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Russell F. Hirsch
Oct 25, 20232 min read
Descriptive Language that Sparkles
Kill your darlings! Get to the point! Plot over prose! How many times have you heard advice about simplifying your writing for middle...
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Russell F. Hirsch
Oct 11, 20231 min read
SIWC - Simply Inspiring Writers' Conference
We all know the feeling of finding our tribe. Whether we were kids discovering new friends on the playground, teens navigating a new...
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Russell F. Hirsch
Jan 8, 2017
Further Reading & Feminist Alternatives to the Hero’s Journey
Further Resources on the Hero’s Journey I hope you’ve found my summary of hero’s journey plot lines useful, but there is really no...


Russell F. Hirsch
Jan 2, 2017
The Hero’s Journey – Resolution
Happy New Year to all! We have reached the 10th and final stage of a hero’s journey plot line and a fitting stage it is for January 1st...


Russell F. Hirsch
Dec 20, 2016
The Hero’s Journey – Climax!
Huzzah! We have reached the Climax, the grand hurrah, the big shebang, a moment so exciting that only funny-sounding words can express...


Russell F. Hirsch
Dec 11, 2016
The Hero’s Journey – Propelling Event
The beginning of THE END! We enter the third and final phase of a hero’s journey plot line. Act 3 Propelling Event Climax (aka Death &...


Russell F. Hirsch
Dec 29, 2015
The Hero’s Journey – Reward
The Hero’s Journey – Reward Well that last post on the Ordeal was so frightening, I almost couldn’t go on! But after a bit of a break,...


Russell F. Hirsch
Oct 21, 2015
The Hero’s Journey – Ordeal
“That which does not kill us makes us stronger!” Quoting Nietzsche might seem a bit intense for a post on children’s stories but he...


Russell F. Hirsch
Oct 3, 2015
The Hero’s Journey – The Approach
We really shouldn’t go in there—but we have to! We’re now well into the Middle Phase (Act 2) of a story. The characters have started to...


Russell F. Hirsch
Sep 22, 2015
The Hero’s Journey – Tests, Allies & Enemies
Perilous tasks! Noble Companions! Dastardly Villains! At this point in their journey, characters tackle initial challenges, making new...


Russell F. Hirsch
Sep 1, 2015
The Hero’s Journey – Call to Adventure
Listen up, you! Yes—you! On we go to the 2nd stage of a Hero’s Journey plot line: the “Call to Adventure.” This is where the fun begins....

Russell F. Hirsch
Aug 30, 2015
The Hero’s Journey–Ordinary Worlds
Let’s begin! Authors and screenwriters often refer to the Beginning, Middle, and End of stories as Acts 1, 2 & 3. Over the next few days,...
Russell F. Hirsch
Sep 6, 2013
The “Tyrant Complex”
The “Tyrant Complex” Stories involve change. Lots of people say: “A good character is one who experiences a change from beginning to...
Russell F. Hirsch
Aug 25, 2013
The “Well that was convenient… oh, wait!” Technique
I’ve encountered a lot of storytelling and screenwriting tips that say something like: “Coincidences are great for getting your character...
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