Hero’s Journey Story Structure

This week we are moving on to the three more detailed story structures for those who want more organization when devising a successful story. Again, story structure is all about picking the one that works best for you. I am going to start with the popular Hero’s Journey, but, if that doesn’t fit your line of thinking, we still have two more story structures to examine after this. The Hero’s Journey is favored by those who write fantasy epics, but it can work for any story with a character change arc.

The Hero’s Journey

The Hero’s Journey was started by Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. It was later refined by Christopher Vogler in The Writer’s Journey, and that is the version I will be presenting today. The Hero’s Journey is a circular story structure with a Chosen One setting out on a journey and returning to where he started but as a changed person. There are twelve steps to this method that take place across three acts.

Act I. Departure

The hero leaves the ordinary world. This section is usually 25% of the story length.

1. Ordinary World

Introduce your Hero in his normal life so readers get a feel for who he is at the start. Normally, the Hero is someone who has a great skill and is sympathetic. You will also need to hint at the conflict to come, both internal and external.

2. Call To Adventure

Some event disrupts the Hero’s normal life. He is confronted with a problem or challenge, and it is his destiny to resolve the problem or conquer the challenge. The Hero will have to be told why only he can do it, and the goals of the story must be made clear. The Call to Adventure is usually just a scene and happens around the 12% mark of the story.

3. Refusal Of The Call

This is where the Hero says no. He refuses to fulfill his destiny and tries to run from it. It may be due to an emotional outburst, or he may have logical reasons. Unfortunately for him, the stakes will be raised until the Hero choses to follow his destiny.

4. Meeting The Mentor

The Mentor character will now enter the scene and help the protagonist. The Mentor is experienced and wise, and he will teach the protagonist what he needs to know for his journey. During this section (usually around the 20% mark of the story), the Hero will have an epiphany and realize he feels ready to take on his task.

5. Crossing The First Threshold

Now that the protagonist feels ready, he will fully commit to the journey and start on his way. By now, the Hero should be someone the readers like and want to see succeed. The Hero’s goals and their importance should be re-stated, and he will step out of his ordinary world and into his adventure.

Act II. Initiation

The Hero enters the new world and overcomes obstacles while meeting new people. This act is 50% of the story.

6. Test, Allies, Enemies

This is one of the longest sections in the Hero’s Journey. It’s when the Hero will need to learn about the new world and its rules. He will meet new people, both friends and foes, and he will undergo many challenges and trials. The Hero will deal with doubt as he tries to scale the steep learning curve, but he won’t give up.

7. Approach To The Inmost Cave

Now, the Hero will have his goal in sight and be close to achieving it. The key word in this section title is approach. He will not yet get his goal or arrive at the final battle location. Rather, this is the preparation stage. He will know who his allies are now, and they will get ready for the last stand. Often, this is when the mentor will return to give some last-minute advice.

8. Ordeal

This will be the greatest internal conflict so far. The Hero will face his biggest fear, be brought to his lowest, and then overcome his weakness. He will be transformed. Usually, this is when the Hero will have a brush with death. It can be his own death, that of a close friend, or even a sacrifice of something he has clung to the whole story.

9. Reward (Seizing The Sword)

This is the high that comes after the Hero conquers his inner demons. He now has the skill or knowledge he needs to reach his goal. This section is a type of emotional reset for the Hero where the reader gets reminded of how far he has come and how he has changed.

Act III. Return

The Hero enters the final battle and returns home a victorious and changed person. This section makes up the remaining 25% of the story length.

10. The Road Back

Now that the Hero has learned his lesson, he will start his journey back home. On the way, he will encounter even more obstacles. He will deal with the consequences of the Ordeal. He will mourn whoever or whatever he lost, but he will also have a newfound confidence. There needs to be a sense of urgency to his actions and clear stakes as to what happens if he doesn’t achieve his goal.

11. Resurrection

This is the climax of the story. The Resurrection is the final trial where everything is at stake, and it will take everything the Hero has learned to succeed. The climax also needs to highlight the internal lesson that he learned in the Ordeal. In order to win, the Hero will need to make a profound sacrifice. Only when he accepts he must lose everything to win can he truly be reborn.

12. Return With The Elixir

In the last 5% of the story, the Hero achieves his goal and returns home transformed. He goes back to his ordinary world but will see he no longer fits in as he had before. You can highlight what he learned, what he lost, and what he has to look forward to in the future. 

The Chronicles Of Narnia Example

It’s time to apply the Hero’s Journey to The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. I am using the movie plot line since I assume more people have seen it than read the book. As stated the last few weeks, there are spoilers included.

1. Ordinary World—Four bickering siblings must leave their home due to a war and live in an unknown house in the country with strangers.
2. Call To Adventure—Lucy finds a hidden world inside a wardrobe in the country house
3. Refusal Of The Call—Lucy’s siblings don’t believe her about Narnia, even her brother, Edmund, who saw the world is unwilling to admit it exists
4. Meeting The Mentor—The elderly man who owns the house counsels the two older siblings to trust Lucy
5. Crossing The First Threshold—The four siblings enter Narnia and decide to go visit the faun Lucy met the first day
6. Test, Allies, Enemies—They discover the faun was taken for helping Lucy, and this sets forth a whole cast of characters and trials. They meet the beavers, lose Edmund, are attacked by the wolves, receive counsel from the fox, and even meet Santa. Every step is full of danger and leads them toward the final battle.
7. Approach To The Inmost Cave—The siblings arrive at the army’s camp (not the battlefield where the climax happens) and speak with Aslan. They get Edmund back and decide to help with the war. They train and plan for the big battle.
8. Ordeal—Aslan is killed, and the siblings muster their inner courage and strength to face the White Witch alone.
9. Reward (Seizing The Sword)—Aslan’s death in place of Edmund enabled the four siblings to have a second chance as a family, and the boys realize they need to work together to defeat the White Witch. The girls find solace in each other as they mourn Aslan, and they get to witness his resurrection.
10. The Road Back—The brothers head out to battle, facing mounting odds. The sisters ride with Aslan to the White Witch’s fortress and free all their friends. Everyone has a newfound confidence, but there is a race against the clock to get their reinforcements to the battle before the White Witch kills the brothers.
11. Resurrection—The two brothers battle against the White Witch, and Edmund is stabbed after he breaks her magic scepter. The girls arrive in time to have Aslan kill the Witch. Lucy uses her magic elixir to revive Edmund, showing his metaphorical resurrection from dead traitor to reborn hero.
12. Return With The Elixir—The four siblings return home as kings and queens of Narnia with knowledge and experience that makes them wiser. But, above all, they have found harmony as a family.

Final Thoughts

The Hero’s Journey story structure is quite detailed and good for planning a big adventure. The structure is a bit more restrictive than the other methods though because it’s geared toward specific stories. It works best when the protagonist is going on a quest, but it can apply to other stories. However, you may find it simpler to use another story structure if you don’t plan on writing epics or journeys. If that doesn’t describe your writing, stay tuned for the next two weeks. We will go over other detailed story structures that can be applied more easily to broader storylines.

Thanks for reading!

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