The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Storytellers and Screenwriters

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

A bit of a review and some exercises based on

The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Storytellers and Screenwriters by Christopher Vogler

ISBN 0-941188-13-2

Enjoy!

Comments

Writer's Journey (part one)

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

original posting: Thu, 10 Sep 1998 23:42:20 -0400

[a peregrination? What if the pair only smile, or even frown? And is a nation composed of two sets of ivory choppers -- floating a la Cheshire cat or not -- a body politic or impolitic?]

The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Storytellers and Screenwriters by Christopher Vogler ISBN 0-941188-13-2

(P. vii) "What is a myth? For our purposes, a myth is not the untruth or fanciful exaggeration of popular expression. A myth... is a metaphor for a mystery beyond human comprehension. It is a comparison that helps us understand, by analogy,some aspect of our mysterious selves. A myth, in this way of thinking, is not an untruth but a way of reaching profound truth."

(P. 3) "I invite you to join me on a Writer's Journey, a mission of discovery to explore and map the elusive borderlands between myth and modern storytelling. We will be guided by a simple idea: all stories consist of a few common structural elements found universally in myths, fairy tales, dreams, and movies..."

[Woofie and the Search for the Golden Fleas? You think there's an epic tale from down under lurking in that scratching? Well, okay, I'll admit, there's a certain element of fantasy in Upper Swan, but will it travel?]

Book One -- Mapping the Journey. The 12 steps of the journey, and the seven archetypes.
Book Two -- The Stages of the Journey.

(P. 17) "I'm retelling the hero myth in my own way, and you should feel free to do the same. Every storyteller bends the mythic pattern to his own purpose or the needs of her culture."

(P. 16) The Writers Journey
Act One
Ordinary World
Call to Adventure
Refusal of the Call
Meeting with the Mentor
Crossing the First Threshold
Act Two
Tests, Allies, Enemies
Approach to the Inmost Cave
Supreme Ordeal
Reward
Act Three
The Road Back
Resurrection
Return with Elixir

(P. 17) "... In any good story the hero grows and changes, making a journey from one way of being to the next... It's these emotional journeys that hook an audience and make a story worth watching."

[Would you mind putting a little bit more detail on those stepping stones? Are they slate or granite or crumbling cement?]

(P. 19) 1. The Ordinary World

"Most stories take the hero out of the ordinary, mundane world and into a Special World, new and alien..."

"If you're going to show a fish out of his customary element, you first have to show him in that Ordinary World to create a vivid contrast with the strange new world he is about to enter."

2. The Call to Adventure

"The hero is presented with a problem, challenge, or adventure to undertake. Once presented with a Call to Adventure, she can no longer remain indefinitely in the comfort of the ordinary world."

3. Refusal of the Call (The Reluctant Hero)

"This one is about fear. Often at this point the hero balks at the threshold of adventure, Refusing the Call or expressing reluctance. After all, she is facing the greatest of all fears, terror of the unknown."

4. Mentor (The Wise Old Man Or Woman)

"The function of mentors is to prepare the hero to face the unknown..."

5. Crossing the First Threshold

"Now the hero finally commits to the adventure... He agrees to face the consequences of dealing with the problem or challenge posed in the call to adventure..."

(P. 23) 6. Tests, Allies, and Enemies

"Once across the first threshold, the hero naturally encounters new challenges and Tests, makes Allies and Enemies, and begins to learn the rules of the Special World."

7. Approach to the Inmost Cave

"... when the hero enters that fearful place, he will cross the second major threshold. Heroes often pause at the gate to prepare, plan, and outwit the villain's guards. This is the phase of Approach."

8. The Supreme Ordeal

"Here the fortunes of the hero hit bottom in a direct confrontation with his greatest fear. He faces the possibility of death and is brought to the brink in a battle with a hostile force."

(P. 26) "this is a critical moment in any story, an ordeal in which the hero must die or appear to die so that she can be born again..."

[continued]

Re: Writer's Journey (part one)

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

[hum - LJ has a size limit on postings! So here's the rest of part one]

9. Reward (Seizing the Sword)

"Having survived death, beaten the dragon, or slain the Minotaur, hero and audience have cause to celebrate. The hero now takes possession of the treasure she has come seeking, her Reward. It might be a special weapon like a magic sword, or a token like the Grail or some elixir which can heal the wounded land."

"Sometimes the 'sword' is knowledge and experience that leads to greater understanding and a reconciliation with hostile forces."

10. The Road Back

"... they hero begins to deal with the consequences of confronting the dark forces of the Supreme Ordeal."

Often this result in a chase by the vengeful forces.

