The Pyramid of Abstraction
This is a three part writing lesson on the Pyramid of Abstraction, perhaps the most important and useful tool any author can have in their utility belt.
- Understanding the Pyramid of Abstraction (The Basics)
- Understanding the Pyramid of Abstraction (Advanced Course)
- Understanding the Pyramid of Abstraction (The Final Level)
How The NeverEnding Story inspired me to write
A subject near and dear to my heart, this is a whopping fourteen part series which includes a recap of the movie, a deep analysis, a comparison to the novel and its sequel, a look at the creators behind the project, and an explanation as to how this movie can inspire us as authors like few other stories can.
What follows is nothing less than the deepest TNES analysis you can find on the internet. If you’re a fan of this movie, an aspiring author, or both, you owe it to yourself to check this out.
Fourteen parts sounds like a tall investment, but these are bite-sized installments, and this series might just shatter your writing block into a million pieces by the end.
- How The Neverending Story inspired me to write: Part 1
An introduction to the series, an 80s pop-culture recap, and what The NeverEnding Story means to me. - How The Neverending Story inspired me to write: Part 2
From the start of the movie to the moment Bastian starts reading in the school attic. - How The Neverending Story inspired me to write: Part 3
To the Ivory Tower. - How The Neverending Story inspired me to write: Part 4
Atreyu and the Auryn. - How The Neverending Story inspired me to write: Part 5
The Swamp of Sadness, Morla, and Nihilism. - How The Neverending Story inspired me to write: Part 6
The Luck Dragon, Ygramul the Many, Engywook, and Urgl. - How The Neverending Story inspired me to write: Part 7
A deep analysis of Engywook and the Sphinx Gate. - How The Neverending Story inspired me to write: Part 8
The second and third gates, and the Southern Oracle. - How The Neverending Story inspired me to write: Part 9
The Rock Biter’s heartfelt speech, The Nothing, and Spook City. - How The Neverending Story inspired me to write: Part 10
A deeper analysis of The Nothing, G’Mork, and Atreyu. - How The Neverending Story inspired me to write: Part 11
The Nothing’s final advance, and what remains. - How The Neverending Story inspired me to write: Part 12
The Childlike Empress and the double-fourth wall break. - How The Neverending Story inspired me to write: Solving the Riddle
Bastian’s catharsis, along with the true meaning of The Nothing and The NeverEnding Story itself, and why it should inspire us all to create. - How The Neverending Story inspired me to write: The Ende
The Childlike Empress hands Bastian the seed of creation to finish out the movie. Here, I wrap things up with a bit of fun trivia, cover the fallout between the author and the film director, and look at the mixed-bag legacy this IP has left behind.
Nick Enlowe 