Trope Tuesday: MacGuffin

So the hero has crossed the threshold of adventure, thwarted the trickster, evaded the vamp, and met with the goddess.  He may have lost his mentor and descended into the deepest dungeon, but by calling on the supernatural aid he received at the beginning of the quest, he has passed the final test, found atonement with his… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: MacGuffin

Some new thoughts on productivity

I’ve been thinking a lot about writing and productivity, mostly because I seem to be struggling a lot with it lately. With nanowrimo just starting, this is a pretty topical thing to blog about, but I also want to look at it from a long-term career perspective, since that’s what I’m personally more interested in.… Continue reading Some new thoughts on productivity

Trope Tuesday: Came Back Strong

This trope, also kown as apotheosis, is by far my favorite part of the hero’s journey. Up to this point, the hero has faced a lot of tests and trials.  Some of them he’s passed, some of them he hasn’t, but the setbacks haven’t yet been enough to stop him.  Sure, the costs have been… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: Came Back Strong

Still here, wherever that may be

Wow, it’s been forever since I’ve been active on this blog.  I guess living in the developing world will do that to you. It’s not that I don’t have good internet access, it’s that the places where I can get it are often noisy and crowded, with a fair amount of cigarette smoke.  By the… Continue reading Still here, wherever that may be

Trope Tuesday: Well Done Son Guy

So the hero gets the call to adventure, initially turns it down, meets a mentor figure who gives him some sort of supernatural aid, crosses the threshold of adventure, faces a series of tests and trials, loses his mentor, experiences the power of love…and then what?  Well, if we’re playing the hero’s journey straight, the next… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: Well Done Son Guy

Star Wanderers: Outworlder (Part I) is now free on Amazon!

Good news!  Amazon just made Star Wanderers: Outworlder (Part I) free!  It’s been free for a while on all the other eretailers, but if you do most of your ebook shopping on Amazon, it’s now free there as well. Star Wanderers: Outworlder (Part I) is the first part of a four part series of science fiction novelettes,… Continue reading Star Wanderers: Outworlder (Part I) is now free on Amazon!

Trope Tuesday: Supernatural Aid

Getting back to our discussion of the Hero’s Journey, I think it’s important to briefly touch on one of the earlier stages: supernatural aid.  At some point between refusal of the call and crossing the threshold of adventure, the hero typically encounters a mentor figure from the unfamiliar world who gives him something supernatural or… Continue reading Trope Tuesday: Supernatural Aid