your clothes and your grooming convey? What will your choice of language say about you?

You cannot be someone you are not, when you present, unless you are prepared to be a performer for the entire production. Insincerity will detract from your speech as quickly as a joke in bad taste. But you can present a side of yourself as the highlight – the side you want your audience to remember.

And the most powerful choice you will make is how you get that image to support your message – how you put the two together.

It may be totally supportive, in that the image is unobtrusive; seamlessly part of the message and the complete package – an incredibly effective combination.

Or you may choose to create an edge, a mystique.

Your body language, your facial expression and gestures, your clothes and your grooming all need to work towards the impact you choose to make. And they will contribute as powerfully to the impact you choose to make as a person as they do to the impact you choose for your presentation to make.

This package, this combination of impact, message and image are what people take away from your presentation. They are the wow you create.

But the pivotal word, there, was “choose” – the impact you choose to make, the impact you choose for your presentation to make.

Whatever you may be trying to achieve, don’t let the impact of your presentation be an accident. Right from the beginning, it needs to be part of the planning. When you are visualizing your production, toying with ideas and possibilities and first drafts, make the impact of you as a person and of your performance an integral part of that process. Visualise it and work it into all aspects of your production planning.

Then you have the foundation for creating the “wow” factor.

Bronwyn Ritchie is a speaker, writer, librarian and trainer and she manages Pivotal Points – resources for the times in your life when you pivot – change direction – towards a better you, a better life.

For more tips, articles and courses on creating an impact with your public speaking and presentations, visit http://www.consultpivotal.com/public_speaking.htm

Dialogue is a very temperamental animal. If you don’t get it right, you risk spoiling an entire story.

I spend a lot of time eavesdropping on other people’s conversations – and make no apology for it. Take the time to sit in your favourite coffee shop, or better yet, go to the mall. Pick out some interesting looking people and …. listen in! Seriously.

This is not something to do for five or ten minutes. You need to sit and listen intently for as long as possible. I generally order a nice long drink – of hot chocolate! – then take it all in. Usually over a period of an hour or so.

Take note of the way unsuspecting victims – er, people – speak with each other, and also the way they talk to people of other age groups. More often than not, it will differ greatly.

Notice how the forty-something mother of three uses a totally different language to the forty-something professional sitting not far away. And the nineteen year old male, along with his late-teen friends, will have a language all of their own.

People of varying occupations will speak in another ‘language’ too. For instance, lawyers will use legal terminology, whereas police officers have their special lingo.

Don’t let your hairdresser character speak like a police officer, and don’t let your office girl talk like an animal trainer, or a mechanic, and so on. Each occupation, and each character, needs to have their own unique language, just as teenagers do.

This is called ‘talking the talk” and needs to be spot-on to ensure credibility with your stories.

Each one of your characters should be instantly recognisable simply from the words or phrases they use.

Your teenager might say:

“Man, that is sooo cool!”

Whereas a young mother would probably say:

“That’s great!”

A lot of writers get very confused between ‘dialogue’ and ‘internal thoughts’. Let me simplify the concepts for you.

Dialogue is where the character is actually speaking. “Boy it was hot today!” But ‘internal thoughts’ are what the character is thinking. For example: ‘Could it get any hotter?’ These internal thoughts are generally shown in a story – in the published form – as italics.

Your story would thus read as: “Boy it was hot today!” Joe wiped the sweat from his forehead. Could it get any hotter?

When writing dialogue, think seriously about who is speaking, and what ‘language’ they would use. Make sure internal thoughts are also in the language of the character. Getting it wrong could mean the difference between getting published or not.

Cheryl Wright is an award-winning Australian author and freelance journalist. In addition to an array of other projects, she is the owner of the Writer2Writer.com website and the Writer to Writer monthly ezine for writers. She is also the author of a series of ebooks for writers. Her romantic suspense novel “Saving Emma” was released January 2005 by Whiskey Creek Press. Check out Cheryl’s website: http://www.cheryl-wright.com

The Hero’s Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters:

The Hero’s Journey:

• Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

• Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

• Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.

