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)
*****Outer Cave*****
The Outer Cave of the First Threshold is often a place where the Heroes, having established themselves as Fishes out of Water, begin their Changing. By the time they leave the First Threshold, they will be less Devolved. In Brokeback Mountain (2005), Jack and Ennis begin chopping wood, sawing, collecting water etc.
*****Physical Damage / the Beginning of the Transmogrification*****
It is somewhere in the First Threshold where the Transmogrification starts (often the Outer Cave). In Brokeback Mountain (2005), Ennis starts bleeding in the Middle Cave.
*****Final Conflict: Surrender*****
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. During the initial stages, the hero seems weak and the likelihood of victory is small. Allies (dark allies, doves etc) may push the hero to surrender. In Straw Dogs (1971), Amy wants David to give Henry to Tom et al.
*****New Self of the Road of Trials*****
The beginning of the Road of Trials often sees the Hero become a New Self. In Raging Bull (1980), Jake and Joey get married and gain weight. In Brokeback Mountain (2005), Ennis gets married and has children and gets a job paving roads (not a cowboy). Time Shifts here are not unusual - Ennis has a few children.
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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