Paradox now on sale at Amazon.com

My YA novel Paradox is now available at Amazon.com. The Kindle version is only $2.99, and the print version will be coming soon.
 
 

Here's the blurb from Amazon:

When Zac Ryger discovers TEMPUS, a machine that allows its users to travel into the past, it never dawns on him that time travel is a curse.
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“I want to go back,” Zac said. “I want to return to the present.”

“Soon,” Bryce said. “But do you see why we’re here? There is always something we want to change. Everyone has something, even I do. But we can’t change every bad thing. It’s impossible.”

“But this is so big,” Zac said, eyes full of tears. He tried to block out the sounds surrounding him.

“Yes, but it’s filled with so many variables that we don’t know what would happen if all those people survived.”

“Those are people, not variables!”

“I know,” Bryce said. “I agree. But there will come a point where every single one of us will want to use this ability of time travel to correct something. To stop something bad from happening. But we can’t.” He sighed. “We have to resist that temptation when it comes to us.”

Reflections on the Man of Steel Controversy

I must admit that I enjoyed the movie Man of Steel. While watching it, I realized that this was the first time I could conceive of a being like Superman existing in our own world. And of course, there is one particular scene that immediately caught my attention, and it has been the source of controversy. (Spoilers ahead!)

In the film, there is a lot of violence. A lot. Lots of fighting, lots of destruction, and collateral damage galore. Some have criticized this as overkill, but I think that to root such extraordinary beings in our world, the filmmakers needed to show the contrast with our world. If beings like this came to our world, what would be the possible ramifications?

The damage done by the terraforming machine was massive, using gravity-like pulses to lift cars and people up into the air before slamming them to the ground. When buildings fell and the shaky camera followed people as they ran, turned, and looked, my immediate thoughts were how much this reminded me of the news footage I watched on September 11, 2001. The collapse of the buildings amplified the evil of Zod and his soldiers, as my mind linked the fictional events to the only other time I've seen buildings fall like that. Of course, that is not to minimize the actual events of September 11.

Some complained about the collateral damage, asking why Superman didn't try to lure Zod and his soliders away from populated areas. Of course, the immediate answer for this is because it was a movie, and the filmmakers wanted to show a lot of destruction. But from a storytelling point of view, one must remember that this was Clark Kent's first time putting on the warrior's uniform and revealing himself to the world. And just as he is learning to manage his powers, he is confronted by beings equally as powerful as he is. The fight scenes were chaotic and frantic, and Clark seemed like a frightened child in some sense. The battle began when he heard Zod threatening his mother; reacting in an intense, protective anger, he drove Zod through the field, using him like a plowshare, yelling at him to leave his mother alone. The fight scene that followed was more reactive than proactive.

The most controversial scene, though, was where Superman killed Zod by snapping his neck. In the comics, Superman doesn't kill the bad guys. And of course, some have defended the action by saying that the film is a new "vision" of Superman, a modern take on the classic hero. I think that there is more to the decision than the "new take," however.

Having seen the movie a second time now, I still registered shock each time I saw the action. Zod was bent on destroying Earth, and the earlier callous destruction only amplified that point. After Kal-El destroys the scout ship, Zod rises from it, declaring that his sole purpose for which he was bred was to ensure the survival of his people. (The film mentioned the fact that Kryptonian children were bred for specific roles; Zod's was to be a warrior.) He says that without people, he now has no purpose. "No matter how violent, every action I take is for the greater good of my people," he declares. As Zod goes on a rampage, they ultimately end up with Superman holding Zod in a choke hold. Zod declares that if Kal-El loves these people on Earth so much, he can mourn for them, and begins trying to kill a family with hi heat vision.

Superman begs him to stop, to which Zod responds, "Never!"  For Kal-El, it isn't just a simple command; he is begging, anguish in his face and in his voice. It's almost as if he is that small, scared child again, hiding and panicking in the closet, waiting for one of his parents to tell him what he needs to do. As Zod struggles to kill the family, we can almost hear an echo of the speech Zod gave earlier about his entire purpose being to ensure the survival of his people. Kal-El faces a decision, and he chooses to do what Superman never does. He kills him.

But it is not a victorious kill. It's an angst-ridden one. After snapping Zod's neck, he is quiet, shaken and shocked by what he has done, tears filling his eyes. Horror-stricken, he screams out in agony and anguish; clearly, this wasn't a decision he came to lightly. The scene closes with Kal-El slumped on the ground, burying his face into Lois as she holds him.

