Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.
[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].
THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY
THE HERO'S JOURNEY:
a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.
b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.
c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).
d) Gives you a universal structural template upon which you can superimpose your situational story. This is why stories such as Alien (1979), Gladiator (2000), Midnight Cowboy (1969), American Beauty (1999), The Graduate (1967) and many others (all deconstructed at the URL below) appear to be different but are all constructed, almost sequence by sequence, in the same way.
and more...
[simply go to http://www.screenplay-structure.com/ or http://www.story-structure.org/ or http://www.heros-journey.info/ or http://www.monomyth.info/ for full details]
*****Romantic Challenge*****
If the Romantic Challenge has not already been met, then the encounter takes place here (Middle Cave of the First Threshold).
Impressed but no more. At this stage, the Romantic Challenge is slightly less polarized from, but not committed to, the Hero. She is simply impressed that the Hero has chosen to embark on the Journey and the Transformation but he will not conquer her until he has progressed further. In The King of Comedy (1983), Rita is impressed that Pupkin has met Jerry.
Does not preclude sex. Though the Hero will not conquer the Romantic Challenge here, that does not mean that sex is not involved. In The King of Comedy (1983), Rita invites Pupkin in for coffee.
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Go to http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html for more info on the 188+ stage Hero's Journey....
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