Firstly you have to know with respect to product packaging CDs and DVDs: there is a big distinction between replication and duplication. There’s a tremendous difference, in spite of the fact that they might seem the very same. Copying incorporates the same course of action you choose in your house while you burn DVDs, however at a considerably quicker transfer rate. The downside being that this technique is marginally more highly-priced since it’s mostly implemented when carrying out smaller packs close to 10 thousand or less. Plus, it delivers a moderately reduced quality when compared with the complementary solution to CD and DVD packaging, production by replication. Product packaging media discs employing replication means the information is actually processed by stamping it all on the DVDs and or CDs. After that, they will be properly printed as well as worked over with lacquer. Commonly, this is done for a huge number of CDs, and the quality rendered is indeed exceptional.

You’ll also need to think about whether to utilize standard cases or the somewhat more sophisticated digipacks. Traditional cases are the large clear plastic kinds which have a set of supports for cardstock inserts. They are available in various variations. They can take several DVDs or CDs, and are popular because they provide a little additional protection for that CD or DVD they will come with. Regrettably, they happen to be expensive and not particularly eco-friendly, unless you pay out more for ones produced from reused components. A great deal more expensive: bio-degradable solutions having a zero or favorable CO2 impact. By contrast, digipacks are actually made from pressed paper employing a smallish PVC holder on the inside.

Look at going unique within your DVD and CD packaging. Utilizing the latest technological innovation, there’s a good deal of a chance to go way beyond standard photographic and design work and pick out something more exclusive or perhaps fun for use on your CD product packaging. Popup art, a variety of materials, cut-outs, and various artistic procedures can work equally well making your data, information, videos and/or song tracks be noticed in their respective sales framework. Free gifts or prize draws have additionally turned into favorite additions to regular product packaging DVDs and CDs. People love collecting posters, collectible photo cards, autographs, together with other stuff you can also add to them. Or maybe add special codes buyers may key in on the web to gain access to unannounced video clips or songs, register for tournaments, or obtain cost savings.

DVD and CD packaging can certainly have a big bearing on products or services sold and the personal opinion consumers form of your DVDs or CDs. Ensure that your CDs or DVDs perform well by leveraging excellent wrapping and, of course, design format. And in case you’re concerned, this won’t have to increase your production expenses- you can easily find lots of great designers online to outsource everything for very little money so this option is exclusively yours to go for.

Product packaging DVDs and CDs employing replication means the data is copied by imprinting everything on the CDs or DVDs. They are subsequently printed and also finished off with lacquer. This is normally the course of action for industrial quantities of DVDs, and the quality is actually exceptional. But for minor production jobs this isn’t, however, economically feasible. You’ll also want to come to a conclusion if you should deploy standard cases or “digipacks”. Traditional cases would be the larger recycled plastic ones having a couple of supports for paper inserts. One can select from diverse kinds. They can hold several DVDs or CDs, and they’re really quite fashionable since they furnish a little supplementary protective cover for the DVD or CD inside. Then again, they may be high priced and not exactly green, unless you’re prepared to pay more for cases produced with recycled components. Still more expensive: bio-degradable cases featuring a nil or negative co2 foot print.

By comparison, digipacks are normally manufactured from pressed paper that has a small PVC fastener within.

Look into becoming unique regarding your CD and DVD packaging. By leveraging modern day techniques, you have the opportunity to go far further than the usual design featuring photos and graphics and instead to pick out something less plain or perhaps fun for use on your CD packaging. Cardboard pop-ups, a wide range of materials used, cut-outs made from cardboard, and other artistic tricks all work well and help make your data, information, films or sound clips jump out in their respective promotion environment. Freebies and even competitions have also turned into favorite inclusions in average CD and DVD product packaging. Most people enjoy getting posters, vintage photo cards, autographs, along with other items you can also add to your DVD. Or possibly throw in unique codes which your buyers can put in online in order to gain access to secret video clips or music, participate in competitive events, or, last not least, pick up kickbacks. Packaging CDs and DVDs may have a whopping bearing on transactions and the estimation people form of your product line. Ensure your CDs or DVDs won’t disappoint by leveraging quality product packaging and design.

