The Hero’s Journey


I’ve been reading a lot online about the art of writing fictional stories. I have visited dozens of websites and actually bought two or three books of my own.

I know I have a long way to go, but everyone must start somewhere. Right?

Eventually I do hope to learn a little bit about writing and create something of my very own.

Some of these pages in the fiction category are basically notes for me and anyone else interested.

Christopher Vogler in his book The Writer’s Journey outlines 12 basic steps that he believes all heroes progress through.

  • Ordinary World
  • Call to Adventure
  • Refusal of the Call
  • Meeting with the Mentor
  • Crossing the First Threshold
  • Tests, Allies, Enemies
  • Approach
  • Supreme Ordeal
  • Reward
  • The Road Back
  • Resurrection
  • Return with the Elixir

Many other authors have put fourth similar theories about the basic structure as well.  For instance some talk about Acts I, II and III instead.

  • Departure, Separation
  • Descent, Initiation, Penetration
  • Return

In the end, it really doesn’t matter what you call the structure. Just remember that the concept of a Heroes Journey is an outline or roadmap that you can use to develop your story. By knowing a
tried and true basic progression you can avoid many rewrites later.

Create your outline on a blank piece of paper before you actually begin writing. Then fill in one or two paragraphs in each of the steps to help you get a feel for how you will layout your story.


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.