Screenwriting ? The Lone Wolf Story Structure Template

Story Structure Templates are the fastest way to write screenplays. One of the most well known and often used templates, which goes beyond three and four act structure, is the Hero's Journey. Arguably, all stories are a variation of this template and the Lone Wolf is one of the most successful of those variations.

The Lone Wolf template is best explained with a combination of Arthurian Legend archetypes as well as Hero's Journey archetypes. A hero journeys to another land to discover the cause behind the death of blood relatives. A battle with Demon Kings, Enemy Knights, betrayal of an Oracle, Mentors, Shape Shifters and a growing set of revelations result in a Final Conflict and eventual catharsis. This hero can also be considered an anti-hero and this template allows for his final death with the inclusion of a Dark Knight.

The Lone Wolf story structure template consists of 56 sequences, which translates to approximately 2 pages per sequence to complete a full length screenplay. The first eleven sequences include:

1) The (developed) Hero interacts with a Demon King (1) and his Queen. There is a deep, forbidden relationship (maybe sexual) between the Hero and Queen, however, the Demon King is unaware of it and would disapprove if he knew. The Queen is uncomfortable with this situation but the Hero must keep it secret or similar, due to his dependent relationship with the Demon King, the Demon King's strength or that the Hero is in fact a Knight in the service of the Demon King.

2) The Hero feels the need to embark on an adventure, to discover the cause of a recent tragic event, where a family member died ? he suspects that the relative was murdered. The Demon King warns the Hero not to embark on the adventure; references to the dangerous nature of the adventure and the land therein; references to the dangerous nature of antagonists he will encounter there; references to the dangerous nature of the hero himself; references to the hero's status. Reasons may be given as to why the Hero must embark on the adventure. The Demon King may forbid the Hero to travel to the adventure; he may not desire relations with that Kingdom jeopardised.

3) Hero journeys to the land of the adventure. En route, we learn more of his character through his behaviour.

4) Hero arrives at the land of the adventure and makes his way to a social arena, usually an inn, which is full of strange and unfamiliar creatures. The (high) status of the Hero in this place is established. The Hero has arranged a meeting with a Mentor, who was familiar with the deceased and the events surrounding the death. However, the Mentor does not appear. The Hero (may communicate with the Mentor) is suspicious and learns somehow that the Mentor is not interested in this interaction.

5) The Hero enters the home or territory of the deceased relative, with special knowledge gained through some past experience. It is a dark and unwelcoming place. The Hero feels he is being watched. He finds a Magical Aid there. There are reminders of the blood relative's death, perhaps even the body of the relative waiting to undergo a death ceremony. The Hero demonstrates empathy and a closeness with the deceased.

6) The Hero finds a Safe Haven, where he meets an Ally (1). The Hero explains the rules and may have to buy the Ally's allegiance.

7) We learn more of the Hero's character through his behaviour.

8) The Hero investigates the death, by asking specialists, to see if it was caused by some foul play. There is no indication of foul play.

9) The Hero meets the close relatives of the deceased ? who are also related to him. The Hero queries them of the circumstances of the death. Indications as to how he died are given.

10) The Hero and the burial ceremony are being watched.

11) The Hero empathises with the relatives of the deceased and offers to provide support. He mentions his plans to marry the Queen, who is of course the property of Demon King (1) ?this also implies a coming conflict between Hero and Demon King (1).

The Hero's Journey and Lone Wolf story structure templates can be found at http://www.managing-creativity.com.

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

**********************************

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. 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 on http://www.managing-creativity.com.

10 Tips to Avoid Getting Ripped Off by Web Traffic Experts

If you are looking at ways to increase traffic to your website there are many things you can do. Here are 10 tips to avoid getting ripped off by the mounting army of web traffic experts. Most of them will just take your money and waste your time.

1 - Unless you are particularly lazy or have plenty of money to waste, do NOT pay for information that is easily available FREE of charge. A good place to find FREE web traffic information is http://www.IdeaMarketers.com. Many knowledgeable people post all sorts of valuable information at this site. Just put the word "traffic" or "hits" into the search facility and start reading. Another good site to visit is http://www.searchengines.com/optimization/

2 - Explore all avenues of FREE information and FREE search engine submission before you start spending money. If you do this you will have a "benchmark" of statistics against which you can measure the results of the techniques and information you pay for. Also, implement just one change at a time and monitor your statistics for a few days before making further changes.

3 - If you do something that increases your "hits" and the traffic coming to your site, do more of it. If you do something that decreases your hits and traffic, stop doing it. This demonstrates the advantage of keeping a journal of everything you do.