However, it’s pretty unfortunate that this distinct process is marginally more costly since it is commonly chosen when producing clusters close to 10 thousand or less. In addition, it provides a moderately lesser value in comparison to the alternative option for CD and DVD packaging i.e. production through replication.

Product packaging CDs and DVDs with the aid of replication indicates that the info is replicated by imprinting everything onto the CDs and/or DVDs. Next, they’re run through the printing press and finished off with special coating. Ordinarily, this is carried out for 1000s of DVDs, and the quality attained is indeed exceptional. But for smallish quantities this isn’t, regrettably, very cost effective. You’ll also have to make your mind up if you should deploy classic cases or maybe digipacks. The customary cases are the larger clear plastic ones with a couple of guides for the paper inlets. One will be able to select from different patterns. They will hold several discs, and they’re actually very trendy given that they provide a little additional stability to the DVD or CD they will come with. Regretfully, they can indeed be costly and certainly not green, if you don’t want to pay more for ones produced from reused components.

Digipacks consist of card board which includes a small disc holder made of pvc inside.

Take a look at pushing for innovative regarding your CD DVD packaging. Utilizing contemporary technology, there’s lots of opportunity to go well beyond conventional creatives and decide on something more exclusive and maybe even fun for that CD or DVD packaging. Popup art, numerous materials, paper cut-outs, in conjunction with other artistic devices can work great and help make your data, intel, motion pictures or perhaps MP3s feature prominently in their respective sales environ. Beyond, freebies and even competitions have also turned into pretty popular inclusions in average product packaging DVDs and CDs. Everyone loves picking up posters, collectible photo cards, autographs, together with other items you can add to them. Or, add codes your customers may put in on the web to gain access to extra video clips or sound tracks, enter prize draws, or even end up with discounts. Packaging DVDs and CDs can certainly have a major bearing on purchases as well as the estimation consumers may develop of your DVDs or CDs. Check your CDs give the best value for money by only going for high quality product packaging and, of course, design format.

The #1 thing you have to realize when it comes to CD and DVD product packaging – there’s a big distinction between replication and duplication. You’ll learn that there is a key difference, even though both might seem exactly the same. Duplication makes use of the same technology you choose at home while you burn compact disks, though it is much much faster in performance, as one would normally imagine with an industrial process. The downside being that this approach is a little bit more high-priced because it’s typically applied when working on little clusters of around 10,000 or fewer. It also offers a slightly reduced value as opposed to complementary solution to CD and DVD product packaging i.e. replication. So select your approach carefully. DVD CD product packaging with the aid of replication means the info will be replicated by stamping it onto the DVDs and/or CDs. Next, they are printed and coated. This is ordinarily conducted for a large number of DVDs, and the quality is actually remarkable. For smallish quantities this isn’t particularly cost-effective. Then of course you’ll have to settle on if you should use conventional cases or alternatively the somewhat more professional digipacks. The regular cases would be the sizeable pvc kinds with a set of guides for your cardstock inserts. These come in various styles. They can hold multiple CDs or DVDs, and are popular mainly because they provide a little supplementary protective cover to the CD or DVD on the inside. Regrettably, they are just plain more costly and not exactly ecologically friendly, unless you’re ready to shell out more for cases created from reprocessed stuff. Even more pricey: genuinely bio degradable cases featuring a nil or negative carbon dioxide foot print.

Digipacks, however, are normally manufactured of pressed paper which has a smallish disc holder made of PVC on the inside. Take into account turning inventive regarding your CD DVD packaging. With the help of current tools, you have the opportunity to go well further than standard photographic and design work and instead to opt for something outstanding and maybe even fun for your DVD packaging. Pop-ups, multiple raw materials, cut-outs made from cardboard, in addition to other artistic materials can work as well and help make media products, intel, motion pictures or perhaps sound tracks get attention on the shelf.

