In part of my ongoing effort to "corrupt" the youth of America, there is a young man I know who has just turned 14. He writes and illustrates his own books. His parents are divorced, and his father is attempting to deal with a substance abuse problem.

Anyway, I judge that the young man is almost ready for Dramatica Pro, but the software is priced beyond what a friend of the family should give him. So I'm arranging with the young man's father to look at the site.

It's serious software used by professional writers, especially for screenplays. Besides the outlay of cash, the software teaches a different way of looking at story, the progression of dramatic elements, and how the characters interact. It's not something taught in the average language arts course or creative writing course. By it's very nature, using the software teaches a fair amount of practical psychology.

Which is something that a troubled young man with a tendency to bury himself in his own fantasy worlds needs desperately.

Not to mention the opportunity for the non-custodial father to earn serious points with his son.

Yeah. Dealing with multiple issues for both the father and the son. When I meddle, I really meddle.

Getting back to the point I want to make here, using Dramatica Pro requires a significant commitment of cash, time, study, and experimentation. I judge that it's beyond what the young man can do right now, but not what he can do in a couple of years. It's not that the concepts are that difficult, it's just a different approach than what he has been taught or has picked up on his own.

And that is the point of this post.

It's not that the concepts are that difficult, it's just a different approach than what he has been taught or has picked up on his own.

Of course this idea has implications for modern Pagans. And for just about anyone who has chosen a different faith than the one that they were raised in.

Commitment means something other than flashing the right tattoo or putting on the costume. It means frustration. It means getting your fingers burned. It means bruises and scrapes. It means stuff isn't going to go perfectly well, even when you follow the instructions exactly. It means you're going to go off the map into someplace you never expected to be.

It also means satisfaction and accomplishment when everything finally works.

That's when the next challenge whomps you upside the head.