Previous episode: The How-To-Get-Clients S.C.A.M.

You hurtle through the space-time-email continuum … until a most surprising scene confronts you:

A doorway … standing in the middle of a path through the forest.

On either side of the path is a thick row of trees.

And beside the door is … an old man.

He has a long, white beard, and leans on a stick.

As he sees you materialise, he calls out:

“Welcome, Hero!”

You start.

“Hero? Me?”

“Yes,” he says. “Did you not read the door?”

You glance over at the door.

It’s marked:

“THRESHOLD TO THE
HERO’S JOURNEY”

The old man opens the door and beckons you through.

But … you’re not sure about this.

“I … was just signing up for copywriting emails,” you say. “I don’t think I’m any kind of hero or anything, and I don’t want to go on any journey—”

“Ha-ha!” cries the old man, clapping his hands in delight. “Refusal of the Call! Classic Hero’s Journey! Don’t worry, though. I’m your Mentor. Now here, take this Special Power.”

He pushes a small box into your hands.

You open it — to find a new item!

After you stuff the Special Power into your pocket, he again beckons you toward the door…

…and for the first time, you get a good glimpse at what lies beyond:

Ahead of you, the path stretches out and up one side of a tall tree-lined mountain.

At the top of the mountain is a large dragon, breathing fire.

Then the path comes down the other side … and leads off somewhere you can’t see.

“You see,” says the Mentor, “This is the Hero’s Journey. I give you this Power. Then you pass through that Threshold. You climb through the Trials on the mountain until you reach the Final Boss. You defeat the Final Boss, and return victorious down the other path, back to the Original World!”

You frown. “This is all rather formulaic, isn’t it?”

“It is a proven framework for stories that sell, grasshopper.”

He bows his head and motions for you to click the red button below that represents passing through the door.

A red button appears.

You go to click the red button right below this line—

ZAP!

One second, the guide is talking to you…

The next, he is a pile of charred ash.

…

…

…WHAT just happened?

“The old ways of storytelling are DEAD!” yells out a voice behind you. “Let me show you how to tell stories that SELL!”

You spin around, startled…

And when you see who just vaporised the Mentor, you do a double take…