Free gifts and competitions have also turned into favorite bonuses going with commonplace product packaging media discs. Many people adore getting paper prints, treasured cards, autographs, together with other stuff you can also add to your CD. Or, feature some codes your shoppers can key in on your site to gain access to unannounced videos or sound tracks, take part in online games, or get discounted rates.

DVD and CD product packaging can potentially have a big bearing on your sales and profits along with the view consumers form of your product line. Make certain your CDs or DVDs give the best impression by insisting on top quality wrapping as well as design. And in case you’re concerned, this won’t need to blow up your production costs: you can hire lots of fantastic design artists using the web at eminently reasonable rates hence, this decision is solely up to you…

The vital thing you have to realize with regards to packaging CDs and DVDs – there is a considerable distinction between the duplication and the replication of media discs. There is an important difference, never mind that both seem to be a matching. Copying utilizes the same procedure you choose at home if you burn DVDs, though it’s dramatically faster in turnover time, as one would normally expect from professional machinery being tasked with production.

It’s unfortunate that this specific procedure is a bit more high-priced because it’s usually implemented when working on tiny batches of about 10 thousand or even less. Also, it has a slightly lesser value compared to complementary option for DVD product packaging to wit production through replication. So select your approach shrewdly. Product packaging DVDs and CDs employing replication signifies that the data is replicated by imprinting all data files on the DVDs and/or CDs. They’re then run through the printing press as well as lacquered. Typically, this is conducted for 1000s of CDs, and the quality achievable is indeed amazing.

You’ll also want to make up your mind if you should make use of traditional cases or alternatively the a good deal more fancy digipacks. Traditional cases would be the large recycled plastic kinds which have a set of guides for your paper cover and booklets. They come in various variations. They can hold several CDs or DVDs, and they’re really rather trendy given that they furnish a little supplementary stability to the CD or DVD on the inside. On the other hand, they are high priced and positively not eco-friendly, unless you pay more for cases created from reprocessed components.

Digipacks, however, are usually made from card board with a smallish plastic fastener within.

Take into account turning creative with your CD and DVD packaging. Deploying modern technology, you have the a chance to go far further than standard photos and graphic work to choose something more less boring or even interactive for your DVD product packaging. Cardboard pop-ups, multiple raw materials, cut-outs made from paper or cardboard, and other artistic styles can work great and make data products, intel, video clips and/or music jump out in their respective retail environ.

Special gifts as well as competitions have additionally turned into popular bonuses tied up with common CD and DVD product packaging. People love collecting prints, cherished photo cards, signed memorabilia, along with other items you could add to them. Or maybe add special codes consumers can key in on the web to access secret video clips or music, sign up for competitions, or maybe get ahold of rebates.

DVD CD packaging can have a great effect on products or services sold along with the personal opinion buyers may form of your CDs. Be sure your discs give the best impression by leveraging high quality packaging and design format.

In making an online publication you also want to maintain awareness of the menace posed by hackers and spammers. Do you know what measures are taken to secure your creation? Is the content protected? Can individuals just copy and paste your content or has the software vendor prevented such things? Is the content secure? The commercialization projection should be put together to your ezine. Has connective media integration been thought through? How is ad-handling covered in your plan? Not that each issue has to take all this into account but your business model positively should. Contemporary marketing means considering search engine necessities when editing your content. Is your content just going to be freely accessible? You should think whether you can offer single copy and multiple subscriptions. Will you be commercializing your content ? How about providing summaries to market your ebrochure? What’s the accessibility of your brochure? If it’ll be private you should be able to investigate several hosting possibilities or is it public? You should probably host directly. What will you do with back-isues? In conclusion, in picking out an online package host attempt to select one offering easy technical help. Are you able to contact them with problems? Response time is the last concern. Are there good FAQs? Don’t wait to check to check out what technical support is available. Success comes because of good decision making in this regard. Whether your brochure does well is totally decided by your choice of host.