11. Resurrection

Cleansing... one last shot by death and darkness. Note that this "unpeeling" may be repeated.

12. Return with the Elixir

The elixir, treasure, or lesson that heals and changes life...

(P. 30) "The Hero's Journey is a skeletal framework that should be fleshed out with the details and surprises of the individual story. The structure should not call attention to itself, nor should it be followed too precisely..."

That's the overview, the quick sketch of the grand plan that Vogler provides in the first chapter of his book. In book two -- the main part of the book -- we will go through each step in detail.

Admittedly, we don't have many details or much structure to work with yet. But let's consider some ways you might use what we have.

First, take the 12 steps and make them yours. Maybe "The Ordinary world" sounds blah to you? What would make it memorable for you? Everyday Grey? Everything Boring under the Sun? Maybe add some verbs, a sprinkling of characterization, or the odd adverb? Whatever it is, redo the list so the names mean something to you.

Next, take some movie, story, etc. and consider how these 12 steps apply. They may not be in exactly this order -- watch out for flash backs and such! But think about the steps...what kind of stones make up the pathway for you?

Third, take one of the SUB:s here and look at it in terms of the 12 steps. Are they there? Are there missing pieces -- and how would it affect the story to put them in?

Fourth, for those who may be concerned that this is all plot and no character, allow me to foreshadow a bit... hero, mentor, threshold guardian, herald, shapeshifter, shadow, and trickster are the main archetypes that we will be looking at. We will be looking carefully at the way that these archetypes interact along the hero's journey.

I know that this is a lot of material and not so much exercise, and I apologize for that. However, I think it's important to have an overview of the hero's journey before we start looking at the details.

do the bubbles tickle your nose,
when you drink deep of the moonlight?

Writer's Journey (Part Two)

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Original posting: Mon, 26 Oct 1998 08:02:00 -0500

[what? talking about the craft underlying the mythos? can't we just hunker down around a fire, gaze deep into the embers, and let ourselves -- quite bemused -- a tale tell for the ages? Oh, I see, you think that tinder and a well laid fire is more likely to make good use of the sparks of inspiration... well, get on with it then:-]

based on The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Storytellers and Screenwriters by Christopher Vogler ISBN 0-941188-13-2

Having looked quickly at the "general plot" of the hero's journey, Vogler now looks at seven archetypes -- the characters that are met along the path of the hero's journey.

(P. 33) "... in describing these common character types, symbols, and relationships the Swiss psychologist Carl G. Jung employed the term archetypes, meaning ancient patterns of personality that are the shared heritage of the human race."

"The concept of archetypes is an indispensable tool for understanding the purpose or function of characters in a story. If you grasp the function of the archetype which a particular character is expressing, it can help you determining if the character is pulling her full weight in the story. The archetypes are part of the universal language of storytelling, and a command of their energy is as essential to the writer as breathing."

(P. 34) "Looking at the archetypes in this way, as flexible character functions rather than as rigid character types, can liberate your storytelling. It explains how a character in a story can manifest the qualities of more than one archetype. The archetypes can be thought of as masks, worn by the characters temporarily as they are needed to advance the story...."

(P. 36) The most common and useful archetypes:
Hero
Mentor (Wise Old Man or Woman)
Threshold Guardian
Herald
Shapeshifter
Shadow
Trickster

There are many other archetypes, many other human qualities that are dramatized in stories.

Vogler next has sections about each of the archetypes. For this exercise, we will briefly review what he says about the hero... and save the others for later.

(P. 39) "A Hero is someone who is willing to sacrifice his own needs on behalf of others, like a shepherd who will sacrifice to protect and serve his flock. At the root the idea of Hero is connected with self-sacrifice."

Psychological Function

"In psychological terms, the archetype of the hero represents what Freud called the ego -- that part of the personality that separates from the mother; that considers itself distinct from the rest of the human race. Ultimately, a Hero is one who is able to transcend the bounds and illusions of the ego, but at first, Heroes are all ego; the I, the one, that personal identity which thinks it is separate from the rest of the group. The journey of many Heroes is the story of that separation from the family or tribe, equivalent to a child's sense of separation from the mother."

"The Hero archetype represents the ego's search for identity and wholeness...."

[to be continued]

Re: Writer's Journey (Part Two)

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

Dramatic Functions

Audience Identification

(P. 40) "The dramatic purpose of the hero is to give the audience a window into the story. Each person hearing a tale or watching a play or movie is invited, in the early stages of the story, to identify with the hero, to merge with him and see the world of the story through his eyes. Storytellers do this by giving their heroes a combination of qualities, a mix of universal and unique characteristics."

