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 story-structure.org/ story-structure.org/ for full details)
*****Final Battle of the Final Conflict*****
Post the Crossing of the Return Threshold and before the Master of Two Worlds and Selves, a hell of a lot happens that is rarely given mention. The Final Conflict (a metaphor for this stage) follows a distinct process. It is during the final battle during the final conflcit that the hero experiences a disadvantage. In Straw Dogs (1971), Charlie points a gun at David but it is empty.
*****Call to Adventure*****
A staple of the Hero’s Journey and Transformation. Separate and distinct from the Inciting Incident. A Call for the Hero to set out on a Journey; an implicit Call to face Challenges. It is the undergoing of the Journey that will Transform the Hero and provide him (or her) with the capacity to conquer challenges that were previously unconquerable. In Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Clyde invites Bonnie for a drink.
*****Interdiction Broken*****
Punishments and demonstrations of the broken Interdictions is often demonstrated. In Brokeback Mountain (2005), Ennis sees the dead sheep.
*****Bull in a China Shop*****
The Hero clumsily begins the Transformation (on the Road of Trials) - like a bull in a china shop. In Scarface (1984), Tony makes his way to the dance floor just like that - like a bull in a china shop (in contrast to the later sequence in the nightclub, where he smoothly angles his way around). In Dances with Wolves (1990), John Dunbar doesn’t know how to smoke the pipe. He doesn’t even know their names (”he is right, introductions should come first”). In The Matrix (1999), Neo initial battle with Morpheus is clumsy. In Romancing the Stone (1984), Joan grabs the machete and tries to clumsily.
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 heros-journey.info/ heros-journey.info/
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Kal Bishop, MBA
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