I have now published four books this way, through iUniverse.com. I am glad I did so and pleased with the results.

These books include my new biblical novel, “Abraham, The Dreamer – An Erotic and Sacred Love Story,” new editions of two self-published books, the retitled, “A Jewish Novel About Jesus,” a spiritual self-help book, “Sparks of Spirit – How to Find Love and Meaning in Your Life 24 Hours a Day,” and a contemporary comedy-drama (screenplay), “The Messiah of Midtown Park.”

Why did I switch from independent- or self-publishing to partnership publishing? I have three reasons: occupational preference, economics, and longevity (book survival).

After 40 years of working for a living, I was free finally to choose what I wanted to do full-time and how I wanted to do it.

OCCUPATIONAL PREFERENCE: While I find everything about books fascinating, I realized that I truly prefer writing to publishing. I’m a writer. That’s my passion. I decided to concentrate on writing.

ECONOMICS: The best thing about self-publishing is that it gives the author total control. But the economics of self- publishing are something else again. They are not as glowing as they often sound or as rosy as they are often painted. There is a great economic squeeze play that cuts deeply into profits. Take a book that sells for $14.95, for instance. A distributor or wholesaler requires a 50 percent discount, and more. That leaves you with $7.50 (rounded off). The printing cost can be anywhere from $2 to $3 a book. That leaves you with $4.50 a book. Out of this you may have to pay shipping costs (media rate is $1.42, for one pound or less, USPS). Then there are publicity, promotion and marketing expenses. You may even have to accept returns of books that didn’t sell, for credit or refund. It takes skill to operate a profitable business. I preferred the challenges of writing to the challenges of business.

LONGEVITY: This is a very personal, subjective matter, an “author-thing.” Writing, at its deepest level, has to do with making a statement about life, asserting one’s identity, seeking immortality. Commercial publishing is about the bottom line: Can the book make money, preferably big money? If not, it does not get published. If it does get published, it is given three to nine months to succeed. If the book does not make it within that time period, its life is over.

Self-publishing, on the other hand, allows for a book’s nurturing and longer lifespan . But when a company changes hands or goes out of business, a book’s life may end.

That is where Print-on-Demand Partnership Publishing provides an ideal answer. The new digital technology eliminates the need for costly inventory. A 300-page book can be printed, cover and all, in less than 30 seconds.

POD printing/publishing allows books to be kept alive virtually “forever.” -It allows books to be discovered and rediscovered. -It allows one or many copies to be printed instantly, on demand. -It allows ongoing profits to be made, by all concerned. -It allows authors to take control of the writing and marketing of their books, while the publisher provides the technical support and services -including printing, online bookstores, author websites, listings, order fulfillment, sales- and royalty- reports, and various forms of author support.

Years ago, vanity publishers existed to publish the works of amateur writers at a high cost, paid for by the writer. Few of their books were actually printed and even fewer sold. These books had little if any value and were generally shunned.

Some refer to today’s POD publishing as vanity publishing, or, more politely, as subsidy publishing. True, the decision to publish lies with the author, not the publisher. It involves a nominal fee, which means that anyone can get a book published, including amateur writers.

However, POD publishing attracts a great many professional writers, with excellent track records. POD-published books get picked up by commercial publishers. POD books also generate significant media attention.

When the self-publishing movement began in the 1960s and 1970s, self-publishers were often stigmatized as vanity publishers. Today, self-publishing is a major, economic force. Estimates vary as to the actual number of independent publishers, from 25,000 and up, and from one-title firms to firms with 2,500 titles in print.