4 - The more you learn to do for yourself, the less you will have to rely on others to do for you - and the more difficult it will be for others to trick you! There is no more powerful weapon than education. Read books and search the internet for the information you need. A good place to start is to teach yourself HTML (hyper text mark up language). Your education and thirst for knowledge will save you money.

5 - Do NOT, under any circumstances, be gullible enough to believe any of the promises made by persons professing to know how to "drive" traffic through your site. What is promised often does not equal what is delivered. Read past the "hype" to get to the truth.

6 - Check out the credentials of all the self-appointed "experts," "gurus," "mentors" and "web professors." If they have the letters PhD after their name, understand that it probably stands for "piled high and deep." If you find somebody that you think you can trust, ask for some trade references before you buy their wares. Use them.

7 - Before entering your credit card details into that secure server, remember what you had to do to earn the money you are spending. You can spend every cent you have trying to get traffic to your site. There are thousands of schemes and plans. All of them profess to be the ultimate fix. Remember also how difficult it is to lower that credit card balance when the statement arrives.

8 - This is good general advice for anything. If it looks like a duck, quacks like a duck and has webbed feet, chances are... it really is a DUCK! Trust your instincts. Saying no thank you when you are suspicious of something can save you time, money and grief.

9 - Ask friends to review your website and get them to give you an honest appraisal of it. Any negative comments are good because they will show you where you need to improve. Being "too close" to a project can often blind you from the obvious.

10 - A clean, uncluttered site offering quality information will attract some traffic by virtue of its own inherent value. Conversely, a useless, inaccurate, cluttered site can have thousands of dollars spent on it and it will never retain traffic. You want people to keep coming back, don't you? Quality content is KING!

For more details on all of the above read Parts 1, 2, 3 and 4 of "A Simple Guide to Analyzing All Those Web Traffic Ideas." You can locate all of these at the Motivation and Self Esteem for Success website at the URL below.

PS: If you think this information might help a friend from falling prey to these dubious practices you can send them a copy of this article (or any related parts) or direct them to the website URL above. Let's get the word out and put a stop to this.

About the author: Gary Simpson is the author of eight books covering a diverse range of subjects such as self esteem, affirmations, self defense, finance and much more. His articles appear all over the web. Gary's email address is budo@iinet.net.au. Click here to go to his Motivation & Self Esteem for Success website where you can receive his "Zenspirational Thoughts" plus an immediate FREE copy of his highly acclaimed, life-changing e-book "The Power of Choice."

What Animal Communicators Do

Many people are awakening today to the idea that the animals who live with us are more than child substitutes, more than "pets". The term "pet" means an animal who lives with us for our amusement or as our companion. All animals are, in fact, sentience beings - conscious, intelligent, with life purposes and life goals. They are aware of themselves and of their situations. They make life choices. They often express unconditional love for the humans who are part of their families.

For most of my adult life I thought I was just pretending that I could have conversations with animals. It was something I did as a game or did without thinking. That was because I was sufficiently programmed as a child to reject idea that the communications I was experiencing telepathically were "just your imagination, my dear." After reading Animal Talk, by Penelope Smith, I came to the startling realization that I had been rejecting what my heart knew was true: I could communicate with animals and they could communicate with me. It was just a short jump from this insight to knowing that I wanted to be a professional Animal Communicator, to help others learn what I had learned.

In making this decision, I rejected the terms "pet psychic" and "readings" because I wanted people to understand that I am not reading the animal as if s/he were a deck of tarot cards, but rather having an intelligent conversation with another intelligent being. This is an important concept: animals are sentient beings with feelings. They are not toys to be played with and discarded when inconvenient. They are not to be treated as children or the elderly or the handicapped or the comatose. They are alive and aware. They think. They feel. They make choices. When they are born and for some length of time which varies with species, they are like human children, requiring additional care and nurturance. Then, like human children, they grow up, albeit into a body which may look small and cute, but which is adult. At this point, they are capable of making decisions for their own lives and should be treated with the same respect and honor that you would give a human equal.

As a professional Animal Communicator, I am asked to speak with the animals who live with other people to facilitate many varied situations. While each situation may have something in common with another situation, generalities are often of less value than allowing individual differences to come through. That is the virtue of being able to speak with an animal - the needs and feelings of that unique and special being can be heard, shared, and responded to in an individual way.

