Further Resources on the Hero’s Journey I hope you’ve found my summary of hero’s journey plot lines useful, but there is really no substitute for reading the experts. I’ve mentioned a few story theorists in these posts and thought I would provide a run-down of their work so you can learn more if you are … More Further Reading & Feminist Alternatives to the Hero’s Journey
Happy New Year to all! We have reached the 10th and final stage of a hero’s journey plot line and a fitting stage it is for January 1st because this is the Resolution. Over the course of the hero’s journey, the character has been thrust out of their Ordinary World with a Call to Adventure … More The Hero’s Journey – Resolution
The beginning of THE END! We enter the third and final phase of a hero’s journey plot line. Act 3 Propelling Event Climax (aka Death & Resurrection) Resolution So far, we have seen a protagonist, who was living life relatively normally in ACT 1, thrust into a new situation which they must navigate throughout … More The Hero’s Journey – Propelling Event
The Hero’s Journey – Reward Well that last post on the Ordeal was so frightening, I almost couldn’t go on! But after a bit of a break, the blog is now back as we surge toward the final stages of the Hero’s Journey. So far, we have seen how a character in their Ordinary World … More The Hero’s Journey – Reward
We really shouldn’t go in there—but we have to! We’re now well into the Middle Phase (Act 2) of a story. The characters have started to find their footing, acclimatizing to the new situation they’ve been put in. They have met new friends and foes and faced some initial challenges. Having overcome these early tests, … More The Hero’s Journey – The Approach
Perilous tasks! Noble Companions! Dastardly Villains! We’re now in the Middle Phase (aka Act 2) of a Hero’s Journey plot line. We have seen how stories thrust characters out of their everyday life and into a new situation—and now we see how they handle it. The stage we’re talking about today, “Tests, Allies & Enemies,” … More The Hero’s Journey – Tests, Allies & Enemies
The end of the beginning is nigh! We move on to the third stage of a Hero’s Journey plot line, “Crossing the First Threshold.” This stage gives us some of the most iconic images in the history of children’s literature. It marks the moment when the plot of a story transitions from the Beginning (Act … More The Hero’s Journey – Crossing the Threshold
Listen up, you! Yes—you! On we go to the 2nd stage of a Hero’s Journey plot line: the “Call to Adventure.” This is where the fun begins. It’s the event that really kick-starts the story! To review, here’s the key stages of the Beginning Phase (ACT 1) of a Hero’s Journey story: The Ordinary World … More The Hero’s Journey – Call to Adventure
Let’s begin! Authors and screenwriters often refer to the Beginning, Middle, and End of stories as Acts 1, 2 & 3. Over the next few days, using the ideas of the Hero’s Journey, we will look in more detail at Beginnings or ‘First Acts.’ The list at the end of the last post introduced the … More The Hero’s Journey–Ordinary Worlds
Writing a book is like building a puzzle made out of magnets. My last post, about how a character’s wishes can kick-start a story, made me think about similar moments in the actual process of writing. Occasionally, there are those ‘flashes of inspiration,’ those ideas that ‘just fit.’ It often takes a lot of experimentation, … More Magic Magnets
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