One of the most popular story structures has to be the hero’s journey, otherwise known as the monomyth. The hero’s journey has been used for centuries to structure many stories, and you’ll probably be able to recognize it after learning about the template behind it. The template was developed by Joseph Campbell and has been used since then by many writers. The hero’s journey is observable in ancient myths and modern tales, and it’s a really important one to know about. For today’s post, I’ll be teaching you how to write the hero’s journey, as well as the Campbell template, and how to make your story compelling and engaging.
What is the Hero’s Journey/Monomyth?
The hero’s journey is a framework for telling a story about a protagonist that goes through several stages, with each stage providing a key moment in their transition from an ordinary person to a hero. The hero tends to have some sort of major goal by the end that they must achieve.
The structure of the monomyth has been used for centuries and is a very impactful one to know about. The hero’s journey starts readers out with a relatable, ordinary person that is capable of achieving something amazing by the end of the story. We all love to see how someone can become something fantastic in stories, and so it makes sense that this structure is so well-loved.
The 12 Stages of the Hero’s Journey
The Ordinary World
The ordinary world is where our journey with the hero starts. Within this stage, the hero is still a normal person existing in their typical day-to-day life. Their life is relatively normal and nothing crazy really ever happens.
In this stage, you want to focus on developing the backstory and the personality of your hero. This is the point where you want to apply the things I’ve talked about in my character development post and you want to showcase to the reader who your character is and why the reader should like this character.
Additionally, you want to work on developing the setting of the ordinary world. You want to show the readers what this setting looks like, what it means to the main character, and how it starts out so that if it changes, it’ll feel impactful. If you aren’t sure what setting to pick, check out this post for more advice.
The Call to Adventure
In the second part of the hero’s journey, the hero meets the call to adventure. In this stage, you want to present to the main character some sort of challenge or quest that must be undertaken. This can come in many forms, such as messages, a personal drive, an external threat, a request, etc… For instance, in The Lord of the Rings, we see Frodo get a quest to deliver the ring to Mordor so that he can destroy it. This is the call to adventure for Frodo’s story.
The Call to Adventure should have something that incites it, and we want to understand why the main character would even be compelled to go on this journey. We need to see how the main character even reacts to the idea of going on this quest or responding to this call and maybe their initial hesitations. If your character is a shy, reserved person, they may be more hesitant than a boisterous, strong character.
Refusal of the Call
At first, the hero is likely to refuse the call to adventure. They will have some sort of fear, doubt, insecurity, or something else that will propel them to deny going on the adventure at the beginning of the story. They may not want to leave their comfort zone or they may find that their life doesn’t need this sort of uprooting.
At this stage, what you want to showcase as a writer is the character’s personality, their human nature at play, and you want to ensure that their acceptance of the quest/adventure actually has an impact on the story.
You want to show things like internal struggle, external obstacles preventing them from going on the journey, and you want to hone in on the character development at this stage. You want to show the reader why the character feels this sort of fear and why they aren’t enthusiastic about going on the journey as well as what may make them change their minds.
Meeting the Mentor
In this stage, the hero will encounter some sort of mentor/teaching figure that will provide something substantial to the character. This could be guidance, training, knowledge, information, education, etc…
The mentor will help the hero gain confidence and will help the hero find/gain necessary knowledge to head out on the quest as well. The mentor must have character development as well, and they should have a backstory, a personality, and you need to establish what their relationship is to the hero of your story.
The mentor must also be wise and have the tools necessary to help the hero embark on the journey. They must also have a sort of good emotional connection to the hero, and it should be clear why the mentor cares about the hero.
For example, again in LOTR, Gandalf is Frodo’s mentor figure and helps Frodo head out on the journey and learn about courage and perseverance along the way. He also serves as a protector in many instances where the Fellowship of the Ring faces danger.
Crossing the Threshold
The hero is now ready to commit to the journey and has departed from the Ordinary World into the unknown; this is what is referred to as the threshold. The hero has left the world they once knew and at this point, there is no going back. This is a transitory period for the hero of your story
The hero commits to the journey, leaving the Ordinary World and entering the unknown. This stage marks a point of no return and propels the hero into the adventure.
You want to focus on emotions and expand the setting in this section of the story. At this point, the main character is going to be feeling a lot of things all at once and it’s necessary to show that in action.
This turning point is very significant, so you want to focus heavily on this part in acting as a strong transitionary point.
Tests, Allies, and Enemies
Now in the new world and new portion of the story, the hero must face trials and encounter allies and enemies and peril.
In this section of the story, you want to focus on the trials and tribulations that the character may face. How will these tests challenge the hero? Will the hero be forced to do something they wouldn’t normally do? Will they have to help others? Act selfless?
Additionally, you want to work on the interactions with the allies and enemies your hero may have to meet. The allies should be developed as though they also were main characters of the story. You want the readers to feel connected with this set of characters and you want the readers to also feel the main character’s fears when facing any foes.
This section is great for growing your characters and their personalities, as well as showcasing growth and dynamism.
Approach to the Inmost Cave
At this point, the hero is approaching the main conflict or the inmost cave. This is where the hero must contend with something strong such as their greatest fears or face against a very dark event. This is the part of the story where you are building up for the climax, which could be thought of also as part of the rising action. It’s really near the end of the rising action.
The Ordeal
The ordeal is the moment where the hero faces their greatest challenge, threat, or enemy. This is the moment where the hero is pushed to their limits and it could involve an extremely dramatic change in their life. Many times, the hero faces death either literally or metaphorically. In this case, you want to work on showing how the hero will ultimately change from this event. Additionally, you want to work on building suspense and creating moments of intense action in order to show the heightened nature of the stakes at hand.
The Reward
Once the ordeal has passed, the next stage is the reward, which basically showcases how the hero has achieved something and grown from their previous experiences. This can be a revelation, an object, knowledge, or something that the hero would consider valuable or would be valuable to their journey.
In this stage, you want to show how the hero feels about receiving the reward, how it will impact the hero’s life, and its emotional effects when related to the ordeal.
The Road Back
Now that the reward has been granted and the ordeal is over, the hero is now ready to return home. In this stage, the hero may meet some new challenges or face off against other foes, as well as contend with previously unsolved challenges. However, the journey back to the ordinary world is where the hero can now use their newfound knowledge to their advantage. It’s also a time where the hero can think about their old self and their new self, and how they can come to terms with the changes that were made.
However, the fight’s not over yet, as there’s still the final resolution to come.
The Resurrection
In the resurrection, the hero will face the final and most important challenge that will test their newfound self. In this moment, the hero may be faced with the necessity of a sacrifice or something that tests their morals and skills to the maximum. This is a very climactic moment that must surpass the other challenges in both difficulty and importance. The hero must overcome the challenge with what they now know.
This might sound funny, but you can think of it like the game Elden Ring where you have to gain a ton of skills before you face the bosses. The final boss is your biggest challenge, but if you’ve played your cards right, you should have the necessary tools and knowledge to finally beat the last boss.
Return with the Elixir
Now that the challenge is finally over, the hero returns back to the ordinary world with something like an object or experience that is considered the elixir. This stage is the end of the hero’s journey and should basically show how the hero has truly transformed and how this transformation impacts the world around them.
You want to focus on what the hero’s new world will look like as well as how their transformation impacts them and you want to tie up any last plot points that were left open before.
The hero’s journey/monmyth is an amazing story cycle that has been tested and tried many times before. It’s a great story structure to use for your next story as well, and even if you don’t want to totally follow it, it’s a great stepping stone for a story where you want to tell the tale of a hero.
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