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The Writer's Order

About Us

The Writer's OrderSM is a private club of writers who are interested in learning and practicing the discipline taught in the groundbreaking book by Writer's OrderSM founder, Jennifer Van Bergen,  Archetypes for Writers: Using the Power of Your Subconscious.

The goal of the Order is to discover one's own characters and stories, and write them. The process of discovery is a process of rectification.  This process will help you see and experience your truth.  You will learn special new skills, as detailed in the book.

Purpose

The Order will develop a society of writers who practice the "archetypes" approach described in Van Bergen's book.  This society will provide motivation, support, and certification status for writers as they master the skills of working at the archetype level (also called Arkelogy.) 

Members will gain a sense of achievement, mastery, and status, as practitioners and eventual Masters of Arkelogy.

The Writer's OrderSM maintains complete independence from any sponsors, including individuals, foundations, corporations, or other groups.  It is nonreligious, nonsectarian, and nonpartisan. 

About the Book

Archetypes for Writers: Using the Power of Your Subconscious (Michael Wiese Productions, 2007)

Archetypes for Writers provides a step-by-step method, using specific exercises and coupled with detailed, in-depth explanations of the meaning of each step to enable writers to find the characters they already contain within themselves but do not know exist or know how to access or develop.

Drawing on her years of training in theatre and decades of teaching, Van Bergen unveils the secret of using your own archetypes to find and develop already-existing characters. This approach has little to do with how to “create” characters or plot stories. Rather, is it more about how to find your character and story archetypes or even how to have them find you – using specific skills taught in the book

Jennifer Van Bergen began teaching these principles under her own business and at the New School University in NYC. She is also known for her legal and political commentaries in the Writ column on www.findlaw.com and other news and commentary outlets.

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What People Say

“A great resource for novice and seasoned creators who suspect or are already hip to the fact that what lurks beneath the sub-cortex (along with the common slug) have a lot more to offer writers than most literary agents.” Jeffrey M. Freedman,
Writer/Consulting Producer: Vivaldi (starring Joseph Fiennes)

“Van Bergen offers a writer’s guidebook that includes description of the world where archetypes are formed, the means of accessing that world, how to glean the wisdoms of that realm, and how to utilize archetypes. Rich with psychological and literary references, this book will please those writers who really want to understand the writing process so that they can confidently repeat it at will and not be at the mercy of a whimsical muse who sometimes brings writer’s block as well as inspiration.” Pamela Jaye Smith,
Author: Inner Drives
Joining

Joining

There is a fee of $75 to join the Writer's OrderSM and yearly membership dues of $50 to maintain membership.  Certification fees are separate and are $25 for each stage beyond the novitiate.  All new members must join as novitiates.  Reinstatement after membership lapse is $50.

Membership benefits include access to other members and to a private member discussion group; discount towards tuition for private or group instruction; the privilege to sponsor novitiate candidates; advice on achieving higher memberships; and certificates of stages (for each attained).

All membership and certification fees go towards the maintenance of the Order's web site, the keeping of records, consideration and issuance of member certification, promotional material, and/or payment of any federal or state or legal fees to maintain legal not-for-profit status.

 The following will be added as benefits when or if possible:  discounts on copies of the “Archetypes for Writers” book and on “Archetypes for Writers” t-shirts or other for-sale items; publication and/or circulation of accepted archetypes work on the web site, blog, newsletter, or print publication.
Instruction

Instruction

A 10% discount on all private or group instruction is automatically provided to all Writer's OrderSM members in good standing.  Discounts are not cumulative.  In other words, you may not save discounts and add them up.  As long as you maintain current paid status as a member and continue to work at your attained certified stage (active certification status), you retain a 10% discount on all instruction.

Lapsed members (members who have not paid their dues) or nonmembers are not eligible for member discounts, but may be eligible for other discounts offered from time to time, as announced in advertisements or on the web site.   Discounts may be reacquired by reinstatement.  (See below for certification, loss of certification, lapse of membership and reinstatement.)

Fees paid to Van Bergen (or any other certified Arkhelogy instructor) for private or group instruction do not count towards membership dues.  Fees for certification of stages of membership are also separate from instructional fees.  While private or group instruction by Jennifer Van Bergen or another certified instructor is not required for membership, it is highly unlikely for any individual to be admitted to a stage above the Second Stage without such instruction, in part because integration of the component skills or development of work at the archetypal level are nearly impossible to achieve or to assess outside of this instructional environment.