heroic journey stories

31 Best Hero’s Journey Books to Add to Your Reading List

Interested in learning more about the hero’s journey stories? Discover the best hero’s journey books to begin your reading adventure !

Writers and readers love hero’s journey stories . From the origin stories of cultures to the twelfth-century poems that make up The Mabinogion (themselves derived from earlier oral traditions) to today’s blockbuster SF-laden movies, the monomyth is a part of our collective, subconscious experience .

These stories feature certain archetypes and follow a set pattern. The hero sets off on a quest from his/her ordinary world (The Departure), subsequently learns a lesson or obtains new knowledge , and uses this to triumph over something, someone, or a set of circumstances (The Initiation).

The hero then returns to his/her own world, transformed or with the tools needed to enact positive change (The Return). Below, we take a look at the 31 best books to add to your reading list if you’re a fan of the genre. This list pairs nicely with our roundup of movies that follow the hero’s journey .

1. The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

2. the odyssey by homer, 3. harry potter and the sorcerer’s stone by jk rowling, 4. the alchemist by paulo coelho, 5. the inferno by dante alighieri, 6. the goose girl by shannon hale, 7. the wizard of oz by l frank baum, 8. the hunger games by suzanne collins, 9. to kill a mockingbird by harper lee, 10. where the mountain meets the moon by grace lin, 11. don quixote by miguel de cervantes, 12. the 5th wave by rick yancey, 13. beowulf, 14. siddhartha: an indian novel by hermann hesse, 15. a separate reality by carlos castaneda, 16. across the universe by beth revis, 17. american gods by neil gaiman, 18. little briar rose (sleeping beauty) by the brothers grimm, 19. jane eyre by charlotte bronte, 20. the pilgrim’s progress by john bunyan, 21. the hound of the baskervilles by arthur conan doyle, 22. treasure island by robert louis stevenson, 23. argonautica by apollonius, 24. the fault in our stars by john green, 25. holes by louis sachar, 26. interstellar by greg keyes, 27. divergent by veronica roth, 28. the buried giant by kazuo ishiguro, 29. alice in wonderland by lewis carroll, 30. the lion, the witch and the wardrobe by c.s. lewis, 31. fight club by chuck palahniuk, here are the best books that follow the hero’s journey.

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien has featured regularly on best-seller lists since its first publication in 1937 and is widely cited as one of the twentieth century’s most beloved and influential novels. It’s a classic hero’s journey genre tale, too – featuring an unlikely hero in the form of Bilbo Baggins.

This unassuming hobbit is swept off on an adventure when Gandalf, the wizard, and a company of dwarves appear on his doorstep. He finds himself part of a mission to reclaim a fabulous horde of treasure from under the very nose of the fearsome dragon Smaug the Magnificent. For more, check out our guide to the best fantasy authors. You can also check out our guide on hero’s journey archetypes .

“This is a story of how a Baggins had an adventure , and found himself doing and saying things altogether unexpected.” JRR Tolkien

The Odyssey tells the story of Odysseus and is one of the oldest surviving works of literature that’s still being read by audiences today. This epic story tells the tale of the wandering king, trying to get home to his wife Penelope following the end of the Trojan War. The tale features all the tropes of a hero’s journey story, from its opening.

Odysseus is portrayed in his ordinary life, through to the Crossing the Threshold section, where the Gods become enraged with the hero and his company, summoning a storm to throw their boat off course, to The Return, whereby after completing a final challenge, Odysseus is returned to his royal life with Penelope.

“A man who has been through bitter experiences and traveled far enjoys even his sufferings after a time.” Homer

JK Rowling’s worldwide best-seller Harry Potter is a prime example of the hero’s journey tale. The book starts with Harry in the ordinary world before moving through all of the typical hero’s journey stages, as detailed by Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Harry receives the invitation letter to Hogwarts (The Call to Adventure ), struggles to accept this sudden turn of events (Refusal of the Call), and Meets the Mentor – in the first book, this is Hagrid.

The Crossing the Threshold stage is his literal passing through the wall to access Platform 9 3/4 at the station. The Ordeal is represented by the various challenges the young wizard encounters at his new school, culminating in his temporary triumph over Voldemort. At the end of the book, he returns to the world of the muggles for the summer vacation, happy that he’ll be returning to Hogwarts soon (The Return).

