FORWARD
The 188 stage Hero’s Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188 stage template.
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 188 STAGE 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) Tells you what to write. For example, at a certain stage of the story, the focus should be on the Call to Adventure and the micro elements within.
ABRIDGED TIPS, EXCERPTS AND EXAMPLES:
(simply go to heros-journey.info/ heros-journey.info/ for full details)
*****Inner Cave / Inner Challenge*****
It is the Inner Cave of the First Threshold where the Inner Challenge is made explicit. In Straw Dogs (1971), Amy is childish, flirty and horny in the car.
*****Final Conflict - New Self*****
Post the Unbearable Antagonism and Inner Resolve stages, the Hero completes the Transformation and becomes the New Self. In Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Bonnie writes a poem in the back of the car. Clyde sends the poem into the paper and it’s printed. “…you told my story…”
****Crossing of the Return Threshold*****
The place of the Final Conflict has certain characteristics, including:
Dangerous Place. The Hero will venture to a dangerous place. In Spiderman (2002), the battle takes place on a bridge high up above the water.
From a Distance. The battle will be viewed from afar.
Magnitude of the task. The overwhelming magnitude of the task will be noted.
Strangely Confident. The Hero will be strangely confident. After all, he has gained an Expansion of Consciousness and been Reborn as a New Self.
Physical Boundary. Some form of physical marker will signify the Crossing into the Final Conflict.
Learn more…
WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!
The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at monomyth.info/ monomyth.info/
188 stages of the Hero’s Journey can also be reached from story-structure.org/ story-structure.org/
You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.
You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made, the author’s name is retained and the link to our site URL remains active.
**********************************
Kal Bishop, MBA