The Hero’s Journey is also a study of repeating patterns in successful stories and screenplays. It is compelling that screenwriters have a higher probability of producing quality work when they mirror the recurring patterns found in successful screenplays.

The Hero’s Journey is also a study of conventions. Before screenwriters can decide whether to accept or reject the conventions, they must appreciate their purpose and value.

Consider this:

• Titanic (1997) grossed over $600,000,000 – uses the Hero’s Journey as a template.

• Star Wars (1977) grossed over $460,000,000 – uses the Hero’s Journey as a template.

• Shrek 2 (2004) grossed over $436,000,000 – uses the Hero’s Journey as a template.

• ET (1982) grossed over $434,000,000 – uses the Hero’s Journey as a template.

• Spiderman (2002) grossed over $432,000,000 – uses the Hero’s Journey as a template.

• Out of Africa (1985), Terms of Endearment (1983), Dances with Wolves (1990), Gladiator (2000) – All Academy Award Winners Best Film are based on the Hero’s Journey.

• Anti-hero stories (Raging Bull (1980), Goodfellas (1990) etc) are all based on the Hero’s Journey.

• Heroine’s Journey stories (Million Dollar Baby (2004), Out of Africa (1980) etc) are all based on the Hero’s Journey.

Elizabethtown (2005) and Silence of the Lambs (1991)

As an example, two very different stories have been briefly deconstructed: Elizabethtown (2005) and Silence of the Lambs (1991):

Elizabethtown (2005)

Fade In: starts strong (communicates salient information immediately): shoes recalled.

Introduce Hero (Drew Baylor) in his Ordinary World, which he is unwelcome in. Tangible representation of the Ordinary World (Ellen).

Foreshadow of the Journey: we meet Drew’s family around the table.

Back-story of Hero: Drew in the World of the Shoe.

Supernatural Aid pushes hero out of his Ordinary World (meeting with Phil).

Development of Inner Challenge: Drew’s suicide attempt in his apartment; what to do now that he is a failure.

Call to Adventure by the Herald (his sister): Drew’s Dad is dead.

Preparing to cross into the First Threshold with allies (sister and mother): in the airport.

First Threshold and meeting the Romantic Challenge: Drew meets Claire in the aircraft.

Allies encourage the journey: Claire draws a map.

References to the inner and outer challenge: Drew references that he was fired; Claire realises Drew’s father is dead.

Back-story of the Outer Challenge: Drew when he was young and with his father. Reminder of the Inner Challenge: that he is a failure / lost $1b.

Magical gift: Claire gives Drew his wings, the directions and her number.

Physical Separation: exit 60-B.

Resistance to the Transformation: difficulty getting to Elizabethtown.

A New World: entering Elizabethtown.

Meeting the Mentor (Jesse, his cousin).

Mentor shows the hero around the World of the Transformation and the Creatures within: Jesse introduces Drew to everyone.

Polarization: they want a burial and Drew is thinking about cremation; he’s from “California.”

Meeting the Creatures of this World: the congregation.

Trial [passive]: Meeting his father lying in a coffin; lessons: “if you move around a little bit, you’ll see different aspects.” The word is “whimsical.”

Trial [passive]: Meeting the relatives and familiarising himself with the family.

Trial [proactive]; Drew saves Samson in the car.
Celebration at the passing of the trials: Drew is congratulated in the house.

Mentor’s challenge: Jesse admonished by his father; “you can’t be buddies with your own son.”

References to the Outer Challenge; Mentor’s back-story and capabilities: Lynard Skynard sequence.

Foreshadow of the break from the Old Self and preparing to Seize of the Sword: Drew calls everyone, including Claire.

Pulled Backwards to the Old Self and Forwards to the New Self: Heather, Ellen and Claire all on the phone simultaneously.

