Writer's Journey: On structure and the Mythic or Hero's Journey
Not much actual "writing" done today, for two reasons. One, I went back and took a look at the Hero's Journey again, and two, I did need a day to sort of let my brain relax and recharge. While you can totally force art, it does help to have a little fun, and nothing helps me remember how to tell a good story than some table-top role-playing. Hence how I spent my Wednesday night.
One thing that A Writer's Journey has been helping me to do, oddly enough, is hone my craft as a writer. When I try to explain why I do or what I'm doing, it makes me go back and re-examine not only the why, but the how. Thus I find myself studying the Hero's Journey once more and coming away with a somewhat deeper understanding of how to use it to frame the structure of my story. In fact, once I started consciously applying the hero's journey to the story, framing it became a piece of cake, and it prompted me to add certain elements that really enriched the story for me as a writer (and hopefully for the reader as well).
The Hero's Journey consists of seventeen steps, though not all stories will use every step. (The link to the Wikipedia article here gives a good overview of the steps, but it's by no means exhaustive). Other steps have been added in by other writers, but the seventeen basic parts are still my go-to for story structure.
For "A Good Day", I am going to use the following 12 steps (in some places, two things will be happening within the same scene):
Departure:
1. The Call to Adventure
2. Crossing The Threshold & Supernatural Aid
3. The Belly of the Whale
Initiation:
4.The Road of Trials
5. Temptation
6. Confrontation/Atonement
7. The Ultimate Boon is Given
Return:
8. Apotheosis/Rest
9. Crossing the Return Threshold
10. Freedom to Live & Mastery of Two Worlds
As I start on the outline of the story, I'll incorporate how each part of the outline fits into the mythic journey. I know already that the Road of Trials is going to be a big chunk of the story, while the next two or three parts may all happen within the same scene as I currently see things.
Once I post the outline, there will be major spoilers, because you're going to be seeing the same thing I am, you're going to know how the story ends from the beginning, and you're going to see how I turn that basic idea into reality.
Wow, this was going to be a short post. That soooo didn't happen. Well, then, onward. Tomorrow, I start on the first part, Departure.
One thing that A Writer's Journey has been helping me to do, oddly enough, is hone my craft as a writer. When I try to explain why I do or what I'm doing, it makes me go back and re-examine not only the why, but the how. Thus I find myself studying the Hero's Journey once more and coming away with a somewhat deeper understanding of how to use it to frame the structure of my story. In fact, once I started consciously applying the hero's journey to the story, framing it became a piece of cake, and it prompted me to add certain elements that really enriched the story for me as a writer (and hopefully for the reader as well).
The Hero's Journey consists of seventeen steps, though not all stories will use every step. (The link to the Wikipedia article here gives a good overview of the steps, but it's by no means exhaustive). Other steps have been added in by other writers, but the seventeen basic parts are still my go-to for story structure.
For "A Good Day", I am going to use the following 12 steps (in some places, two things will be happening within the same scene):
Departure:
1. The Call to Adventure
2. Crossing The Threshold & Supernatural Aid
3. The Belly of the Whale
Initiation:
4.The Road of Trials
5. Temptation
6. Confrontation/Atonement
7. The Ultimate Boon is Given
Return:
8. Apotheosis/Rest
9. Crossing the Return Threshold
10. Freedom to Live & Mastery of Two Worlds
As I start on the outline of the story, I'll incorporate how each part of the outline fits into the mythic journey. I know already that the Road of Trials is going to be a big chunk of the story, while the next two or three parts may all happen within the same scene as I currently see things.
Once I post the outline, there will be major spoilers, because you're going to be seeing the same thing I am, you're going to know how the story ends from the beginning, and you're going to see how I turn that basic idea into reality.
Wow, this was going to be a short post. That soooo didn't happen. Well, then, onward. Tomorrow, I start on the first part, Departure.