While I love the fact that Superman has always been the "big blue boyscout" in the comics, I don't think this scene ruined his image. I think it portrayed his struggles deep inside, revealing his humanity. It shows a desperate, broken hero. There is one other scene that I think best echoes his struggle. As he walks into the church, confiding in the priest about what he should do, there is a stained glass image of Jesus in the background. Only it's not Jesus on the cross or performing a miracle; it's Jesus praying in Gethsemane, struggling with the decision of what he should do for the sake of humanity.

Superman showed that he would protect humanity in those final moments. It also gave a glimpse of his own humanity.

Save the Cat! Guest Post on July 5

On July 5, you can catch my guest blog post at the web site for the best-selling Save The Cat! book series. Just go to the Save the Cat! web site. The topic revolves around the story types for Monsters, Inc. and Monsters University. And be sure to pick up copies of the books in the series. They're an excellent addition for any writer's bookshelf.

Monsters University: The Hero's Journey

I often write about how the Hero's Journey is seen in various movies, and it's not just applicable to superhero movies. Even in family films, the protagonist undergoes a Journey. Monsters University follows more of an inner journey, as this brief look shows. Of course, if you haven't seen the movie, be aware that there are spoilers below.

1. Ordinary World: Mike Wazowski is a small child. He's so small, in fact, that everyone treats him like he will never amount to anything, and he definitely won't be able to work as a Scarer at Monsters, Inc. But when his class takes a field trip to visit the facility, his dreams are set in stone.

2. Call To Adventure: Mike arrives at college, Monsters University. This is the Special World for him. A previous montage shows how Mike has planned his entire life out in minute detail in an attempt to achieve his dreams. College, however, will not necessarily follow his plans.

3. Refusal of the Call: For Mike, the Refusal mainly comes from others around him. While the Hero usually has some self-doubts, Mike is focused and determined. Others, like Sully, don't think he has what it takes to be a Scarer. And because Mike and Sully are a team later on, Sully's Refusal coupled with that of the others who reject him, gives him an obstacle to overcome on his quest.

4. Meeting with the Mentor: Mike is basically his own Mentor. At least, his dreams and plans are; they are what guides him and pushes him to continue despite the odds and the doubts of everyone around him. In addition, the flyer he gets for the Scare Games continues to guide him when he is kicked out of classes later.

5. Crossing the Threshold: The college classes start, and Mike quickly shows his stuff. But he is also upstaged by naturally-scary Sully, whose family legacy makes it easy for him to coast through classes

6. Tests, Allies, Enemies: As Mike begins adjusting to college life, he meets his roommate, Randall, and also encounters his classmates. Some simply tolerate him, while others like Sully and the guys in the fraternities, ridicule him. He faces a critical Scare test, and he and Sully are kicked out of the class while trying to out-scare each other.

Mike then tries to get back into the program by participating in the Scare Games. He joins the misfits in Oozma Kappa, along with Sully, and they begin to compete in events. They fail at first, but soon learn that they must use teamwork to win.

7. Approach:After finally achieving a brief victory, Mike's team bands together, taking the Scare Games seriously. Soon, they are quickly rising to the top, and will compete against the reigning fraternity, Roar Omega Roar.

8. Ordeal: During the final event of the Scare Games, the Journey to get back into the program could end in failure. Through teamwork, Oozma Kappa proves its resolve and wins the event.

9. Reward: The Reward is winning the Scare Games along with the respect of the other students, not to mention acceptance back into the program.

10. The Road Back: The victory is short-lived, however, as Mike discovers that Sully has cheated to help them win. Mike is determined to prove that he can scare, and walks through a door that leads to a summer camp. Sully confesses to the dean, but when he learns what Mike has done, he goes after him.

11. Resurrection:After Mike and Sully confess their shortcomings to each other, they team up, using their strengths, to prove that they can, indeed, be scary. Sully overcomes his fears about scaring, and Mike overcomes his doubts about himself as they discover that what they really need to do is work together.

12. Return with the Elixir: Even though they are still kicked out of Monsters University, Mike and Sully realize that they belong together and find work in the mail room at Monsters, Inc. The end credits show pictures portraying the rise of this team that has become a close friendship.