Break from the Old Self: Ellen says Goodbye.
Journey to the Sword: Drew and Claire on the phone.

Seizing the Sword: Drew wrests the Champagne from Chuck.

Rebirth through Death: Claire offers to “let Drew go.”

Reward: Claire and Drew meet by the Roadside.

Allies confront limitations: Hollie takes tap, comedy, cooking lessons etc. Claire doesn’t go to Hawaii.

Warnings about the Atonement: Hollie warns Drew about Bill Banyon.

Preparing for the Atonement: Buying the cremation vase.

Second Thoughts: Claire and Drew think about being just friends.

Atonement with the Father:: Drew confronts his uncle et al and makes a decision about the cremation.

Reference to the mentor’s challenge: Jesse is ignored and admonished.

Apotheosis: Rusty’s Learning to Listen video. Mentor’s challenge overcome: “thank you for taking an interest in Jesse.”

Ultimate Boon: “feels good doesn’t it. I can see Mitch now, so proud, in that blue suit.”

Refusal: Drew tries to stop the cremation.

Magic Flight: Drew prepares to leave.

Rescue from Without: Drew meets Claire and sleeps with her.

Crossing the Return Threshold; confronting and overcoming the
Inner Challenge: Drew chases Claire and tells her about his failure. She doesn’t care. References to the Outer and Romantic Challenges.

Master of the Two Worlds: Hollie wins over both sides of the family with her tap and comedy. Convergence aided by Mentor (Jesse’s tribute).

Tangible representation of the New Order: the burial to appease the Kentucky family.

Freedom to Live. Drew goes on the road trip with his father’s ashes [the trip they always meant to go on] and comes to terms with his death (conquest of the Outer Challenge). Finally seizes Claire (conquest of the Romantic Challenge).

Silence of the Lambs (1991)

Introduce Hero and Capabilities [Clarice tackling the FBI assault course].

Herald brings the Call to Adventure [Jack Crawford sends Clarice to visit Lecter (her Supernatural Aid)].

Threshold Guardian [Dr Chiltern obstructs Clarice's visit to Lecter].

Refusal [Lecter refuses to help].

Overcoming Refusal [Lecter's cell mate is rude and causes Lecter to help Clarice by way of apology]. Lecter sends Clarice to the First Threshold [the garage].

Physical Separation / Belly of the Whale [Lecter says he'll help Clarice catch Buffalo Bill].

Antagonism developed [Buffalo Bill kidnaps senator's daughter].

Transformation / Road of Trials x 3 [Clarice controls the police officers; analyses the dead body in Clay County ; learns about the cocoon].

Resistance to the Meeting with the Oracle [Dr Chiltern obstructs Clarice from seeing Lecter before he is moved].

Journey to the Sword [Lecter journeys to meet the Senator].

Seizing the Sword [Clarice gets the info she needs, which Lecter has written in the case files; Clarice learns the significance of Silence of the Lambs].

Rebirth through Death [Lecter escapes and kills].

Reward [Clarice knows Lecter will not come after her].

Atonement with the Father [Clarice learns that Buffalo Bill can only covet what he sees].

Apotheosis [he's making a skin suit].

Ultimate Boon [Crawford has (allegedly) found Buffalo Bill].

Refusal [Crawford tells Clarice not to come to Chicago but go to Belvedere instead].

Magic Flight [Senator's daughter attempts to escape].

Rescue from Without {Clarice directed toward Mrs Lipman].

Crossing the Return Threshold [Clarice enters buffalo Bills House].

Master of the Two Worlds [Clarice and Buffalo Bill gun battle].

Freedom to Live [medals, graduation, Lecter confirms he has no plans to call on Clarice].

Learn more…

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Kal Bishop, MBA

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Kal Bishop is a management consultant based in London, UK. His specialities include Knowledge Management and Creativity and Innovation Management. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached at http://managing-creativity.com/