Learn Creative Writing from Academy Award Winners

From our deconstruction of hundreds ofover soon.Developing the Shape Shifter:
Hollywood blockbusters and Academy AwardJinnahJinnah's speech; India wants home
Winners....The Hero's Journey is the template uponrule.Hesitatingly getting up from his
which the vast majority of successful stories andchair.Resistance to the trial: people walk
Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact,away.Ghandi's speech.Transformation: I think I'm
ALL of the Hollywood movies we havegoing to read his journal.Transformation: Ghandi at
deconstructed are based on thishome; dressed in a local outfit.Resisting the
template.Understanding this template is a priorityAtonement: Ghandi's philosophy; resists the idea
for story or screenwriters.The Hero's Journey:a)of Home Rule.Trials and Transformation 2:The Old
Attempts to tap into unconscious expectationsMan visits Ghandi.Ghandi arrives in the Town; the
the audience has regarding what a story is andBritish surprises; huge Indian welcome.Threshold
how it should be told.b) Gives the writer moreGuardian: there had better not be any
structural elements than simply three or fourtrouble.Ghandi hears the story of Indigo from the
acts, plot points, mid point and so on.c)sick old man; the British landlords still want their
Interpreted metaphorically, laterally andrents.Around the village on elephants; Ghandi
symbolically, allows an infinite number of variedarrested.Protests at his arrest.Goodbye to the Old
stories to be created.and more...Below is aSelf: saying goodbye to Charlie.New Self: Ghandi's
deconstruction of a classic transformation thathearing; Ghandi refuses to pay; is released.Allies:
sticks rigidly to the Hero's Journey.Ghandi (1982);Nehru sends the young lawyers.Transformation:
basic deconstructionFade in / Loop: Ghandi's death;the British cave in.Transformation: Ghandi takes
Einstein's quote.Meeting the Hero: Ghandi as athird class; walks.Developing the Shape Shifter:
young man on the train.Hero's Capabilities: aGod give me patience.Trial and Transformation
lawyer; reader and thinker.Antagonism in the3:The meeting with Jinnah, Nehru et al; refusing
Ordinary World: thrown off the train.Meeting theterrorism; Ghandi deciding on non-passive but
Mentor : Mr Khan and his attorney tell him thenon-violent resistance; causing the general
way it is in South Africa .Forced out of hisstrike.India shuts down.Ghandi arrested.Nehru visits
Ordinary World: then it must be fought.FirstGhandi in prison; there have been riots; Ghandi
Threshold:Resistance: no one turns up to thereleased if he speaks for non-violence.The
meeting.Mentor 's Guidance: Khan; you writemassacre in Amritshar.The General is cross
brilliantly but you have much to learn aboutexamined.Transformation: Ghandi visits the
men.Interdiction: the police will arrest the first manmassacre and looks down the well.Transformation:
who tries to burn a pass; you want this kind ofGhandi asks the British to leave.Resisting the
trouble you can have it.Overcoming theAtonement: I don't want to make a martyr of
Interdiction: Ghandi burns the passes and getshim.Transformed: Ghandi in simply a loin
beaten by the police.Antagonism: Smuts etcloth.Meeting the Oracle: preaching for Hindu and
al.Outer Cave:Devolved State: just like properMuslim unity; boycotting English cloth.Meeting Miss
English gentlemen.Meeting Allies: meetingSlade / Mirabehn.Slade with Ghandi; hearing stories
Charlie.Meeting Enemies: the thugs on theof rioting between Hindus and Muslims; martial law
street.Developing the Antagonism: they're going toin Bengal .Rioting; the police station.Nehru et al try
change the pass laws.Antagonism: Smuts; Ito persuade Ghandi not to fast.Seizing the Sword:
shouldn't worry about Ghandi.Meeting Allies: WalkerGhandi fasts until Nehru tells him that the riots are
and the carpenter; Ghandi tells Walker of hisover.Near Death Experience: Ghandi arrested for
philosophy.Resisting the Middle Cave : Ghandi's wifesedition; the judge stands; sentenced to six
doesn't want to clean the toilets.Middle Cave :years.Reward: Walker arrives in India ; re-enacting
Ghandi throws out his wife.Inner Cave : Consciousthe wedding ceremony.Preparing for the
Decision to the Belly of the Whale: Ghandi holdsAtonement: talking with Walker .The British decide
the meeting; we will not strike a blow.Warningto ignore the march to the sea with salt; Walker
against the Belly of the Whale: I don't think that'scovers the march.Atonement with the
very good.Belly of the Whale: confronting theFather:Ghandi knows what he is going to do; the
police on horses.Belly of the Whale: Charliestrength of civil resistance; he is in control; the
preaches to the white audience; some walkmarch; reports in the World News.Everyone is
away.Belly of the Whale: Ghandi et al in prison;arrested; but no violence.The British arrest
everyone's in jail, including the women.PhysicalGhandi.The Indians walk into the salt mine and do
Separation: Ghandi meets the SA leadership; thenot resist the beating; Walker reports.Apotheosis:
act is repealed; the cost is that future immigrationthe British release Ghandi and he visits London to
will be curtailed; Daniels lends Ghandi a shilling for adiscuss the terms of their withdrawal.Refusal: the
taxi.New World of the Transformation: Ghandiwill is gone.Ghandi et al arrested again.Margaret
arrives in India .New Creatures / Antagonism infrom Life Magazine arrives.Shape Shifter Reveals:
this World: the British soldiers; the British.New Self:Jinnah has fired up the Muslims.Developing
Ghandi in new clothes; my dignity comes fromMargaret and his wife: talking about married
following my husband.Meeting New Allies andlife.Magic Flight:Ghandi's wife dead.Mountbatten
Mentors: Patel, young Nehru et al.Transformationarrives to take care of Independent India.Rescue
Progressing: stop calling me Mr Patel, you're not afrom Without: Jinnah concerned about Muslim
junior clerk anymore.Developing the Antagonism /slavery.Crossing the Return Threshold: protestors
Foreshadow of the Transformation: Ghandi seeswant the death of Jinnah.Foreshadow of the
the poverty in India .Meeting the Shape Shifter /Resolution: the assassin in the audience.Ghandi has
Foreshadow of the Resolution: Jinnah andto choose between an Independent India and an
Prakash.Foreshadow of the Atonement: we hopeIndependent Pakistan or Civil War.The birth of
you'll join us in our struggle for home rule.ShapePakistan .Crossing the Return Threshold:Fighting
Shifter / Resolution: that's non-violence forbreaks out during the India / Pakistan
you.Pushed onto the Road of Trials: the professormigration.Ghandi fasts until the rioting stops.More
sends Ghandi away to see the real India .Trialsrioting.Foreshadow of the Resolution: death to
and Transformation 1:Ghandi on the train andGhandi.Ghandi wants all fighting to stop.
travelling around India .Time Shift: the war will be