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Thoroughly researched, this book covers the terrain, vegetation, wildlife, weather, and natural disasters of the period, the development of western states, including descriptions of Native American societies and how the settlement of the West affected them. A very informative book capturing the daily life of the time. A must-have for writers of historical fiction, nonfiction and westerns.
In his book, Vogler, borrowing ideas from Carl Jung and Joseph Campbell, argues that every story follows certain patterns which he collectively characterizes as a mythic "hero's journey." In Myth and the Movies, Voytilla breaks this journey up into stages, using 50 famous films to illustrate the universality of Vogler's method. During the course of the book, he unpacks the mythic structure of horror, war, drama, romance, comedy, science fiction, action-adventure, the western, and the thriller, drawing on films as diverse as Seven Samurai, The Silence of the Lambs, Annie Hall, and Boyz N the Hood. His charts, maps, and consideration of various archetypal characters ("the shadow," "the trickster," "the herald," "the shapeshifter") and narrative devices ("the elixir," "the adventure," "the threshold," "the road back") provide a clear picture of how Campbell's archetypes can be used for film analysis.
From the author: Writers interviewed include: Louis L'Amour, Janet Dailey, A. B. Guthrie, Jr., Elmore Leonard, Loren Estleman, Lucia St. Clair Robson, Will Henry, Dee Brown, Benjamin Capps, Douglas C. Jones, and forty others. Some quotes from the book: "I decided to hell with it, I was going to write damn good Westerns . . . the pioneer period did more to form American character than anthing else. (Louis L'Amour) "Writers are a bunch of bone-idle layabouts who have found a good way of making a living without working (British writer J.T. Edson) "The original laying out of the preimse is mean and ugly and tough and dirty and exhausting, but once I have the story and I get into the script, it's generally a good time. . . (TV script writer Paul Savage) "If St. Peter asks me, "Why are you here, little man? I'll say quietly, 'I wrote Now He is Legend and The Untamed Breed. He just might let me in." (Gordon Sheriffs) "Writing's like breathing; it's something I really need to do." Lucia St. Clair Robson. I hope you enjoy reading the book as much as I did interviewing and writing it. - S.Jean Mead
In 1993, "The Writer's Journey" became one of the most popular books on writing of the last 50 years. Now, the second edition provides new insights and observations from Vogle's pioneering work in mythic structure for writers.
Originally written by Campbell in the '40s-- in his pre-Bill Moyers days -- and famous as George Lucas' inspiration for "Star Wars," this book will likewise inspire any writer or reader in its well considered assertion that while all stories have already been told, this is *not* a bad thing, since the *retelling* is still necessary. And while our own life's journey must always be ended alone, the travel is undertaken in the company not only of immediate loved ones and primal passion, but of the heroes and heroines -- and myth-cycles -- that have preceded us.
How to Write is both a practical guide to better writing and a moving personal account of of the things that inspire one of the most original writers of our day. "How generous Rhodes is with his mind and his heart. Buy this book, buy it. It's a handbook on how to live."--The Washington Post.
This complete manual on writing fiction in all genres takes readers through each phase -- from story idea to manuscript to submission -- with a step-by-step guide to the editing and publishing process (including negotiating a contract with or without an agent), and an informative section on writer's conferences and workshops.
A revised and updated edition of one of the most successful guides to writing nonfiction ever published, this is an indispensable tool for anyone who writes or wants to learn to write.
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