February's Writing Show celebrates James River Writers’ new partnership with Firehouse Theater by discussing one of the oldest plot devices in storytelling, The Hero's Journey.
From Gilgamesh to Odysseus and Ivanhoe to Katniss Everdeen, the hero faces tests of strength and character and bests overwhelming odds while meeting his or her doubts and fears. We relate to the hero by assigning our daily struggles to the hero's mythical ones and receiving inspiration so that we, too, can overcome our personal Lex Luther.
The panel features Connie Lapallo, Virginia author of When the Moon Has No More Silver, and Greg Smith, founder of Richmond’s Agile Writers author workshops. Moderated by Doug Jones, playwright, actor, and editor, the panel will discuss the topic for fiction, myth and scripts:
• The stages of the hero’s journey as first outlined by Joseph Campbell
• How archetypes are forged, and how voice must change for each character
• The books and resources writers can use for studying the hero’s journey
• The books, plays, and movies best for understanding the hero’s journey
The Writing Show, described as Inside the Actor’s Studio meets the New York Times bestseller list, happens live in Richmond the last Wednesday of the month. The host is James River Writers, a nonprofit whose mission is to build community by connecting and inspiring writers and readers in central Virginia.
$12 for members/ $15 for non-members in advance at jamesriverwriters.org or at the door, $5 students