Why would professional writers go the route of Print-on-Demand Partnership Publishing? There are several reasons: their book may have been turned down by their own commercial publisher; they may not have been able to find an agent or commercial publisher; or they may not have wanted to wait the nearly two years it takes to get a book published by a commercial publisher, when they could get it published within two or three months through a POD publisher. (My third POD book was in print within three weeks, from the time of submission!)

Here are some examples, for instance, of professional writers who have been published through iUniverse:

RIANE EISLER – whose non-fiction book, “The Chalice and the Blade” sold 600,000 copies world-wide – published “The Gate” through iUniverse, a fictionalized, dramatic new memoir of her years growing up in pre-Castro Cuba after a narrow escape from the Holocaust in Nazi Europe.

COLLIN KELLEY’s poetry book, “Better to Travel,” is currently a nominee for the Georgia Author of the Year Award.

LAWRENCE BLOCK, author of the iUniverse book, “Random Walk,” is an award-winning crime fiction writer, whose published works include 50 novels.

RON CUTLER is an award-winning filmmaker and author of nine novels, including iUniverse’s “The Firstborn.”

JOYCE MANARD’S iUniverse book, “To Die For,” was originally published in 1991 and made into an acclaimed film, starring Nicole Kidman.

Some iUniverse authors, who have had their books picked up by commercial publishers, include:

LAURIE NOTARO, author of “The Idiot Girl’s Action Adventure Club” (2000), which was picked up within a year by Random House and hit the Top Ten on the New York Times Best-Seller List.

MIKE HAWLEY’s first book, “The Double Bluff” (2001), was picked up by Penguin-Putnam as a mass market paperback under the Onix imprint. Hawley was given a contract for two more books.

BILL PURCELL’s book, “The Dark One,” was picked up by Wizards of the Coast, after they had turned it down originally. Purcell was signed to a four-book deal, with a terrific advance.

POD publishing is here to stay. iUniverse, for instance, currently has 11,367 authors and 15,515 book titles. It publishes 400 new titles a month. It received the Editors’ Choice Award from PC Magazine, with a five out of five-star rating.

There are other POD publishers, so you need to check them out and evaluate their various services carefully.

There are pros and cons to any of the three publishing models: 1) commercial publishing; 2) independent, self-publishing; and 3) POD partnership publishing. Some I have already mentioned. Following are others:

With POD partnership publishing, authors are totally responsible for publicizing, promoting and marketing their books. That’s a lot of work, if you do it yourself. It takes know-how, time and money. Or you must hire a book publicist to do this for you. That costs money.

Yet you’re not much better off with commercial publishers, who will only do a certain amount of publicity, promotion and marketing for your book. If you’re not one of their superstars, your book will just get some basic publicity, promotion and marketing. You need to supplement what they do, or your book will fall through the cracks – and disappear quickly.

That’s what almost happened to ANITA DIAMANT, author of “The Red Tent,” published by St. Martin’s Press. When Picador USA decided to bring it out as a trade paperback, St. Martin’s announced it would remainder the hardbacks.

Diamant pleaded with them not to do so but use them for promotion. She suggested that they be sent out to clergy. Diamant got the lists and the publisher paid the postage, provided the books, and mailed them to female rabbis in Reform Judaism, followed by a mailing to male and female rabbis of Reconstructionist Judaism.

Diamant also had the publisher send around 200 copies to Christian women ministers in New England. That made the difference. The book went on to sell 1 million copies in the US. and was published in 18 countries.

The other serious problem is media bias against POD partnership publishing. Some trade and consumer publications actually have a policy against POD published books – they will not review them.

There are now 150,000 new titles and editions published every year.

Yet commercial publishing does not guarantee that your book will get reviewed. The Library Journal, a major trade publication, receives 40,000 new books published every year. It reviews 6000 of these, representing only four percent of the 150,000 new books published every year!

Consumer publications review even fewer books. The Los Angeles Times, a major metropolitan newspaper, only reviews 1500 books a year, representing one percent of the 150,000 new books published every year!