Man of Steel (2013): Kal-El's Hero's Journey

Superman's origin story is familiar to pretty much everybody whether they've read a comic book or not. An alien child, sent to Earth to escape a dying planet, lives among humans and slowly discovers his powers and abilities, learning what makes him unique. The new film proposed an exciting, different look into his origins. Gone was the weakness-causing kryptonite. Instead, Superman's humanity and struggle to cope with his identity would be the topic of exploration. This version of the origin story offers a darker, yet more realistic, interpretation. The writers correctly surmised that if an alien were suddenly flying around our cities, people would not be excited; they would be fearful. The story explores the humanity of Kal-El; what would it be like for a small child to hear all of the voices in his head suddenly, or to gain x-ray vision? Many think that to attain such abilities would be exciting; to a child, it would be terrifying.


Below is the Hero's Journey for Kal-El, the Man of Steel. Spoilers are ahead if you have not seen the film. The names Clark and Kal-El are used interchangeably, as they are his dual identities.

1. Ordinary World: While Kal-El's home world is technically Krypton, he does not yet know it. For him, his whole life has been here on Earth. He is named Clark by his parents, and this is the world he knows.

2. Call To Adventure: The film reveals Clark's Call through flashbacks. As a child, strange things begin to happen to him. He can see through objects (and people's skin), he has heat vision, and he can hear voices, making it difficult for him to focus. It's a horrifying experience for a child. He tries to understand why he is different, why he is a freak compared to everyone else. Teased on the bus, Clark endures the taunts, refusing to use his abilities to stand up to bullies. Only when the bus plummets off a bridge does he use his strength to save everyone. This, of course, causes questions to pop up from neighbors. His father counsels him, struggling with what Clark should do. He shows Clark the spaceship he arrived in as a baby, revealing his true heritage to him.

3. Refusal of the Call: Truly, the Call and Refusal flow back and forth throughout young Clark's life. However, Clark's main Refusal comes from his inability to fit in with society. He struggles with how to use his powers, not fighting back when thrown against a fence and taunted. Much of his adult life is spent as a drifter, going from job to job in an effort to find a place where he belongs.While working on one such job, he finds some answers.

4. Meeting with the Mentor: Clark finds a frozen spaceship while working with a military research expedition. Entering it, he uses his Kryptonian key, and an image of his father appears, Jor-El's consciousness transmitted from the spaceship. He teaches Clark his true heritage and purpose, preparing him to Cross the Threshold.

It is important to note that both his mother and father on Earth also served as key Mentor figures, as flashbacks show. His father was adamant that Clark keep his powers hidden, helping him to find the right time when the world would need and accept him. His mother also represented a gentler kind of Mentor, teaching Clark how to find stillness in the storm of his burgeoning abilities.

5. Crossing the Threshold: Having met with Jor-El, Clark emerges from the ship, stepping out in the warrior's garment he has found. Usually, Kryptonions would wear a heavier armor over that garment, as we will see with the others that appear later, but in this case, his garment is what the people of Earth will recognize him by. He literally steps through the threshold of the spaceship door, a symbolic representation of entering the New World, one in which he knows his place and his purpose.

6. Tests, Allies, Enemies: Clark, now knowing his true name as Kal-El, tests out his powers and abilities. At first shaky, he soon discovers how to control them and how the Earth's atmosphere has strengthened him, his cells drinking in the sun's radiation. He speaks to Lois Lane at his father's grave, discussing his dilemma with her. He wants to honor his father's wishes for him to keep his abilities hidden, and she, in turn, keeps his identity a secret. It's a victory for Clark as he discovers a new ally.

All is not meant to remain victorious, however. The world soon learns that it is not alone. General Zod, having searched for the son of Jor-El for over thirty years, follows the beacon activated by Clark when he found the scout ship. Now, he broadcasts his demands to the entire planet: turn over the Kryptonian or face annihilation. Here, Clark is tested: he must decide whether or not to face this enemy. In a symbolic scene, he speaks with a priest in a church about his struggle. Does he surrender to Zod? Can Zod be trusted? Can humanity? As speaks his mind, Clark is sitting in front of a stained-glass window depicting Jesus praying in Gethsemane. This is Clark's Gethsemane, and a major test on his point. He must decide if he is truly ready to undertake this journey set before him as the enemy waits.