“A breeze ruffled the neat hedges of Privet Drive, which lay silent and tidy under an inky sky, the very last place you would expect astonishing things to happen.” JK Rowling

The hero’s journey takes many different forms: it’s not always about defeating villains or finding lost treasure. The genre can also be powerfully deployed in the service of a spiritual quest tale, as in this novel. While the young protagonist, who is a perfect example of the Innocent/Orphan hero archetype, might start his journey looking for real-world riches, what unfolds is a beautiful story of self-discovery. Ultimately, The Alchemist is about the importance of heeding our hearts and the transformative power of dreams.

“Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure.” Paulo Coelho

The first volume of The Divine Comedy is considered a literary masterpiece, following the hero’s journey on a quest through the various Circles of Hell. After meeting Virgil (the Mentor), our narrator progresses, facing numerous trials and tests, always seeking his beloved Beatrice. Although he sometimes has ‘weapons’ with which to face his adversaries, his most potent weapon is his faith in his journey , which is a blend of both a spiritual and a physical mission.

“Soon you will be where your own eyes will see the source and cause and give you their own answer to the mystery.” Dante Alighieri

New York Times bestselling author Shannon Hale has written the book The Goose Girl that, although aimed at middle-schoolers, has become much loved by kids and adults alike. Drawing on the tradition of folktales, it’s a heroine’s journey story, recounting the tale of Ani, who’s uncomfortable around people but able to communicate easily with animals. She leaves her world behind. However, when she’s sent away to marry. Despite disaster striking, she finds herself in a job where she can use her unique talents and give voice to her inner self.

If we don’t tell strange stories, when something strange happens we won’t believe it.” Shannon Hale

A key element of the heroine’s journey is, while it maintains recognizable archetype qualities, there is an overcoming or subversion of society’s expectations regarding women. Rather than staying at home in Kanas, Dorothy, in the book The Wizard of Oz has the adventure she longs for.

While the hero’s journey stories tend to move from the inner world to the outer (from the darkness to the light), the heroine’s journey is usually the inverse of this, with characters moving from the outer world to a deeper communion with their inner selves and desires.

“The true courage is in facing danger when you are afraid, and that kind of courage you have in plenty.’“ L Frank Baum

Envisioning a dystopian new world in which each District is compelled to send two children between the ages of twelve and sixteen to compete in the annual Hunger Games , Suzanne Collins’ novels are widely cited as examples of the hero’s journey genre. Now a Hollywood blockbuster series of movies, the story demonstrates how the tropes inherent in Homer’s tale of Odysseus, written nearly 3,000 years ago, are still alive and kicking today.

Looking for the perfect reads for teens? Explore our comprehensive guide featuring the best books for teenagers . Whether they’re into fantasy, adventure, or real-life stories, our list has something for every young reader. Check out the top picks now!

“I’m more than just a piece in their Games.” Suzanne Collins

To Kill a Mockingbird is set in 1930s Alabama, Atticus Finch is a lawyer attempting to defend and prove the innocence of Tom Robinson, a black man wrongly accused of raping a white woman. Atticus’s hero’s journey is largely a psychological one, in which he faces his own innermost beliefs, and is forced to confront morality and prejudice in the south of the US, how this manifests, and its impact on the individual and society – as well as the delivery of justice.

“You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view. Until you climb inside of his skin and walk around in it.” Harper Lee

Another bestselling novel adored by adults and children alike, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon chronicles Minli’s quest as she journies to find the Old Man on the Moon. Drawing on Chinese folktales, this rich fantasy, accompanied by the author’s beautiful illustrations, follows Minli as she encounters a range of otherworldly characters in her quest to find the answers to some of life’s biggest questions.

“If you make happy those that are near, those that are far will come.” Grace Lin

The Spanish masterpiece, Don Quixote , first published in 1605, begins in the ordinary world of Alonso Quijano, a middle-aged man who loves nothing more than reading stories about knights and their adventures. Deciding to leave behind his own life to become a knight errant himself, Alonso changes his name to Don Quixote and sets off on a series of heroic deeds – some more successful than others!

“It is by rugged paths like these they go that scale the heights of immortality, unreached by those that falter here below.” Miguel de Cervantes

This Amazon bestseller by Rick Yancey received the Goodreads Choice award. The Fifth Wave focuses on Cassie and Evan, two of the last human survivors on Earth following an alien invasion, dreading the imminent fourth wave. As a hero’s journey tale, Cassie must tackle both a physical, dangerous quest and attempt to understand the truth of the terrifying new world she’s inhabiting.

