The Hero's Journey has been employed in stories since time immemorial. These stories strike archetypal chords to which we can all relate.
Taken from Myth and the Movies and The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, the general structure is as follows:
| Act I - Separation |
| Ordinary World The audience meets the hero in the ordinary world. |
| Call to Adventure The Hero receives the Call to Adventure, a challenge, a quest, or a problem that must be faced. |
| Refusal of the Call The Hero expresses fear and is Reluctant or Refuses the Call. |
| Meeting the Mentor A Meeting with the Mentor provides encouragement, wisdom, or magical gifts to push the Hero past fear and doubt. |
| Act II - Descent |
| Crossing the Threshold The Hero finally accepts the challenge and Crosses the Theshold into the Special World. |
| Tests, Allies, and Enemies The Hero learns about the Special World through Tests, encountering Allies and Enemies. |
| Approach the Inmost Cave The Hero makes the final preparations and Approaches the Inmost Cave. |
| The Ordeal The Hero endures the Ordeal, the central crisis in which the Hero confronts his greatest fear and tastes death. |
| Reward The Hero enjoys the Reward of having confronted fear and death. |
| Act III - Return |
| Road Back The Hero takes the Roak Back and recommits to completing the Journey. |
| Resurrection The Hero faces the climactic ordeal that purifies, redeems, and transforms the Hero on the Threshold home. |
| Return with Elixir The Hero Returns with the Elixir to benefit the Ordinary World. |
More to come...
Last Updated: 05/12/2004 14:03
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