1. Class 1: Idea Generation and Writing Technique
The Hero’s Journey
Class 1: Idea Generation and Writing Technique

2. Welcome! Housekeeping Schedule: Today Tomorrow at 2 PM
No Class Wednesday –
Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 2 PM

3. Welcome! Housekeeping
Today we are covering the Writing Technique (For Faster Creation) and Idea Generation
Tomorrow we will outline the Hero’s Journey
Thursday – Saturday
Need The Writers Journey
Thursday and Friday is the Plot and Examples
Saturday Character Arc

4. Writing Technique “Zooming” The least detail to the most Benefits
Book “writes itself”
Enables better pantsing
Better quality book
Faster creation time
Works perfectly with the hero’s journey (and other plotting tools)
General Thoughts
Set a timer for each phase
Don’t worry about getting it perfect – just get it on the page
The early phases are brainstorming, NOT detail writing

5. Writing Technique Phase 1 Phase 2 Write a one or two line synopsis
“Harry Potter is a boy who discovers he is a wizard. Through his young life he trains, fights and eventually overthrows an evil overlord bent on ruling the world and defeating death.”
Phase 2
Turn synopsis into a two or three paragraph synopsis.
Add a few more details about the story
Do not try to cram in an entire history. The point is to flesh out ideas and to help brainstorm

6. Writing Technique Phase 3 Phase 4 Phase 5 – Scene Prewriting
Write out Hero’s Journey Plot – one sentence synopsis for each point
Not all points in the Hero’s Journey needs to be used. We will discuss this more later
Phase 4
Paragraph synopsis for each major point.
Think about dividing lines for chapters
Phase 5 – Scene Prewriting
Play by Play for what happens in each (like a sportscaster)
Set a timer – 5 to 10 minutes for each scene

7. Writing Technique Phase 6
Write the scene out
Cycle between Phase 5 and 6
After this class, another video will be posted which walks through this entire process

8. Brainstorming Ideas Ideas can come from anywhere
Suggestion 1: Popular media
Movies TV
Video Games
Books
Suggestion 2: Pick a Genre, Go From There
Suggestion 3: Free Writing

9. Brainstorming Ideas Scenarios from Other Fiction
A star falls from the heavens and zombies wake where the black rock landed. (Diablo 3)
A Demon and Human mate, creating a superhero Nephilim. (Devil May Cry)
The imagination of spirits summon forth an illusion which has free will. A girl falls in love with this illusion. (Final Fantasy 10)
A gladiator doomed to die is saved by the appearance of a monster. (TES: Skyrim and Hunger Games)

10. Brainstorming Ideas All work due to EPIC MYTH.
All fiction stems from the human imagination. Due to our psychology and strife, this imagination springs forth common themes which will always work.
Love that cannot be (abandonment, lonely, isolated, FEAR)
Hero fights against all odds and sacrifices (bravery, courage, loss, fear)
Terrors from the deep threaten to consume us (fear, fight or flight, struggle, evolutionary battle between predator and prey)

11. Writing Exercise Get into the mood of writing Open up ideas Two Types
Self indulgent
Scenario Writing

12. Self Indulgent Make yourself into anything you’ve always wanted to be
Rock star
God
Athlete
Hero
Villain
Write this scenario down. Let it flow. Indulge. Hold nothing back.
No one is watching. No one is reading. Be your own god and create!
Benefits:
Warms you up
Gives you ideas
Practices the art of creativity and writing

13. Scenario Take a scenario I’ve given you and expand upon it
Again, no one is watching.
Have fun with it!
No plan – just write

14. Homework Do Freewriting Brainstorm 5 Plot’s
1000 to 2000 Words of Self Indulgent
1000 to 2000 Words of Scenario of the Ideas I Gave Earlier
Brainstorm 5 Plot’s
One or Two Lines!
Can come from ANYWHERE
WRITE them down!
Make sure you have the Writer’s Journey Ordered and Available!

15. Questions