“Some things you don’t have to promise, you just do.” Rick Yancey

The hero in this Old English epic poem Beowulf from an unknown author follows precisely the steps outlined by Joseph Campbell in The Hero with a Thousand Faces. From the Call to Adventure and the Refusal of the Call and all the way through to The Return – otherwise known as The Elixir- in which the hero brings something back from his adventure to benefit society. In the case of Beowulf, it’s the insight he has gained, that will keep his people safe going forward, and his blessing of peace,

“In the time I was given I lived in my own land, ruling my people well, never turning to treachery, or swearing to oaths contrary to right.” Beowulf

A much-loved novel published in 1951 that follows the classic hero’s journey template, Siddhartha concerns the titular character on his quest for self-discovery. Deciding to leave his home in the ancient Nepalese kingdom of Kapilavastu, Siddhartha sets out as a wandering beggar seeking spiritual enlightenment. Through his journeying, the hero learns the importance of loving the world in its entirety and that a single, fixed belief does not constitute truth.

“ Knowledge can be communicated, but not wisdom. One can find it, live it, do wonders through it, but one cannot communicate and teach it.” Hermann Hesse

With its mind-bending perspectives and mythic structure, it’s unclear how much of this book A Separate Reality is fictional and how much is based on reality. With its clear mentor character (the Yaqui Indian shaman, Don Juan) and the dangerous journey at its heart that the protagonist is compelled to undertake, it’s a clear example of the hero’s journey story – though possibly one that pushes the boundaries of the genre more than any you’ve come across!

“We are men and our lot in life is to learn and be hurled into inconceivable new worlds.” Carols Castaneda

In the book Across the Universe , Amy awakens fifty years too soon from cryosleep, she finds herself aboard the spaceship Godspeed and in a terrifying situation. Realizing that her awakening didn’t happen by accident (The Call to Action), Amy has to accept the truth that someone else on board wants her dead – and that her parents, still in cryosleep, could be the next victims if she doesn’t figure out what’s going on. But meeting Eldest, the future leader of the ship, changes everything.

“Even when you are silent, even when you block out all noise, your body is still a cacophony of life.” Beth Revis

American Gods blend fantasy and world mythology (both old and new), this novel widely divides its audience: it falls into the love it or loathe it category. But whatever your views on the plot and the writing, it’s an innovative take on the hero’s journey trope that reimagines the genre.

Even its archetype, Shadow, is a vivid and disturbing (yet recognizable) hero figure – although, in typical Neil Gaiman style, the name ‘Shadow’ is also one of the character archetypes set out by Christopher Vogler’s author of the influential book, The Writer’s Journey .

“Even nothing cannot last forever.” Nail Gaiman

Fairy tales are great places to look for the hero’s journey stories themselves, born from ancient folktales, legends, and myths. There are many versions of this tale, many of which feature very dark and disturbing themes, but the Grimms’ version of Little Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty) is relatively tame.

While reading , consider the extent to which the story is a hero’s or a heroine’s journey tale – thinking about the journey from outer to inner (and vice versa) and how this relates to the narrative of both the prince and Briar Rose herself.

“The pigeons upon the roof pulled out their heads from under their wings, looked round, and flew into the open country; the flies on the wall crept again; the fire in the kitchen burned up and flickered and cooked the meat; the joint began to turn and fizzle again.” Brothers Grimm

In his writings, the renowned psychiatrist and psychoanalyst Carl Jung outlined his ideas about archetypes, including archetypal journies, contending that humans’ unconscious minds are remarkably similar. This is why the hero’s journey stories have always permeated literature and art and continue to do so.

At its heart, the journey of Jane Eyre is the same as that taken by Luke Skywalker in Star Wars, despite the time and genre divide between the two. Just as Luke’s quest is about discovering truth and recognizing potential, so Jane’s journey is concerned with growth and independence – and there’s a disturbing truth in the attic to confront along the way, too.

Just as with Skywalker, Jane emerges at the end of the tale as a strong, loyal, passionate character who has faced a devastating reality and emerged from the ordeal with even greater reserves of tenacity than before. For more, check out our guide to the best British authors .

“I am no bird; and no net ensnares me: I am a free human being with an independent will.” Charlotte Bronte

The Pilgrim’s Progress is a classic hero’s journey tale and, at times, the most widely read book in the world, second only to The Bible, Bunyan’s book is concerned with the importance of learning and reading and the innate value of community. The hero, Christian, leaves his home and must face a series of trials – key to the genre. However, each tribulation or challenge must be thoroughly understood if a pilgrim is to progress. There’s even a final trial – a test of faith – which Christians must pass to access the Celestial City.

