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)
*****The Call revealed to the Supernatural Aid*****
The Hero reveals his Call to the Supernatural Aid, who advises the Hero. Characteristics include:
Corrects Misperceptions. The Supernatural Aid corrects any misperceptions the Hero may have.
History. The Supernatural Aid tells the Hero about his past, his links to powerful people (his parents, who were often Kings and gifted themselves), his destiny, his importance, his Dharma, his place in the great scheme of things.
Hero’s Quality. The Supernatural Aid reveals that the Hero has a gift, something that makes him special and noteworthy.
Demon King. The Supernatural Aid tells the Hero that a Demon King destroyed his father (or some relative or close emotional tie). In Lethal Weapon (1987), a criminal murdered Riggs’ wife.
Dangers of the Diversion from the True Path. The Supernatural Aid will warn of the dangers of diverting from the True Path, of not following destiny, of not fulfilling Dharma, of not following the Call.
Magical Aid. The Supernatural Aid will give the Hero Magical Aids (often three or five) that will help him and protect him along his Journey. James Bond often receives multiple gifts from Q that help him through his adventure.
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/
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Kal Bishop, MBA
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