Unfortunately, no telepathic communicator - no person - is one hundred percent accurate all the time in any work. Error can occur because the telepathic connection is weak; because the human client has emotional and/or mental blocks about the situation; because the animal is lying or choosing not to communicate fully; because the meaning of the communication does not fit easily into the backdrop of information available to the human communicator; or because the telepath simply misconstrues the meaning. Each telepathic communicator brings her own emotional and mental baggage to any session: belief systems, expectations, past experiences and emotions. Being able to drop this baggage and to be a clear channel is an important part of the process of doing the work. The best among us do this on a regular basis, but all telepaths, as all other psychics, do filter the information somewhat through their own perspectives on reality. It is part of being human.

When I talk with a client, I am usually on the telephone with the human and telepathically connected with the animal. I work this way because my goals are:

1) To allow the human client to participate in the conversation by hearing a description of what I am experiencing as I experience it.

2) To have the human provide feedback, helping insure I'm on the right track in understanding and translating what I am receiving.

3) To help the human and the animal resolve the situation so that both of them experience a win-win outcome.

Many situations can be easily resolved for the benefit of both human and animal clients. The old adage of walking 100 miles in someone else's moccasins (or paws) is very applicable here. The animal's perspective may be very different from that of the human with whom the animal lives. An important aspect of my work is to help each side understand the other's perspective. Only with mutual understanding can a win-win be created. Only with mutual understanding can our Love for each other be complemented with mutual recognition of our Self in the Other. This leads to respect and admiration, and even greater Love. This is what Animal Communication is all about.

Rev. Nedda Wittels, M.A., M.S., is a telepathic Animal Communicator, Spiritual Counselor, and Shamballa Master/Teacher, offering private sessions in communication and healing for humans and animals. She teaches workshops in Animal Communication, Communication with Nature, and Shamballa Multidimensional Healing. She can be reached at 860.651.5771, NeddaW@aol.com, and http://www.raysofhealinglight.com

Stop Selling! for the Million Dollar Contract

During the introduction of the "Stop Selling!" philosophy, we typically use the example of buying shoes to make the participants aware of the infinite number of ways buyers decide on purchasing simple items.

While using this example makes it easy to get a deeper understanding of buying behavior, it often creates doubts as to whether the "Stop Selling!" approach is equally applicable to selling high-value solutions in business-to-business (B2B) settings. As a matter of fact, this approach is practical for these situations as well.

During my corporate career, I was involved in mostly technical solution sales with order values typically ranging from 20,000 to 4,000,000 USD. Now that I'm working with the "Stop Selling!" approach, I realize that this method would've been extremely useful at that time!

Let's have a look at the key benefits of this unique approach and how they are achieved:

1) Creation of deeply trusted relationships for long-term recurring business
2) Acceleration of the buying decision, leading to more time available for more sales
3) Improved margins by becoming a truly trusted partner

1) Recurring sales through deeply trusted relationships

The "Stop Selling!" approach is much more than a method. It is based on a mindset that differs quite considerably from the typical sales mindset.

Most salespeople believe that once they discover a customer need that could be satisfied with their product (products can be goods, services, solutions, etc.), they have something to sell. As a consequence, perhaps after some further needs analysis, they start pitching their product, hoping that it will lead them to a sale.

However, even though a buyer may have a need that perhaps could be met by the seller's product (or the product of the competition, for that matter), it doesn't necessarily prompt him to act upon that need. There can be numerous reasons for this behavior, including poor prioritization, lack of budget, complicated approval processes, and so on.

It is therefore important for a salesperson to acknowledge that identifying a need that could be satisfied is pretty meaningless unless the buyer realizes that this need is important enough for him to act on it.

If the salesperson is willing to accept the possibility that there might be nothing to sell at this point even though he sees a potential need, only then will he be able to interact with the buyer without creating any pressure.

The "Stop Selling!" approach promotes the concept of NATOO ? "Not being Attached To our Own Outcome". If a salesperson is able to shift his focus completely to the best possible outcome for the buyer independent from the seller's own outcome, he will be able to display true care, resulting in relationships based on deep trust.

Using this approach could mean that for the buyer, the best outcome might be not to buy, or to buy from another supplier.

During our "Stop Selling!" seminars we help the participants adopt this new mindset through a change in their belief system. This is achieved through "real plays", i.e., role plays that reflect their own situation. Through this exercise, they experience the role of their buyers and become aware of their own selling patterns and how they can change them.

Needless to say, a deep level of trust becomes more important when more is at stake in making a buying decision.