Making a bold decision, Clark decides to reveal himself to the world and to turn himself in to Zod. He and Lois are taken to Zod's ship, where he learns of Zod's goals: to turn Earth into a new Krypton. But first, Zod must find the Codex stolen by Jor-El. As Zod goes to the surface, Kal-El must escape.

7. Approach:Returning to the planet's surface, Kal-El fights Zod, protecting his mother and his home. The fight continues into downtown Smallville, where Clark has his first true fight with beings like himself. This fight is preparing him for the ultimate showdown. On Earth, challenges seem inconsequential. But faced with Kryptonians, he must fight harder. He has already learned that his body struggles with the Kryptonian atmosphere; now, he learns how difficult it is to fight Kryptonians.

8. Ordeal: Having survived the battle in Smallville, Kal-El now must save the planet from the terraforming machine. He struggles against it, as it is creating a Kryptonian atmosphere, causing him weakness. The technology of the machine seems unbeatable as it throws him into the water below. This is where he will learn if he can finish the Journey. It could end in his death, but instead, he stands beneath it, focusing as his parents taught him, fighting against the Kryptonian technology. In a desperate effort, he flies up and against the machine, destroying it.

9. Reward: Kal-El's Reward is the fact that he has saved Earth. But the Journey is not over yet.

10. The Road Back: Kal-El returns to Metropolis. Amidst the devastation, he finds Zod in the scout ship and confronts him.

11. Resurrection:The Resurrection seems to be two-part. First, when confronted by Zod to choose between Krypton and Earth, Kal-El declares that Krypton had its chance, destroying the scout ship and Zod's chance of recreating Krypton. Zod declares that he is now without purpose, as he was born to protect his species. He now dedicates himself to destroying those Clark holds dear. In a sense, this is where his other Resurrection moment comes in. After an intense fight with Zod, he ultimately kills him, despite a desperate attempt to get Zod to stop his actions. Kal-El makes a difficult decision, but it proves that he is loyal to Earth.

12. Return with the Elixir: The Elixir is Kal-El's new identity: Superman. He confronts General Swanwick, telling him that the world can trust him. He is not Earth's enemy; he is a protector.

"Tie-ing" It All Together

It has been a while since my last blog entry. I have meant to make more updates, do more analyses with the Hero's Journey, but time has been limited. For one, I have discovered a new hobby: tie-making. Well, sort of a new hobby. As a middle school teacher, I love to wear unique, geeky neckties. I have several superhero ones, but I have always wanted a Batman one. I quickly found out that they are either difficult to obtain or are too expensive for my budget. So, I decided to act on my plan from several years ago. Using a tie pattern I had bought, I purchased some Batman fabric and made my own. It actually turned out okay, and so I attempted to make a few more. Actually, "a few" would be an understatement. In all, I've made 10 so far, all completely geeky, as you can see below.

Superman, Star Wars Tie Fighters, and Batman

Star Wars Characters, Death Star/AT-AT Blueprints, Star Trek, and Marvel Comic Book Words

Wolverine/Hulk, Classic Comic Covers, and Iron Man/Thor

I would love to make a Doctor Who one, but the fabric is a bit pricey. Even so, I am thinking of selling some on Etsy for fellow geeks.But more than neckties, I've been finishing up my latest novel, tentatively titled Legacy. It's a follow-up to another one I did called Redemption. My students had asked me to do a sequel, but I don't write with sequels in mind. Instead, I wrote a companion novel. The most difficult, yet most fun, part of writing a novel is tying it all together at the end, letting the reader see and understand how all the pieces fit together.

But of course, planning is what makes this possible. For my novels, I have begun to reference them against the Hero's Journey structure and the Blake Snyder Beat Sheet from the popular Save the Cat! screenwriting books. These help me to see where pieces of the plot fit best, as well as help me understand what is missing. Most importantly, it allows me to ensure that there is character transformation, the most pivotal piece of any story.

My books will be available on Amazon.com in both print and Kindle formats, tentatively slated for this summer.

The Fringe Series Finale

Warning: if you haven't seen the series finale of Fringe, stop here. There are spoilers ahead.

Fringe is over. Five years have passed, although it doesn't seem like it can possibly have been that long. Initially, I was excited to begin watching a new series by the creator of my then-new-favorite show, Lost. It sounded like it was going to be an updated version of The X-Files, another favorite of mine, and the show that inspired the kinds of stories I write (and plan to write).

