journey

The Hero’s Journey 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.

There is only one story.

The 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 catharsis).

d) Gives you a universal structural template upon which you can superimpose your situational story.

and more…

Impossibility.

One element of the most successful stories and screenplays is that the task / transformation is or seems to be impossible (and this is made explicit in a specific sequence). In fact, it may seem downright suicidal. This is one of the elements of a Hero - an Ordinary World person could not succeed.

The “Impossibilty Sequence” may or may not be part of the “Devolved State” state sequence - where it is demonstrated how far the Hero has to go / how much a Hero is a “Fish out of Water.”

This is seen in some of the most successful stories of our time:

In Dances with Wolves (1990), John is told that going to the frontier is madness; the Indians are dangerous.

In Never Ending Story (1984), Bastian doesn’t believe the book is special and can open a door to a new world.

In The Godfather (1972), that Michael could become Don was unlikely.

Learn more

WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.clickok.co.uk/

Managing Creativity and Innovation and related techniques and tools can be found at http://www.managing-creativity.com/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made, the author’s name is retained and the link to our site URL remains active.

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[From our deconstruction of hundreds of Hollywood blockbusters and sitcoms (see below for the URL of our Home Page) and our isolation and identification of more than 188 stages of the Hero’s Journey that you need to know about…]

The Hero’s Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the Hollywood movies we have deconstructed are based on this template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.

The 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 catharsis).

d) Gives you a universal structural template upon which you can superimpose your situational story.

and more…

Road of Transformation

The Road of Trials should actually be called the Road of Transformation.

It is during this stage that the Hero makes the most progress from the Old World and Old Self to the New World and New Self.

It is critical because the transformation to a New Self is the basis of every story that has ever existed. Serious.

To see an example of Structured Transformation, take a look at this: In Thelma and Louise (1991), Louise warms Thelma not to flirt with anyone; Thelma flirts with Harlan, Thelma gets drunk with Harlan, Harlan tries to rape Thelma, Louise shoots Harlan.

Learn more

WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!

Managing Creativity and Innovation and related techniques and tools can be found at http://www.managing-creativity.com/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made, the author’s name is retained and the link to our site URL remains active.

For 188+ stages of the Hero’s Journey, successful story deconstructions and the Advanced Screenwriting Worksheets goto http://clickok.co.uk/

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.clickok.co.uk/

Share This

The Hero’s Journey 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.

There is only one story.

The 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 catharsis).

d) Gives you a universal structural template upon which you can superimpose your situational story.

and more…

SITUATIONAL AND STRUCTURAL STORYTELLING

It’s important to get away from this idea that all stories are different.

On a situational level all stories are. For example, Gladiator (2000), Alien (1979) and The Godfather (1972) all are situationally very different.

But on a structural and subconscious level, they’re all the same.

And I don’t mean basic structure, like three act structure (of course stories have a beginning, middle and end). And I don’t mean plot points etc either (Plot Point 1 and 2, Midpoint etc).

I mean, sequence by sequence, the vast majority of successful stories [we haven’t found one that doesn’t] follow the same process that pushes the Hero and Major Characters through the process of Transformation and Challenge Resolution.

What this means is that you, as a writer, must confidently understand this structure (our 188+ stage Hero’s Journey), use it to establish your structural outline and then superimpose your situation over it.

Learn more

WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!

The Complete 188 stage Hero’s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.clickok.co.uk/

Managing Creativity and Innovation and related techniques and tools can be found at http://www.managing-creativity.com/

You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

Kal Bishop, MBA

**********************************

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made, the author’s name is retained and the link to our site URL remains active.

Share This