Harsh mistress

FORWARD

The 188 stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) 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. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.

[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE 188 STAGE 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 catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Tells you what to write. For example, at a certain stage of the story, the focus should be on the Call to Adventure and the micro elements within.

ABRIDGED TIPS, EXCERPTS AND EXAMPLES:

(simply go to http://www.screenplay-structure.com/ or http://www.story-structure.org/ for full details)

AMERICAN WEREWOLF (1981)

FADE IN: Yorkshire Moors.

Border of the First Threshold: getting out of the truck.

Warning of the First Threshold: keep off the Moors; stick to the roads.

Meeting the Hero and the Shape Shifter: David and Jack.

Backstory: Travelling; Northern England first, England later.

Developing Characters and Relationships: an interest Debbie Klein's body….walking along the road….say knock knock…

Entering the First Threshold: walking into town.

Threshold Guardian: the Slaughtered Lamb.

New Creatures of the Cave: the people in the pub.

Authority Figure / Unwelcome in the Cave: any coffee…No; any tea…No.

Trial: the five point star on the wall.

Foreshadow of the Journey: "London…Leicester Square…."

Pulled into the Middle Cave: debating the five point star and candles.

Developing Characters and Relationships: the characters in the pub.

Middle Cave: What's the star on the wall for?

Pushed to the Inner Cave: Go!

Rules: Stay on the road.

Pushed to the Inner Cave: Go!

Rules: Stay on the road.

Developing Characters and Relationships: it's in God's hands now.

Contravening the Rules: wandering off the road.

Inner Cave: the wolf cry; can you hear it?

Pulled Back: we must go to them.

Foreboding: what was that sound?

Pulling Back: deciding to go back to the Slaughtered Lamb.

Warning of the Trial: it's a sheep dog.

Trial: attacked by the werewolf – saved by the villagers.

World of the Physical Separation: London, in the hospital.

Meeting the Romantic Challenge: Nurse Alex Price.

Meeting the Mentor: Doctor Hirsch.

The Hero's Journey (also known as the Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. It is upon this structure that situations are superimposed. This is why stories such as Alien (1979), Gladiator (2000), Godfather (1972), American Beauty (1999), Annie Hall (1977) and many others (all deconstructed at www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html) appear to be different but are all constructed, almost sequence by sequence, in the same way.

The following blockbusters have all been structured around the Hero's Journey template: Titanic, 1997 - grossed over $600,000,000; Star Wars, 1977 - grossed over $460,000,000; Shrek 2, 2004 - grossed over $436,000,000; ET, 1982 - grossed over $434,000,000; Spiderman, 2002 - grossed over $432,000,000. So how come you don't know it inside out?

For a number of very valid reasons, if you want to write (and sell) successful stories, whether they're Hollywood blockbusters, Indie successes, novels or other story forms, you need to master the Hero's Journey in a very detailed way...

THE ROAD OF TRIALS SHOULD BE CALLED THE ROAD OF TRANSFORMATIONS

The Road of Trials should be known as the Road of Transformations. That is the purpose of the Trials - to incrementally transform the Hero from an Old Self to a New Self; to dissolve away the Old Self. This is a deeper transformation than that which occurs during the First Threshold.

This is a huge and often favourite part of many stories and is achieved using distinct and focused techniques and processes - knowing the patterns that this stage can follow makes writing successful stories a whole lot easier. Patterns include:

Pulling away from the Old Self. In An Officer and a Gentleman (1983), Zach accepts Paula as his girlfriend - he's never had a girl before.

Demonstrating suitability to the New World and the New Self. In City Slickers (1991), Mitch is at home around the campfire and takes on Curly - someone whom he's afraid of.

Demonstrating deep Transformation. In The Godfather (1972), Michael decides to marry Apollonia - a Sicilian marriage was something he would not have considered previously.

FORWARD

The 188 stage Hero's Journey (Monomyth) 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. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.

[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE 188 STAGE 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 catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Tells you what to write. For example, at a certain stage of the story, the focus should be on the Call to Adventure and the micro elements within.

ABRIDGED TIPS, EXCERPTS AND EXAMPLES:

(simply go to www.clickok.co.uk for full details)

*****Resisting the Belly of the Whale*****

Resisting the Belly of the Whale is often a norm, even for willing heroes. In Brokeback Mountain (2005), after sex, Ennis rides out alone, without saying anything.

*****Blood and Transmogrification*****

The progression of the Transmogrification - the physical change - is often symbolised by the appearance of blood. In Straw Dogs (1971), David shoots the bird...the bloood seeps out and onto his clothes.