“The road of denial leads to the precipice of destruction.” John Bunyan

The greatest literary detective of all time, Sherlock Holmes, is a hero archetype: The Researcher (the character of Indiana Jones also falls within this hero category). The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of the most well-known stories featuring Holmes and his trusty sidekick Dr. Watson. This is a great book for those interested in the hero’s journey genre, as the stages are so clearly delineated, from the Call to Action (Holmes’ enlistment to the case) through to The Return, whereby Watson files the case closed.

“The world is full of obvious things which nobody by any chance ever observes.” Arthur Conan Doyle

In this classic novel Treasure Island by a 19th-century author, we meet Jim going about his daily life in the inn that his family owns. Following the Call to Action, where the boy becomes fascinated with the ‘black spot’ presented to the old captain, Billy Bones, who’s staying at the inn, Jim becomes embroiled in an epic adventure on the high seas in search of buried treasure.

“We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best we can find in our travels is an honest friend.” Robert Louis Stevenson

Testament to the power of myth is the enduring popularity of this story, which recounts the adventures of Jason and the Argonauts as they quest for the golden fleece. The epic, written – incredibly – in the third century BC, remains so widely read that there are not only multiple versions available on Amazon, but you can listen to it as an audiobook, too! Argonautica features all the archetypal stages of the genre, including the Refusal of the Call, whereby Jason initially urges the heroes to elect another leader for the voyage. Once chosen, though, Heracles insists that Jason can take up the mantle, confident he can lead the band to victory.

“But friendly Juno shrouds/Her favorite heroes in a veil of clouds.” Apollonius

The Fault in Our Stars , a bestseller that was also received extremely well by critics, this novel is a hero’s journey tale with a difference. Hazel, our protagonist, is sixteen years old and suffering from thyroid cancer that has spread to her lungs. Her parents insist she attends a support group (Crossing the Threshold) where she meets Augustus Walters, a seventeen-year-old osteosarcoma survivor. It’s now a Hollywood blockbuster movie that captures Amy’s journey into love.

“My name is Hazel. Augustus Waters was the great star-crossed love of my life.” John Green

When fourteen-year-old Stanley is wrongly convicted of stealing, he’s sent to a correctional camp where the inmates are forced by the warden to dig holes, seemingly at random. The story of Holes is comprised of three individual but interconnected tales. It makes for a fascinating take on the hero’s journey genre, the pattern of which can be seen both in the three stand-alone stories and in the overarching triptych.

“You’re responsible for yourself. You messed up your life, and it’s up to you to fix it.” Louis Sachar

This novelization of the Hollywood movie Interstellar is an exciting account of a team of interstellar explorers sent through a newly discovered wormhole – and what the ramifications of this mean for humanity. Despite being written thousands of years after Argonautica, the story shares a remarkably similar bone structure, as our hero literally navigates new worlds in a quest to return with the solution that will save the human race from extinction.

“We’ve always defined ourself by our ability to overcome the impossible.” Jonathan Nolan

Divergent by Veronica Roth offers a dystopian version of a future in which society is divided into five factions, each representing a certain virtue. Beatrice has been assigned the Abnegation faction but feels a Call to Action: in her heart, she knows she belongs to Dauntless. While set in a distant future, the tale follows the traditional archetypal hero’s journey ; after the Call, Beatrice (now Tris) must resist several temptations, cross a threshold, and must survive a final ordeal to emerge at the novel’s finale, transformed and triumphant.

“I feel like someone breathed new air into my lungs. I am not Abnegation. I am not Dauntless. I am Divergent.” Veronica Roth

Beautiful and strange, The Buried Giant uses the mythic structure as both framework and plot. We follow a couple across a mystical, fiction, post-Arthurian landscape that is as shrouded in mist as their fast-disappearing memories. Both are convinced that they once had a son and so set out on a quest to find him. The author wrote the book as a meditation on collective memory, making it both an example and an interrogation of the hero’s journey tale.

“I’m wondering if without our memories, there’s nothing for it but for our love to fade and die.” Kazuo Ishiguro

Crossing the threshold via a fall down a rabbit hole, Alice arrives in Wonderland, where nothing is as it seems, and both adventure and danger lurk around every corner. But is the Caterpillar, The White Rabbit, or The Mad Hatter the Mentor? Just as with everything else in the story of Alice in Wonderland , it’s a riddle. But what’s for sure is that the story follows the classic monomyth template as set out by Joseph Campbell.

