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]
*****Overcoming Doubt (into the Road of Transformation and Trials)*****
Though doubtful, the Hero is pulled into the Transformation. There are often three stages of encouragement.
In Dances with Wolves (1990), John meets with Kicking Bird and Wind in his Hair et al ("Katanka."), John makes coffee, then the Indians give John buffalo skin and he tries to give them food.
In The Matrix (1999), Morpheus shows Neo the Nebuchadnezzar, then introduces Neo to his team, then shows Neo the Matrix from the console perspective.
In Omen (1976), Robert Thorne is not convinced that Damien is the Anti-Christ. It takes three trials to bring him round to the idea: a) Mrs Baylock arrives, b) Damien won't go into the Church and c) Damien scares the giraffes and the baboons attack in the zoo.
In Jaws (1975), Brody doesn't hire Quint until after a) Alex is attacked, b) the argument with the Mayor and c) the attack in the pond.
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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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