2) More sales through acceleration of the buying decision

While the "Stop Selling!" approach seems to be a soft approach towards sales, it is by no means a slow or passive one.

One of the key targets of our approach is to shorten the length of the buying cycle without creating uncomfortable pressure for the buyer.

In the true sense of coaching ? that is, to help the coachee speed up his development ? the seller assists the buyer in making his buying decision faster than he would without the seller's intervention.

Making a buying decision is like solving a jigsaw puzzle: the seller has an idea of what the final picture could look like and the buyer needs to assemble majority of the pieces to see the picture.

The puzzle pieces represent the criteria and factors the buyer needs to consider and align before he can make a decision. The seller, having an outsider's view of the entire picture, is in a position to coach the buyer through his decision by asking whether certain key pieces are already in place. In order to do so, the seller needs to learn how to ask the right questions without creating pressure and without disrupting the buyer's own efforts to move forward with his own process. We have observed that the coaching approach is an effective way to do this.

Obviously, for high-value buying decisions, the puzzle is more difficult to assemble. This also means a salesperson acting as a highly qualified buying coach can add tremendous additional value to the buyer.

3) Improved margins by becoming a truly trusted partner

It is far from easy for a salesperson to adopt this new mindset and truly coach the buyer, especially when the seller is used to being a consultant who believes he has all the answers. Habits are hard to change so this process requires a strong follow- through for new behaviors to be wholly adopted. This is why we emphasize the importance of effective follow-up procedures after our seminars.

Let's be realistic: even if we are fully aware of the benefits of the "Stop Selling!" approach and even if we can grasp what the new mindset and resulting behaviors should be like, we are still likely to make mistakes and may occasionally fall back into our old patterns. This, in itself, is not a problem ? as long as we are aware when it does happen. We need to become sensitive and create a higher level of self-awareness, so that we can take corrective actions when necessary.

However, once we manage to fully apply this new approach, the quality of our relationships with our (potential) buyers shifts. We become truly trusted partners instead of people who want to sell something. When we achieve this state, the selling price becomes secondary because both parties look for true win-win outcomes, which include a comprehensive margin for the seller also. This is equally true for selling shoes ? and for selling high-value solutions.

Conclusion: The "Stop Selling!" approach is not just a technique for selling certain products. It involves a new mindset for a different approach towards (potential) buyers. In effect, the buyer recognizes the seller as a truly trusted partner who adds new value to the relationship by being an effective coach for the buyer. The benefits for the seller are shorter buying cycles, recurring business and improved margins. Clearly, the impact on selling high-value solutions tends to be even more significant.

About Charlie Lang

Charlie works with senior executives who are already successful and want to stay at the leading edge. They are often challenged by issues like:
- How to improve staff retention, especially how to keep top performers
- How to achieve a corporate success culture that guarantees longterm success
- How to create new levels of excellence through high employee engagement
- How to transform the business results through a different approach towards sales

Charlie, an executive coach & trainer who is known for his innovative approaches towards leadership, change processes and sales, assists his clients in mastering these challenges. They achieve outstanding results through Charlie's unique application of latest findings in research combined with his own experience in intern. management and leadership.

Charlie is the author of numerous articles and of the book The Groupness Factor. He delivers speeches and keynotes on sales, leadership and coaching.

When AdSense Goes AWOL

No matter how hard you work to optimize your page, there are going to be times when Google just can't figure out which AdSense ad to deliver, so it defaults to delivering a PSA (Public Service Ad) instead.

Now I don't have any problem with charities, but I give to the ones that I choose to give to. Since I don't have a non-profit license of my own, the goal of my web site is to make money and I depend on Google AdSense revenues to help pay my bills. Someday I want it to fund my retirement as well, so I can't afford to have non-revenue PSAs showing up on my site.

The good news is the Google understands the human's basic greedy nature, so it provides us with an alternative to donating our precious web real estate to charitable organizations. That alternative is known as AdSense Alternate Ads.

As strange as it seems, this feature allows you to let Google competitors into your site. Don't worry, Google is allowing it with their eyes wide open. They even tell you how to set up the alternate ad code to work on your site and they let you do it right in your AdSense control panel.

Once you add the code to your site, Google will pull ads from whatever service you defined rather than serve a PSA. Google will do that even if those ads are coming from Yahoo, or Overture, or your grandmother's attic.

This goes a long way towards ensuring that you never lose an opportunity to monetize a visitor's time spent on your site. How nice it is of Google to gives us that opportunity.

Who do you choose?