What, then, are the chances of getting published commercially? HarperCollins Publishers, one of the major publishing companies in the US, reportedly receives 10,000 submissions a year. Of these, only 75 books, less than one percent submitted, get published. Even then, the chances of success are slim. While the figures vary, they indicate that only 1 out of 7 or 1 out of 10 books published commercially make a profit. These are among the reasons why other publishing models came into being.

Once authors were at the mercy of agents and commercial publishers. No more. That changed when the independent self- publishing movement came into being. Today, thanks to digital technology, POD partnership publishing provides a legitimate, additional choice.

Authors can now get published. Then, through effort and resourcefulness, they can find ways to connect with their readers.

In the final analysis, there are only two kinds of books and writers: bad books and good books, bad writers and good writers.

WORD COUNT Headline/byline: 8 Words (body): 1678 Resource box: 74 TOTAL 1760

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…

Transamerica (2005) deconstructed

FADE IN: the voice range; this is the voice I want to use.

Meeting the Hero: Bree getting dressed.

Hero in her Ordinary World: walking out of the house; waiting for the bus.

Developing the Hero: the doctor asks questions about her.

Motivation / the Elixir: you can sign that consent form.

Refusing the Elixir: the doctor is resistant.

Hero’s Backstory / Foreshadow of the Transformation: my family is dead.

Developing the Hero / Elixir: Bree pushes her penis back.

Devolved State: Bree is a busboy in the restaurant.

Hero’s Capabilities / Ordinary World: Bree telemarketing.

Call to Adventure: Toby calls.

Refusal: Bree tries to ignore the call.

Meeting the Mentor: the therapist, Margaret.

Pushed toward the First Threshold: Margaret won’t give her permission.

Resisting: he’s probably a scam artist.

Time Pressure: I can’t delay my operation, the waiting list is a year long.

Preparing for the Journey to the First Threshold: thinking about it in her room.

First Threshold from Afar: outside the police station.

Threshold Guardian: the officer.

Backstory of Hero 2: Toby is into drugs and a prostitute.

Meeting Hero 2: Toby brought out.

Outer Cave: at the restaurant.

Middle Cave: inside Toby’s room.

Foreshadow of the Transformation: maybe I’ll be a blonde.

Resisting the Inner Cave: Bree calls and lies to Margaret.

Inner Cave: Bree agrees to take Toby home.

Consciously agreeing to the Transformation: Toby refuses the drugs.

Physical Separation: on the road.

Journey to the Belly of the Whale: in the car.

Resisting the Belly of the Whale: Toby doesn’t want to go home.

Developing Characters and Relationships: Filling up at the gas station; Toby hides his money.

Developing Characters and Relationships: arriving at a hotel; Toby lying naked.

Resisting the Belly of the Whale: Toby repeats he doesn’t want to go home.

Developing Characters and Relationships: waking up in the morning.

Developing Characters and Relationships: driving in the car; talking Lord of the Rings.

Push to the Belly of the Whale: Turning off to Calcun.

Resisting the Belly of the Whale: Toby runs away.

Forced to the Belly of the Whale: Grandma gives Toby a hug.

Developing Characters and Relationships: grandma plucks out Bree’s nasal hair.

Pushed to the Belly of the Whale: Bree fetches Toby’s step dad.

Belly of the Whale:

Toby and his Dad have a fight; Dad’s been abusing him.

Polarization: Bree apologises.

Polarization: Toby camps outside.

Push to the Physical Separation: Grandma tells Bree that Toby’s Ma killed herself.

Physical Separation: Toby hitchhiking; Toby getting in the car.

Polarization: in the car; Toby won’t talk to Bree; Toby insists on the drugs.

Polarization: in the café; I’m not his mother; sitting on the other side.

Creatures of the World of the Transformation: filling up at the gas station; the men watching.

Trial 1:

Outer Cave: Toby is camping out.

Preparing for the Outer Cave: Bree shopping for camping gear.

Outer Cave: Bree cooking.

Middle Cave: Going to the ladies room; do you think there are snakes around here.

Inner Cave: Toby talking about his dad by the campfire; Bree takes her pills.

Transformation 1:

Waking up; the bright idea; Bree will set him up in the telemarketing field.

In the car; working in a pet store is not very ambitious.

Trial 2:

In the café / store; Toby meets the girl.

The child reads Bree.

Bree phones Margaret.

The girl kisses Toby.

Transformation: (Bree acting as a mother) Bree wants to be introduced to Toby’s new friend.

Resisting the Transformation: “..Margaret, I don’t think I’m cut out to be a mother…”

Trial 3:

Forced to the Transformation: Bree forced to pray at the table.

Acting like Mother: eat your vegetables; a condition for buying the hat is not to do drugs.

Resisting the Transformation: Toby does drugs.

Transforming: Toby gives Bree the hat.

Celebration: Toby hanging out of the window of the car.

Journey to a (glimpse of ) the New World: why are we going to Dallas?

Warning: I hope you’ll be on your best behaviour.

Threshold Guardian: Marianne welcomes them.

Outer Cave:

New World: Bree surprised to be at the Gender Pride meeting.

Initiates: Marianne passes the word that Toby doesn’t know.

Middle Cave:

Creatures of the New World: the characters at the party.

Inner Cave: Toby almost sees Bree undressed, not ready to reveal herself.

Regression:

Driving; what did you study?

Proximity: Blowing bubbles.

Deception Revealed: Toby sees that Bree has a penis.

Polarization: Toby ignores Bree; continues smoking.

Polarization: Toby doesn’t speak to Bree in the car.

Journey to the Communion: Toby wants to go to Sammy’s Wigwam.

Foreshadow of the Oracle: seeing the hitcher.

Communion: Toby tells that she has a Dick.

Communion: Bree walks away.

Communion: Arguing in the car; Bree tells Toby about the operation she wants.

Meeting the Oracle: Picking up the hitcher.

Meeting the Oracle: The hitcher endears himself.

Communion: The hitcher and Toby get undressed and swim in the pool.

Developing Characters and Relationships: talking while swimming.

Communion: Toby doesn’t think Bree is a freak, just a liar.

Oracle Reveals: The hitcher steals the car.

Pushed to the Sword: walking and hitching the ride.

World of the Sword: on the back of the truck.

Seizing the Sword [Toby]: Toby picks up someone in the toilet and gets some money.

Seizing the Sword [Bree]: Bree meets Calvin Manygoats and gets a ride and a place to stay.

Developing Characters and Relationships: Bree sits with Calvin on the porch; “..keeps the dogs off the porch…”

Developing Characters and Relationships: Bree has the hots for Calvin.

Developing Characters and Relationships: the hat keeps the sun off my face better than a headband and a couple of eagle feathers.

Threshold Guardian: Bree goes to the powder room; Toby tries to tell Calvin that there’s more to her than she’s letting on.

Seizing the Sword: Calvin gives Bree his phone number and Toby a hat.

Near Death Experience: Toby asks for Sidney at the door; Elisabeth closes the door on him.

Resisting the Atonement: On the grass.

Atonement with the Father: Bree knocks on the door; Mom and Dad it’s me.

Apotheosis: with her Dad; it’s Subrina! we love you but we don’t respect you; meeting Sidney; he’s your grandson.

Ultimate Boon: the parents treat Toby really well.

Journey to / Foreshadow of the Elixir: Bree needs to borrow $1000 for the airfare.

Transforming: Bree gets ready and steals the tablets.

Transformation (New Clothes): Bree in her dress; Elizabeth combs Toby’s hair.

Resisting the Transformation: arriving at dinner; Bree has to pull out Elizabeth’s chair.

Transformation: the joint photo; Toby pulls out Bree’s chair.

Journey to / Foreshadow of the Elixir: Bree asks to borrow $1000 for the airfare.

Guardain of the Elixir: Elizabeth tries to dissuade Bree from the operation.

Guardain of the Elixir: Elizabeth offers the money on condition that Toby stays.

Guardain of the Elixir: Elizabeth running after Toby.

Foreshadow of the Elixir: Bree wishes that they could just look at her and see her; Bree agrees to let Toby come and live with her.

Disgust / Refusal: Toby tries to sleep with Bree; Bree tells him she’s his father.

Magic Flight:

Bree pursues Toby.

Bree recovers from the punch.

Toby disappears; putting out an APB.

Crossing the Return Threshold: Bree returns to the hospital and gets the operation.

Obstacle: after the operation; Bree unhappy that Toby has disappeared.

Obstacle: Toby in LA on the beach, taking drugs.

Master of Two Worlds: Bree a woman now.

Transformed: Bree a waitress, not a busboy now; learning Spanish.

Transformed: Toby doing porn as a blonde.

Freedom to Live: Toby turns up at Bree’s door.

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/

Learn more…

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

Producers? The same. They don’t want to sink in millions of dollars just to offer another Mad Max, James Bond, or My Fair Lady to the public.

So what’s the secret to creating fresh characters? Two words – DARING COMBOS.

Combine discordant traits and lifestyles in one character and all of a sudden you have a living, breathing, exciting profile that the viewers would be curious to know more about.

Take a “mafia boss,” for example. A staple character of many mob movies, correct?

So if you’ve written about yet another Tony Soprano or Don Corleone, you blew it.

However… What if your “mafia boss” writes poetry, secretly submits them to various contests, and one day wins a major national poetry contest and CNN tries to interview him?! Think about the embarrassing complications to follow…

A college professor… what if she is also a rodeo rider in summer months? Or what if she is exposed for not having finished even the elementary school?

A garbage truck driver… can he have healing powers? Can he turn the municipality dump site into a shrine for those seeking quick remedy for their terminal maladies?

Can a grandmother from Old Town, Maine turn out to be a contract killer hired by a prominent Wall Street broker to neutralize… (whom) ?

How about a masochistic and bulimic secret agent?

Here is a little fun exercise:

Prepare two columns.

In the first column write 20 very specific professions (like… gourmet cook, technical writer, Peterbilt tractor-trailer driver, ordinance museum curator, etc.).

In the second column write 20 very specific hobbies, quirks or crimes (like… has affair with a Brazilian soccer star, has to go to the bathroom every 10 minutes, speaks 17 languages fluently, etc.)

Then draw lines between the items in the first column and those in the second and see what kind of creative sparks start to fly. You might be most pleasantly surprised.

Your characters will be as fresh as you can be daring in your writing.

So don’t pull any punches when you are creating your heroes and villains. Or your film will suffer a quick and quiet disappearing act at the box office.

Ah, but this poses a problem right? Too many cross-links and referrals to your website; too much traffic? Whoops? Is there such a thing? Indeed there is, it happened to be me. Then of course I had another big problem and that was the online article submission site has a special author section to track the results and I had to ask them;

“Is there a way to put commas in the numbers for the number of article views? Because once you get very far over 1 million, for instance today I am at; 1577010 and with over 1.5 million article views that large number gets kind of blurry and harder to read. Also with over 32499 article captures from Ezines that number is getting harder and harder to read, I mean you look at it and watch the number go up each day, but you really have to do a double take. Is this for real??? I know it is, but if it had commas in it, it would be easier to read you see?”

Don’t we wish we all had such simple problems in life? Well, other than that one little item, I think that online article submission websites for writers and authors is just about the best idea in the World. But hey that is just one man’s opinion right? Consider this in 2006.

“Lance Winslow” – Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/