#writingtricksandtips

1- Departure: Hero is called to adventure, most heroes reluctant.

2- Initiation: Hero crosses threshold into new, more dangerous world, gaining more mature perspective.

3- Road of Trials: Hero given aid, sometimes supernatural, endures tests of strength, endurance, resourcefulness, etc.

4- Innermost Cave: Hero ‘descends’ into underworld, or someplace of great trial, can be in hero’s own mind. Hero is reborn because of trial, in some way, physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally, hero changes internally because of experience.

5- Return and Reintegration with Society: Hero uses new wisdom to ‘give back’ to the land.

Characteristics of a Hero’s Journey

- Hero is naive and inexperienced

-Hero meets monsters/monstrous men/women

-Hero has strange/wise being as mentor

-Hero yearns for their muse/reason for going on journey, sometimes guide/inspiration

-Hero must go on journey, learn lesson, change, and return

-Hero often crosses water/bridge, symbolic

-Hero born and raised in rural setting

-Origin of hero is mysterious, or parents lost from early age, raised by animals/wise guardian

-Hero returns to land of birth in disguise/unknown

-Hero is special, one of a kind, may represent whole nation/culture

-Hero struggles for something valuable/important

-Hero has help from divine/supernatural forces

-Hero has guide(s)

-Hero goes through rite of passage/initiation, event marking immature to mature understanding of the world

-Hero undergoes ritual/ceremony after initiation

-Hero has loyal band of companions

-Hero makes speech/monologue

-Hero has a test of strength, physical, mental, etc, proud of excellence