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]
HERO'S JOURNEY TIP OF THE DAY: ALLIES AND ENEMIES EXIST TO FULFIL SPECIFIC STORY FUNCTIONS
Once you know what the Hero's Journey and Transformation will be, then you can decide who your Allies and Enemies will be and what Archetypes best suit them. The primary function of Allies and Enemies is to assist or block the Hero's Journey and Transformation.
In The Godfather (1972), it is Don Corleone's shooting that pushes Michael into the First Threshold and the death of Sonny and Appollonia that pulls him back to New York from Sicily (Rebirth).
In Brokeback Mountain (2005), it is Jack Twist who pulls Ennis into the tent (Inner Cave) and pushes him out of the Road of Trials towards the Sword (Jack and Ennis back together) and the Expansion of Consciousness (Alma sees Ennis and Jack kiss).
In The Terminator (1984), it is Reese's function to educate Sarah and The Terminator's function to keep pushing her forward.
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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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