Growth

"Another story function of the hero is learning or growth. In evaluating a script sometimes it's hard to tell who is the main character, or who should be. Often the best answer is: the one who learns or grows the most in the course of the story. Heroes overcome obstacles and achieve goals, but they also gain new knowledge and wisdom. The heart of many stories is the learning that goes on between a hero and a mentor; or a hero and a lover, or even between a hero and a villain. We are all each other's teachers."

Action

"Another heroic function is acting or doing. The hero is usually the most active person in the script. His will and desire is what drives most stories forward. A frequent flaw in screenplays is that the hero is fairly active throughout the story, but at the most critical moment becomes passive and is rescued by the timely arrival of some outside force. At this moment above all, a hero should be fully active, in control of his fate. The hero should perform the decisive action of the story, the action that requires taking the most risk or responsibility."

Sacrifice

"People commonly think of heroes as strong or brave, but these qualities are secondary to sacrifice -- the true mark of a hero. Sacrifice is the hero's willingness to give up something of value, perhaps even her own life, on behalf of an ideal or a group...."

Dealing with Death

"At the heart of every story is a confrontation with death. If the hero doesn't face actual death, then there is the threat of death or symbolic death..."

Heroism in Other Archetypes

Unheroic characters can grow to be heroic; occasional heroism can overtake anyone.

Character Flaws

(P. 43) "Interesting flaws humanize a character. We can recognize bits of ourselves in a hero who is challenged to overcome inner doubts, errors in thinking, guilt or trauma from the past, or fear of the future. Weaknesses, imperfections, quirks, and vices immediately make a hero or any character more real and appealing..."

"Flaws also give a character somewhere to go -- the so-called 'character arc' in which a character develops from condition A to condition Z through a series of steps. Flaws are a starting point of imperfection or incompleteness from which a character can grow...."

Varieties of Hero [Mayo, mustard, pickles, lettuce... have it your...:-]

I will let you read the book for details, but there are willing and unwilling heroes, the antihero (an outsider, rejected by society, and yet...one of us), group oriented and loner heroes, and catalyst heroes.

That's probably more than enough from the book for today.

Re: Writer's Journey (Part Two)

[mbarker.livejournal.com]

I would like to suggest a rather simple exercise based on this. Take one of the submissions from the list and look for the hero. Do a little analysis: how does this hero serve for audience identification, what growth do they achieve, how about their action, do they exemplify sacrifice, and what is the death that they deal with -- and how do they deal with it?

Don't forget to look for the character flaws...

So this exercise is simply to analyze the use of the hero in a submission.

Another exercise, slightly more difficult, is to consider a character that you may be working on. Could they be a hero? If they were, how would you provide for audience identification? What kind of growth would they be likely to achieve? What kind of actions would they take? What sort of situation would make them sacrifice themselves -- and for what or whom? What kind of death do they need to experience?

Perhaps one more exercise? Pick a number from 1 to 6...

1. "Show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy." F. Scott FitzGerald (1945)

2. "The greatest obstacle to being heroic, is the doubt whether one may not be going to prove one's self a fool; the truest heroism is to resist the doubt, and the profoundest wisdom to know when it ought to be resisted, and went to be obeyed." Nathaniel Hawthorne (1852)

3. "Life, misfortunes, isolation, abandonment, poverty, are battlefields which have their heroes; obscure heroes, sometimes greater than the illustrious heroes." Victor Hugo (1862)

4. "No hero to me is the man who, by easy shedding of his blood, purchases fame: my hero is he who, without death, can win praise." Martial, Epigrams (A.D. 86)

5. "We moderns do not believe in demigods, but our smallest hero we expect to feel and act as a demigod." Gotthold Ephraim Lessing (1766)

6. "A hero is a man who does what he can." Romain Rolland (1904)

[Quotations taken from The International Thesaurus of Quotations by Rhoda Thomas Tripp ISBN 0-06-091382-7]

Okay, you have a quotation. Now consider what light this may shed on the hero. What does this quote say about the psychological ego of the hero, the desire for identity, the search for distinctiveness and self expression? What does it say about the dramatic functions of the hero:

- audience identification
- growth
- action
- sacrifice
- dealing with death (symbolic or actual)
- character flaws

(Having considered this quote and a hero, you may want to put them in a situation, a scene, a boiling cauldron that will test what your hero is made of and show us the results...could be a story, a poem, or something else:-)

"Billy, in one of his nice new sashes,
Fell in the fire and was burnt to ashes;
Now, although the room grows chilly,
I haven't the heart to poke poor Billy."
Ruthless Rhymes [1901]. Tender-Heartedness
Harry Graham