James Bonnet - Stealing Fire from the Gods: The Complete Guide to Story for Writers and Filmmakers

Anyone who is interested in structuring feelings and thoughts into words and story will find Stealing Fire stimulating and worthwhile. A lifetimes labor of love, it provides the reader with insight and an overview of the creative process through the history of story. I recommend it and congratulate Mr. Bonnet on his accomplishment.

Elliott Gould, Actor, Academy Award nominee

Challenging and provocative. Bonnet is a thoughtful and highly intelligent writer whose lifetime of experience has led him to an intriguing theory about how great stories are written. The Golden Paradigm is guaranteed to stimulate lively new debate on the age-old question.

David W. Rintels, Emmy, Writers Guild, Peabody Award-winning
Writer, Producer

James Bonnets groundbreaking book, Stealing Fire from the Gods, is the fruit of more than four decades of intensive study of various areas world mythology, depth psychology, literary classics, and successful modern novels and movies. Bonnet has been able to discover the secret of the psychological power and the emotional impact of effective storytelling of all ages and countries and come up with a true Rosetta stone for modern authors a formula for creating masterpieces. A fascinating book and an extremely useful tool for creative individuals in various avenues of art!

Stanislav Grof, M.D., Consciousness Researcher, Author of Psychology of
the Future, Adventure of Self-Discovery, and The Cosmic Game

Employing psychological theory and his own hard-won insights, James Bonnet demystifies the magic of creative storytelling. Stealing Fire from the Gods is intelligent and fascinating.

Robert Crais, New York Times best-selling Novelist

James Bonnet isnt saying the same old thing. Hes about challenging you to look deeply into your own fascination and attraction; to mine your story for the richness and texture that compels you to write; and to connect you to a noble lineage of storytellers. His tools will jump-start and intrigue you. Your connection to your craft will deepen, and your horizons will expand.

Raymond Singer, Screenwriter of Disneys Mulan

Stealing Fire from the Gods is like a rediscovered, ancient remedy for the ailing creative soul. Jim has tapped into a wellspring of lost knowledge that goes to the very core of the creative unconscious, unlocking the natural storyteller that is encoded in each and every one of us.

Bob Camp, Artist, Writer, Director, and Co-creator of The Ren and
Stimpy Show

My advice to aspiring writers is simple: Read this book. There are some real pearls here.

Billy Ray, Screenwriter of Flight Plan, Shattered Glass, Harts War

Stealing Fire from the Gods is a book that needs to be read and reread and a seminar of great value to all writers.

Gene Hines, original Writer, Producer of Cliffhanger

Bonnet is a brilliant man. He has drawn from the work of C. G. Jung and Joseph Campbell, then accomplished his own alchemy. The result is a personal transformation the reader can share. Everyone should read it.

Darryl M. Diamond, M.D., Ph.D.

Bonnet achieves what no one else has in moving beyond formulaic approaches to creating stories. Formulas dont work without the essence of true story which he has been able to depict in Stealing Fire from the Gods.

Michael Elias, Writer, Producer, Director, Actor

James Bonnet has drawn on his vast experience as a writer and knowledge of storytelling to create a bold, insightful journey into the creative process.

Bill Ewing, Writer and Producer of End of the Spear

Anyone who has come to love literature, drama, and just plain entertainment in their pursuit of enlightenment will love James Bonnets Stealing Fire from the Gods.

Don Murray, award-winning Writer, Actor, Producer of The Hoodlum Priest

This book will certainly be a bible for writers.

Jack Wiener, Producer of FX and FX2

I recommend this book for every screenwriter. I also recommend it for producers, actors, and directors with an eye toward Hollywood.

Pi Ware, Filmmakers Alliance

The stories that really work, that go deep, that are universal, tap into the fractal nature of the archetypes of character and relationship. Stealing Fire from the Gods the Promethean gift for storytellers can be found by the faithful, assiduous seeker in James Bonnets captivating, enlightening book.

Lanny Cotler, Screenwriter, Director of The Earthling and Heartwood

Page turner. Stealing Fire from the Gods is billed as a dynamic new story model for writers and filmmakers. Like many other books, it covers the meaning and purpose of storymaking (i.e., myths and legends) through the ages and how understanding them leads to an understanding of self. Its an intriguing analysis that brings a unique look and insight to the creative process. And anything that does that is worth exploring.

Creative Screenwriting

James Bonnet throws convention to the wind when he offers screenwriters a new way to structure stories in his book Stealing Fire from the Gods. Bonnet offers his analysis of myths, legends, fairy tales, and such films as Casablanca and Indiana Jones. He discusses the link between all great stories and gives an in-depth explanation of the Golden Paradigm, his new story model.

Written By, the magazine of the Writers Guild of America, West

T HE C OMPLETE G UIDE TO
S TORY FOR W RITERS
AND F ILMMAKERS

~ 2 ND E DITION ~

BY
J AMES B ONNET

G RAPHICS BY
R ICHARD B RASSAW
AND
D IANE T ABBAN B ONNET

MICHAEL WIESE PRODUCTIONS

Published by Michael Wiese Productions

12400 Ventura Blvd. #1111

Studio City, CA 91604

(818) 379-8799, (818) 986-3408 (FAX).

mw@mwp.com

www.mwp.com

Cover design by MWP

Interior design by William Morosi

Copyedited by Paul Norlen

Printed by McNaughton & Gunn

Manufactured in the United States of America

Copyright 2006

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without permission in writing from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Bonnet, James, 1938

Stealing fire from the gods : the complete guide to story for writers and filmmakers / James Bonnet.-- 2nd ed.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 1-932907-11-4

1. Motion picture authorship. 2. Narration (Rhetoric) I. Title.

PN1996.B66 2006

808.23--dc22

2006003996

To my wife, Diane.
Without her love and support there would be
no book and I would have no life.

To my lifelong friend, Edward Cerny.
He introduced me to the books and ideas that
created the dream and the journey.

To my mentors,
Paton Price, Archer King, and Vincent J. Donehue.

To my daughters, Jean and Beth,
and to my grandchildren,
Katie, James, Max, and Sam.
The love and joy we share
are little tastes of paradise.

T HESE ARE THE MYSTERIES THAT MADE FAIRY
TALES AND MYTHS AND ALL THE GREAT CLASSICS
SO POWERFUL AND ENDURING THE SECRETS
THAT MADE THE TOP GROSSING FILMS SO
SUCCESSFUL AND THE PRINCIPLES THAT CAN
GUIDE YOU TO A PROFOUND UNDERSTANDING OF
STORY AND THE CREATIVE PROCESS AND A TRUE
MASTERY OF THE STORYMAKERS ART.