Comments on: Applying the Hero’s Journey

By: Trisha Puddle

Trisha Puddle — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 08:24:22 +0000

The Hero’s Journey is a great plotting method. After reading your post, Jordan, I checked through my manuscripts to make sure I had added everything. Luckily I had and I’ll make sure I use this method as a guide in my future work. Thanks so much for this great blog series.

I just realised that The Hero’s Journey applies to my writing journey. All Authors have a Hero’s Journey, whether they’re published or not.

By: Iapetus999

Iapetus999 — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:43:03 +0000

So far I’ve used it to identify “what’s wrong” with plots I’ve written previously.
Now I’m using it to plot a new story.
And it’s a Romance at the core, so I’m very interested in your guest blogger.

The Hero’s Journey is really the story about learning and growing, something all of us do and can relate to. The point is that if your main character undergoes a transformation, then he’s been on the Hero’s Journey. I think what trips people up is that a Hero’s Journey is not like real life. People want to create realistic characters and situations (or fantastic characters and situations). Fiction isn’t just about imagination and character development. It’s the embodiment of the author’s own life lessons as told through characters who represent the warring factions in your mind. In real life, we don’t engage in the Hero’s Journey. Or if we do, we get off whenever we want to, at any step.

I just saw a preview for the new movie “The Box”. The premise is that if you press a button on the box, you get a million dollars, but someone you don’t know dies. I had two thoughts: 1) No one in real life would press the button unless they are a sociopath, and 2) There’s absolutely no way in a fictional book that that button will NOT be pressed. It’s the only way the hero is going to learn his lesson.
In real life, we have all the knowledge we need (hopefully). In fiction, Heroes are clueless. They have that one blind spot, that one weakness. What the Hero’s Journey is saying is that “the Hero starts at Point A. He ends up at Point B. In between, he is gonna push that button, because it’s the only way he can face his worst fears, to confront his greatest weakness. And, he’s not gonna get that million dollars either. Not in a million years. Serves him right. But he’ll end up with something far greater. And it’s something he had all along.”

By: Annette

Annette — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 00:20:35 +0000

Excellent point here–while I LOVE using The Hero’s Journey as a launching point, I never keep to it as a strict rule that guides every moment of the story. It’s been helpful to go back to it at times when I’m stuck to think about hmm, maybe I need a Threshold Guardian here, or maybe the Hero’s sacrifice isn’t strong enough, or maybe what’s lacking is a Resurrection scene. And then I’m back on my way. That’s how *I* use it. It’s a general guideline, one of many places I look to for help when I’m stuck or wondering how I can make something better. But it’s definitely not the only way to plot a story, and I don’t think I’ve ever used it to plot an entire story from start to finish.

By: Jordan

Jordan — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 23:34:37 +0000

Thanks, Daron (and Trisha and Carol and Andrew and everybody else who’s commented so nicely)!

By: Daron Fraley

Daron Fraley — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:40:00 +0000

Jordan, this blog series has been great. I am plotting out my second book in a trilogy and realize this analysis of “The Hero’s Journey” is really going to help me. Thank you for taking the time to do such well thought out, well written posts.