However, at the time, I found watching it difficult. My wife was pregnant with our second child and was constantly tired, so it was up to me alone to pretty much put our toddler to bed, and by then, the show was over. Since we don't have a DVR or any service like that, I stopped watching. I hadn't grown hooked on the show by the first two episodes, so I figured I'd rent it on DVD.

Once I did, I was hooked. I watched all of the episodes back-to-back, then glued myself to the television for Season Two. There was so much that was excellent about this show: the strange science-based cases, the dynamics between the characters, Walter's randomness... and the Observers. The introduction of the Observers mythology carved the path for the show. September was such an intriguing creation that I couldn't help but ask questions and debate the possibilities.

I loved every minute of the show. To keep it alive in my mind when I wasn't watching, I bought all of the soundtracks for each season. I was nervous during the Fourth Season when Peter was removed from the timeline, but they quickly got back to the same dynamics viewers came to know and love. And perhaps this made us care for them more, as we realized what could have been lost.

As Season Five began, I found the initial episode depressing, feeling horrible for Walter and the Fringe Team. Waking up only to find the world a worse place to live than when they left it... what a horrible fate.

Yet fate has a way of changing. Which brings me to the final episode. I sat on the edge of my seat, eager to see how they would carry out their plan. I knew they would succeed; they had to. But it was the interlocking elements of the show that made it so powerful. Walter's conversation with Peter was heartbreaking: "You're my favorite thing, Peter." Thinking back to the first episode when Peter and Walter were at such odds, it is amazing to see such a transformation in both of them. And did it really surprise anyone? After all, the show is as much about their father-son dynamic as it is about the science and the Observers.

References to past episodes abounded. The way they stormed the Observers' headquarters by unleashing their past Fringe cases left me excited (and a little bit grossed out). And in its final moments, Fringe showed the audience what we knew all along: this is not just a show about action, it's a show about emotion.

As in any Hero's Journey, there is a final moment in which the Hero (or Heroine) has a "Resurrection" in which they apply all they have learned. And I'll admit, I got chills as I saw Olivia framed by the city behind her, facing off with Windmark. The car alarms sounded, lights flashed, and the city was drained of its power. Wow. A perfect Resurrection moment; Olivia always was the main hero of the story.

I think this is why Michael allowed himself to be taken by Windmark to Liberty Island. This way, Olivia would be dosed with Cortexiphan once more, allowing her to channel her telekinetic powers. Of course, it seems that Michael is imbued with different abilities than the traditional Observers. He is a supposed anomaly; perhaps he is an anomaly of the timeline, just as Peter was. Most viewers assumed that when Michael and Walter went to the future, it would mean no more Observers, and thus no more invasion, no more interference, etc. But this isn't exactly the case. Maybe it meant that the Observers were still created, but this time, they had emotions intact like Michael did. They still observed and interacted to some degree, but never had the inclination of invading the era that Season Five revolved around. Perhaps Michael is an anomaly in the sense that his creation is the product of his own interaction with the future; after all, he could remember both timelines when Olivia had asked him about it. Perhaps by being "outside" of time, he could not be affected by any paradoxes that would arise.

Of course, with time travel, everything gets tricky. I believe there are answers, ones the writers might reveal someday. And if not, Fringe is still an example of a wonderful story. I will miss it, and I think that the network made a mistake in cancelling it when they did. But maybe it's not over. Maybe in an alternate universe, my alternate self is still watching it.

And maybe there's an Observer standing over me, remembering that there's more than one of everything.

When Fiction Is Too Close To Reality

In the past few months, I've considered taking one of my earlier novels straight to the Kindle and eBook marketplace. It's not that I cannot find an agent; if I had the time apart from a full-time teaching job, I would invest it in just that. It's the subject matter of the novel that makes it a difficult sell, I think. It's not about vampires or an adventure full of harrowing events, nor is it a romance or a sci-fi survival story. And even though I have felt ready to tackle this new foray into publishing, I want to take a step back.

This is because my second novel, Redemption, is about a school shooting. I wrote it about four years ago, and it was inspired by the events of Columbine. I can still remember that day in April 1999 as I watched the television monitors of my college cafeteria, students streaming out of their school. When friends asked what would make other teens do such a heinous act, my first response was, "I'll be they were bullied, and this is how they were retaliating." It was the truth, as investigators would find out in the ensuing weeks and months. As a teacher, I know students are bullied. I also know that what happened at Columbine was wrong.

And so a few years later, I had the idea of writing a novel in which the protagonist meets a mysterious new student, one who seems to know a lot about others and who says that he is there to prevent a massacre from happening. The protagonist is doubtful until he is shown visions of what will happen. The book addresses the topics of cliques, bullies, and how teens react to it all. As the protagonist races to stop the event, he learns that it is more difficult than he intended. Hatred burrows deep, and once the seed is planted, it roots itself in the heart.

In an effort to capture an authentic teen voice and test it out, I had students read the manuscript and give advice. That's the great thing about teens... they're gut-wrenchingly honest. If they don't like something or it doesn't make sense, they will let you know. Fortunately, many of my readers loved Redemption, both males and females. I found that it was leading them to have conversations about the topic well after they read it, and parents told me that it affected their teens deeply. I think it's because it doesn't come with a happy ending. Just like in real life, we can't always stop the bad from happening. And like in real life, choices have consequences.

This year, my new students have asked to read it, having heard about it from their friends. But in the wake of the Aurora movie theater shooting, I declined. Eventually, I decided to let them read it, but only after having contacted their parents first. All of the parents have been supportive of their teens reading it, agreeing that it is an important and serious topic.

Yet with the recent events in Connecticut, I have realized that it's not the right time to release this novel. While the events in the book are not the same as what happened in Connecticut, it is too close to reality. Perhaps the time will be right eventually, and I will be able to share the story with a wider audience. But until that time, I must wait until the day when the plot will be closer to fiction than fact.

The Hero's Journey: Wreck-It Ralph

When I first saw the trailer for Disney's Wreck-It Ralph, I was excited to see all the video game references. The story of a Bad Guy desiring to be the Good Guy was an interesting approach, especially since it was done through referencing classic video games. Ralph goes on a true Hero's Journey in the story; it demonstrates that beneath the computer animation and funny jokes, there is a deeper story breaking through. If you have seen the film, read on to see how his Journey unfolds. But remember, there are SPOILERS AHEAD. See the film first and experience the Journey with him.


1. Ordinary World: Ralph's Ordinary World is inside his game, Fix-It Felix, Jr. For the past 30 years, he's been carrying on the same role of the Bad Guy. He smashes the building, Felix fixes it with the help of the players, and Ralph is tossed from the top of the building into the mud below. Felix receives a medal and the admiration of the building's residents while Ralph goes to live in the outskirts of the game's environment.

Later, Ralph is at a meeting with a bunch of other Bad Guys, including gaming icons such as Bowser, Dr. Robotnik, M. Bison, Zangief, and others. It is here that he reveals his frustrations and struggles with always having to be the Bad Guy in the game. He wants to belong, to be someone different from who he is. He wants to be the Hero for once. But as the other Bad Guys tell him, they can't change who they are; they can't mess with the program. They admonish Ralph not to "game-jump," as it can have devastating consequences for his own game. Defeated, Ralph goes back to his own game.

2. Call To Adventure: When Ralph arrives back in his own 8-Bit game, he is surprised that there's a party going on in the apartment building's penthouse. They're celebrating the game's 30th anniversary. Ralph invites himself in, only to be treated poorly because he's simply the Bad Guy. Felix is the one who wins the medals; Bad Guys don't win medals. One of the apartment-dwellers tells Ralph that if he can win a medal, he can join them in the penthouse.

3. Refusal of the Call: Of course, Ralph knows full well that this is impossible. He's the Bad Guy. He can't possibly win a medal. The only way he can get one is if he finds one somewhere. It is this desire to find an elusive medal that will guide his Journey. He heads to Tapper's to drown his sorrows.

4. Meeting with the Mentor: Ralph doesn't really meet a Mentor who will train and guide him. In a sense, the bartender at Tappers serves as a sort of Mentor as he gives Ralph advice, but a better fit for Mentor is an even more unlikely one; a soldier from the game Hero's Duty passes Ralph, nervously repeating his mission to destroy the cy-bugs in the game. When Ralph questions him about it, he learns that in this game, a Hero can get a medal. This is the prompting that Ralph needs to take the next step. He takes the soldier's suit and gets ready to go into Hero's Duty.

5. Crossing the Threshold: Deciding to game-jump, Ralph Crosses the Threshold by going into the game Hero's Duty. By taking this step into a new game to become a participant, he is stepping into the Special World, an upside-down world that is foreign from the one he knows back in his comfortable game. However, by crossing over, he is also putting his Ordinary World at risk. When players find out Ralph is missing from his own game, the arcade owner realizes it might be time to pull the plug from the old arcade game.

6. Tests, Allies, Enemies:Ralph's first test is an antithesis from what he originally knows. Hero's Duty is completely different from simply climbing buildings and breaking things. He is led into battle against the cy-bugs by Sgt. Calhoun, and he quickly panics. Being inside a violent, first-person shooter is not what he had in mind when he enthusiastically dreamed of earning a medal. When the cy-bugs return to their beacon, Ralph follows them to their lair to obtain the medal inside. He gets it, but he inadvertently stirs the entire nest of cy-bugs. He escapes in a ship, entering the racing game Sugar Rush. However, he has also brought a cy-bug with him. This spells disaster, because cy-bugs are viruses that can spread through the entire arcade, destroying every game.

While in Sugar Rush, Ralph also meets Vanellope von Schweetz, who takes his medal and tries to use it to enter the race she has been banned from. Ralph explores this new land, learning what it and its citizens are like. In his search for the medal, Ralph finds Vanellope. He wants to give her a piece of his mind, but when he sees that she is being bullied for being a "glitch," he has compassion for her and befriends her.

7. Approach: Ralph follows Vanellope to her home and learns more about her. She is a "glitch" and therefore cannot leave her game if she wanted to. She is an outcast much like him, and she is denied the ability to participate in the races. He decides to help her; they sneak into a mini-game and build a vehicle for her, and he teaches her how to drive and race. Things are looking up; Ralph thinks Vanellope will have a chance at winning.

8. Ordeal: The Ordeal for Ralph comes at a most difficult decision. King Candy comes to Ralph with the medal and says that Ralph must prevent Vanellope from racing. If she races and wins, she will become a playable character. This might sound good, but when players see her "glitch," they will think the game is broken. The plug will be pulled, and while other characters can escape the game, Vanellope will be trapped forever, gone when the power goes out.

Here, Ralph faces death on several levels. It is the possible death of the game itself, of Vanellope's dreams, and the death of Vanellope if the game's plug is pulled. Ralph makes the tough decision to wreck her vehicle so that she can never race. She does not understand, and it also results in the death of their friendship. She yells at Ralph, telling him he really is a Bad Guy.

9. Reward: Ralph's reward is the fact that he gets his medal. He has saved Vanellope, and he heads back to his own game, ready to celebrate with the others in the penthouse. But it is not to be. Everyone else has left, afraid that the game's plug will be pulled. Ralph has his Reward, but it's bittersweet. He feels like he was better off in the Special World.

10. The Road Back: Ralph looks out of his own game and sees the cabinet of the arcade game Sugar Rush. On it, Vanellope is prominently featured as a key player; this gets Ralph to questions everything King Candy has told him. He returns back to Sugar Rush and questions one of the king's servants about Vanellope, learning the truth. He finds Felix, who helps him fix Vanellope's car, and they enter the race. Vanellope begins showing her abilities and seems destined to win, but suddenly, an army of cy-bugs appear, having multiplied and mutated from the one Ralph brought into the game with him. If they spread throughout the arcade, all hope is lost, and the games will be corrupted with the viruses. The characters attempt to escape Sugar Rush, but Vanellope is unable to leave because she is a "glitch."

11. Resurrection:Ralph knows what he must do. He stays behind, desiring to sacrifice himself in an attempt to lure and destroy the cy-bugs. At the start of the story, he was told that he could not change who he was; he would always be the "Bad Guy." Now, he is proving that mantra wrong.

12. Return with the Elixir: Ralph saves the game and is, in turn, saved by Vanellope. She crosses the finish line, and the game is rebuilt with the help of Fix-It Felix. The game resets, showing Vanellope's true nature. Through the Journey, Ralph discovered who he truly is as well, and he gained a friend. Returning back to his old game, he now sees his duty as being the "Bad Guy" merely a role to play, but he does not let it define who he is deep down inside.

Guest Post At Save the Cat!

I have been fortunate enough to write the guest post at the site for the screenwriting book series Save the Cat! this week. Check it out!