Ah, now that's the big question. Most people head straight for Overture or Yahoo, but there are other fish in the sea worth considering. In fact, some of these fish make their living almost solely by serving replacement ads for PSAs. Run this search (http://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official_s&hl=en&q=google+psa+alternatives&btnG=Google+Search) on Google and you'll have plenty of options to choose from.

Why bother?

Sometimes Google doesn't have any ads in its inventory to match your site's keywords. Sometimes Google gets confused and can't figure out which ads to deliver, so it grabs a PSA ad.

Google also has a not-so-readily-available list of what it calls "stop words". When the Google AdSense spiders detect these words on your page they automatically trigger PSAs. Some of the more commonly known words include severe profanity (think: George Carlin's 7 Words You Can't Say on T.V), as well as other words which may very be quite legitimate for your site such as pharmaceutical, drugs, death, dying, abortion, and the list goes on and on. At least we THINK that it goes on and on but no one really knows for sure outside of a trusted few Google staffers.

But no matter what the reason, you don't want non-revenue ads running on your site. There's no excuse when Google makes it so easy to keep the revenue flowing.

Diane provides marketing and internet profit tips. For more Google AdSense tips, visit http://www.adsense.deeljeabiz.com Email : deeljeabiz@gmail.com

Minimizing Homework Hassles

John Bishop's Goal Setting for Students.com

Parents ? Minimize Homework Hassles?

It's 6:30 at night and you just got home from a long day at work, but the day's not over yet. First, there's dinner, then homework and don't forget the chores. Your husband has to finish his proposal by 7 a.m., and you have an important presentation for the president of the company tomorrow. Add a little stress from the monthly bills and the possibility of Dad's company being downsized, and you have the average US family scenario.

Given all these pressures you still want the best for your children and are willing to sacrifice for them. You want to give them the tools they will need to succeed in school and in life. The problem is time. Your solution is getting your children to take more personal ownership of their education. Consider what private schools have done for years.

In a study of 1,050 adults in St. Louis, Missouri, ranging from 28 ? 60 years of age - only thirty six people (3.6%) learned about goal setting when they were in young. The breakdown is very significant: 31 learned from private schools, 3 from their parents, and only 2 learned about goal setting in public schools.

Difference Between Public and Private Schools:

Private schools:

1. Make goal setting and educational ownership a priority.

2. Integrate these principles into the student's educational experience.

3. Students are taught that they are directly responsible for the quality of their education.

Public schools:

1. Teach goal setting as a small part of a bigger program.

2. Are under enormous pressure to complete the bigger program in a specific time.

3. Goal setting and educational ownership are not integrated into the school's curriculum.

We can't continue do the same thing over and over again and expect different results! Parents can't wait for public schools to make goal setting a priority!

Teaching your child about goal setting and educational ownership will minimize your homework hassles. It will help your son or daughter make better decisions, take more responsibility, and embrace your efforts to help them succeed. In addition, knowing how to set and achieve goals will positively impact your child's motivation, class participation, and academic achievement.

For your FREE subscription to Mr. Bishop's "Teaching Moments" please visit the website.

--

FREE Reprint Rights - You may publish this article in electronically or in print, in whole or in part, as long as the bylines and website address are included.

John Bishop is the Executive Director of Accent On Success? an organization dedicated to giving parents, teachers, and other caregivers the tools they need to help children succeed in school and in life. He is the author of Goal Setting for Students?. http://www.GoalSettingForStudents.com

First Responder Human Hibernation Units

In the next few years paramedics, first responders and military medics will have instant hibernation devices. These devices will come in small canisters of the gas to slow the body down after replacing lost blood and/or stopping bleeding. The replacement blood will be synthetic and coagulate faster to seal the wounds and once this happens the victim of the injury will be given hibernation gas. This gas will put the person in temporary suspended animation. When multiple victims are around each person will be administered the hibernation gas as the available first responders work thru the victims in order of most injured and serious first.

The gas used may be hydrogen sulfide, which in high concentrations can be a deadly toxin, but in the proper ratio will merely cause induced hibernation. Mark Roth and a team of medical researchers have proved concept by putting mice into hibernation similar to bears. Their mammalian bodies were slowed by 90% and the possibilities for this method for saving people are truly endless.

Imagine the benefits to the saving of lives in automobile accidents, train wrecks, bus crashes or airliners running off the end of a runway in a ball of fire? Imagine in a severe Hurricane, Earthquake or other natural disaster? This is a super break thru in medical research and must receive full funding for all applications and problems it might solve in the future on our elliptical traveling pale blue dot.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs