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...
HERO'S JOURNEY TIP OF THE DAY: ENHANCED CAPACITIES
Post the Dragon Battle (a metaphor for obstacles that guard the Sword, which is itself a metaphor), the Hero et al experience an Enhancement of Capacities.
In Stand by Me (1986), all the boys feel invincible after dodging the train.
In Platoon (1986), Taylor feels able to follow and stop Barnes, who wants to kill Elias.
In Out of Africa (1985), Karen is no longer scared of the jungle after the battle with the lions.
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Go to http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html for more info on the 510+ stage Hero's Journey....
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