This catalyst can take many forms, as Campbell points out in Hero with a Thousand Faces.

In this stage, they are generally confronted with a problem or challenge they can't ignore. The call to adventure is all about booting the Hero out of their comfort zone. Rocky Balboa is introduced as a mediocre boxer and loan collector - just doing his best to live day-to-day in a poor part of Philadelphia. Importantly, it lets readers identify with the Hero as a “normal” person in a “normal” setting, before the journey begins. It’s up to this opening leg to set the stage, introducing the Hero to readers. Before our Hero discovers a strange new world, we must first understand the status quo: their ordinary, mundane reality. To show you how it can be used outside of your average sword-and-sorcery books, we've adopted the 1976 film Rocky as an example in each step. The 12 steps of the hero's journey are.īelieve it or not, this story structure also applies across mediums and genres (and also works when your protagonist is an anti-hero!). The Hero's Journey is a model for both plot points and character development: as the Hero traverses the world, they'll undergo inner and outer transformation at each stage of the journey. Tell us about your book, and we'll give you a writing playlist Looking for the perfect playlist to get you in the writing mood? Tell us about your book, and we'll give you a made-for-you writing playlist. But when you’re struggling to figure out what should happen next, it can act as a narrative arc guide to suggest what the next milestone should be. You can instead think of it as a map: you can stray from the set path whenever you like. But keep in mind that you don't necessarily need to follow it beat by beat. The Hero's Journey has its fingerprints in everything from The Lion King and horror novels to Star Wars and Arrival. (This is the version that we’ll be dissecting later in this post.) In 2007, screenwriter Christopher Vogler refined Campbell’s original structure in his book, The Writer’s Journey. In it, Vogler expanded upon Campbell’s three phases, defining 12 stages that make it up. The Return Act: the Hero returns in triumph.The Initiation Act: the Hero ventures into unknown territory (the 'Special World') and is birthed into a true champion through various trials and challenges.The Departure Act: the Hero leaves the Ordinary World.Here are the three stages of the hero’s journey as coined by academic Joseph Campbell in 1949:

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