“‘I could tell you my adventures – beginning from this morning,’ said Alice a little timidly: ‘but it’s no use going back to yesterday because I was a different person then.’” Lewis Carroll

In some hero’s journey books, the stages are subtle – you can find them, but you may need to look closely. As in Alice in Wonderland, the phases are made obvious in this novel The Chronicles of Narnia : the kids literally step over the threshold of the magical wardrobe and into the enchanted world of Narnia. The Refusal of the Call comes when the children initially turn back, fearful of their ability to navigate their way home. They return and take on the challenges set for them by one of literature’s ultimate Mentor figures, Aslan.

“All shall be done, but it may be harder than you think.” C.S. Lewis

Just because the hero’s journey genre is as old as time doesn’t mean it’s not subject to continual innovation – as in this novel, where the hero’s Mentor and biggest challenge to overcome is…literally himself. Fight Club is a cult phenomenon that’s made the leap to mainstream hit, helped along by the success of the great screenwriting featured in the Hollywood movie version of the book. Visionary, satirical, and a personal enlightenment journey like no other, Fight Club gleefully reimagines the hero’s journey genre to spectacular effect.

“If I could wake up in a different place, at a different time, could I wake up as a different person?” Chuck Palahniuk

Best Short Stories for Teaching the Hero’s Journey

Looking to shake up your approach to teaching the Hero’s Journey? Whether you’re looking to replace a novel with a range of short stories or to use them as additional texts, this post reveals 8 short stories that will get the job done.

Gearing up to teach the Hero’s Journey? Before you grab your go-to book from the shelf, I urge you to consider an alternative approach—using short stories.

While there are plenty of great novels out there to emphasize the Hero’s Journey, it was always a challenge to choose just one. Did I want to go with a popular classic, like The Odyssey ? Or an engaging modern text, like The Hunger Games ? That very challenge is what first got me thinking—What if my students could dive into multiple examples of the Hero’s Journey? Besides, heroes come in all shapes and sizes, right? So, in an attempt to expose my students to a classic narrative archetype and a variety of texts, I turned to short stories. And, honestly, I haven’t turned back since.

Whether you’re looking for short stories to take center stage or serve as a stepping stone before jumping into a full-length novel, they make the perfect addition to a Hero’s Journey unit. Keep reading to learn the advantages of teaching the Hero’s Journey using short stories and 8 short story titles that are sure to enhance your lessons.

What Is the Hero’s Journey?

Whether this is your first time teaching the Hero’s Journey or you need a quick review, let’s go over the basics. The Hero’s Journey is a narrative framework coined by Joseph Campbell in his book called The Hero With A Thousand Faces , published in 1949. However, the concept and pattern of the journey have been around since the earliest days of storytelling. It outlines the transformative journey of a protagonist who overcomes obstacles, faces inner and outer challenges, and emerges with newfound strength and wisdom. 

While variations certainly exist across different narratives, cultures, and uses, the classic phases of the Hero’s Journey include the following:

• The Ordinary World: An introduction to the protagonist’s everyday life, relationships, and any challenges or limitations they face are first introduced.
• The Call to Adventure: The protagonist receives a compelling invitation or challenge that initiates the on the heroic journey.
• Refusal of the Call: The protagonist resists the call to adventure due to fear, doubt, or a sense of inadequacy.
• Meeting the Mentor: The protagonist encounters a mentor figure who provides guidance, advice, and assistance needed for the journey.
• Crossing the Threshold: The protagonist leaves the familiar and ordinary world behind and enters the unknown.
• Tests, Allies, and Enemies: The protagonist encounters various obstacles,enemies, and allies that test their will, determination and character.
• Approach to the Inmost Cave: The protagonist prepares for a significant challenge or confrontation, symbolizing their innermost fears, doubts, or weaknesses.
• Ordeal: The protagonist is pushed to their limits when faced with their greatest challenge, undergoing a transformative experience.
• Reward: After overcoming the ordeal, the protagonist is rewarded with something, often knowledge, that empowers them to continue their journey.
• The Road Back: The protagonist begins a journey back to the ordinary world.
• Resurrection: They face a final challenge, where they must apply everything they have learned and experienced.
• Return with the Elixir: The protagonist returns and is reunited with the ordinary world, having been transformed by “the elixir”—an object, knowledge, or insight—for the greater good.

Why Teach the Hero’s Journey with Short Stories?

You can apply the Hero’s Journey to a wide variety of literary texts, including myths, fairy tales, novels, short stories, and plays. