Live to Love on the Edge Blog

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Creating a Compelling Plot by Using the Mythic Hero’s Journey – Part 1

Gods and GoddessesI was introduced to the concept of the Hero’s Journey by a wonderful book editor, Lesley Kellas Payne. She was kind enough to help me when I first started writing and her lessons proved invaluable. One of the first things she stressed was using the Hero’s Journey to help create a compelling plot.

Joseph Campbell noted in his seminal work, The Hero with a Thousand Faces that there were certain story elements that defied cultural boundaries and were universally accepted. The Hero’s Journey arose as a result of this analysis by Campbell and subsequent works by others. Another good discussion of the Hero’s Journey is by Christopher Vogler and I highly recommend Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey.

How do I use the Hero’s Journey to write my story?

The Hero’s Journey will help you identify the different story elements to include in your novel and the most logical order in which they should appear. Of course, there is nothing which dictates that you must begin in this order, but whenever I am struggling with a book, I find that it’s because I’ve deviated from what I consider the most important story element in the Hero’s Journey — The Ordinary World.

What is ‘the Ordinary World’?

The Ordinary world:

  • Shows the hero in her customary element.
  • Sets the tone and suggests the dramatic question of the story
  • Make the Ordinary World as different as possible from the Special World

    • Why is the Ordinary World so important? Because it sets the stage for what is “normal” for your characters and your job as a writer is to shake up that “normal” and get them started on their journey.

    For example, in DARKNESS CALLS, Diana is all caught up in being a hard-nosed FBI Agent and Ryder is all brooding immortal. I show them in their regular worlds — Diana investigating a case and Ryder catwalks of The Lair — to demonstrate what their lives are like now before we begin their adventure.

    The Call to Adventure

    The Ordinary World tells the reader what is the status quo for your hero/heroine. Now it’s time to layout the details of the challenges the adventure will bring them. What does this do? It:

  • Establishes the stakes of the game
  • Makes the hero’s goal clear
  • Hero is presented with a challenge or adventure to undertake and cannot remain in her Ordinary World

    • For example, in DEATH CALLS (December 2006), we once again meet with Ryder and Diana after they have been involved for two years. The stakes of the game are whether the two will continue to be lovers. Their goals? For Diana, to decide whether to have a normal life or stay with Ryder. For Ryder, whether he will let death claim Diana when it is her time. What is their challenge/adventure? They must move forward emotionally and decide what to do and the adventure that will challenge them to do this is Diana’s investigation of her best friend’s murder.

    What happens if the Hero Refuses the Call to the Adventure?

    It’s not uncommon that the hero/heroine may refuse to move from the Ordinary World and begin their adventure. The hero/heroine is acting the way we all might when confronted with having to do something different. The hero/heroine is refusing to begin the journey because they are fearful of where it will lead. Because of this, the hero/heroine may require the assistance of a Mentor.

    What is a Mentor?

    The Mentor is one of the most important themes in mythology. It stands for the bond between parent and child, teacher and student, god and man. Think Obi Wan and Yoda as the classic mentors. Meeting with the Mentor provides the hero knowledge, confidence, etc. to undertake the Journey. A Mentor doesn’t necessarily need to be kindly. Think of Lou Gossett’s role as the drill sergeant in Officer and a Gentleman. The drill sergeant is a harsh mentor, but goads Zach Mayo into undertaking the journey.

    In fact, if you want to see how the Hero’s Journey works, two great movies to watch are Star Wars and Officer and a Gentleman since they both follow the Hero’s Journey in exactly the order I will be laying out in this discussion.

    ****Coming soon****

    The next three steps in the Hero’s Journey:

  • Crossing the First Threshold
  • Tests, Allies and Enemies
  • Approach to the Inmost Cave

    • Copyright 2006 Caridad Pineiro Scordato

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    Realms of Fantasy Interview

    I had the pleasure of being interviewed by Realms of Fantasy magazine and am featured in this month’s magazine discussing DEATH CALLS, my December release from Silhouette Nocturne.

    To check out the interview online, please click here.

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    It’s December 1 and DEATH CALLS has arrived!

    DEATH CALLS has now hit the stands!  Look for it at your local bookstore as well as at eharlequin.com.

    I’m also excited to let you know that in addition to being available in print, you can pick up DEATH CALLS as well as the three earlier books in THE CALLING series — DARKNESS CALLS, DANGER CALLS and TEMPTATION CALLS — as e-books at eharlequin.com.  Check it out here!

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    Thanksgiving Surprise!

    To celebrate the Thanksgiving season, my friend and fellow Nocturne author, Lisa Renee Jones and I are having a contest.  To win one of the two great prizes below, e-mail Lisa with the correct answers to the following questions:

    What is the name of the FBI Agent in Caridad’s DEATH CALLS?

    What are the titles for Lisa’s next two releases?

    Lisa’s e-mail is lisarenjones@aol.com and here are the prizes:

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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    Things for which to be thankful

     When Thanksgiving rolls around every year, I take the time to consider all the things for which I am thankful and find that there are so many.

    To start, the family that has always supported me in everything I do.  All my friends who offer me advice, comfort and keep me on my toes.

    Then of course, there’s the day-to-day things for which to be grateful.  A job that’s let me meet so many interesting people and visit countries all over the world.

    My passion — my writing — and all the fans, booksellers and editors who make it all possible.

    Finally, but not last, this country.  A nation that accepted my family when we had nowhere else to go and gave us the opportunity to embrace the American dream

    I never forget the last because everything that I have is because of the fact that I am here and not in Cuba.

    Of course, there’s one last thing for which to be thankful — the men and women who have over the years fought to preserve the American dream and who continue to fight for us.  So, I’m thankful for our military and all that they do to keep our freedoms intact.

    But, now for the fun stuff about Thanksgiving!  The table up there was set by my sister Carmen at her home.  Next came a great meal with two kinds of turkey — one slow roasted with some great juice potatoes and the other deep fried and injected with hot sauce!  Yum!

    Here’s my brother-in-law Mike busy cooking the fried turkey outside in the rain.  Luckily, it was just misting and not the downpour that had started earlier in the night.

    Besides the great turkeys, all kinds of great appetizers, squash bake, mashed potatoes, chorizo stuffing and plain stuffing, asparagus and assorted breads — my contribution to the feast.  Including amongst them the ever popular cranberry maple muffins.

    To end the wonderful meal, a collection of amazing pies and a tres leches made by my niece, who is studying to be a chef!

    For those of you in the United States, I hope you all had a blessed and happy Thanksgiving!

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    Books of the Heart – THE CALLING’s Diana and Ryder

    Sometimes you know from the moment the character comes alive for you that you have something special.  Something you truly believe in.  Almost everyone I know calls them “Books of the Heart” and they truly are because you believe in them no matter what anyone is telling you.

    That was definitely the case with DARKNESS CALLS, which I had originally titled BORN TO DIE.  From the moment the character of Diana Reyes came to mind, I knew that I had something unique to do.  Being as special as she was, I knew Diana needed something equally as complex and compelling and Ryder Latimer was born.

    Why Ryder?  We had a delightful waiter at an anniversary dinner once and his name was Ryder.  I thought, this is a great name.  But why Ryder as he is?  Diana is dark, possibly even darker than the monsters she chases after.  I needed someone as dark, but also someone who was as honorable as she was.  Someone who believed that good could triumph eventually.

    I think that’s what drew them together — that they both saw beyond the tough exteriors to the souls beneath searching for something.

    The original story didn’t end happily.  I didn’t think it could right away with Diana and Ryder because they were just too complex with too many layers to peel away before I could really reach the heart of them.  I immediately knew there would be another story and told my editor that.  Surprisingly, she was receptive to the idea and DEATH CALLS was born.

    DEATH CALLS begins with the Happily-Never-After I had envisioned in the first book.  Two people torn between their love and the realities of the world around them.  In Ryder’s case, the vampire underworld which he can no longer deny and which calls to him more and more everyday.  Especially when he realizes he can use his vampire powers for good causes.  For Diana, it is the call of the normal world, reminding of all she is giving up not just by loving Ryder, but by choosing the rough path of being an FBI agent.

    Like DARKNESS CALLS, this became a book of my heart as I explored the struggle between Diana and Ryder and all that would make them happy.

    Does it end with a Happily-Ever-After?  I won’t give it away, but it’s clear to me there’s at least one other chapter that needs to be written for Diana and Ryder.  The proposal for that work has already been submitted to my editor and I hope she likes the concept well enough to let me write DEATH CALLS AGAIN.

    Thanks for all your support of THE CALLING series and of Diana and Ryder!

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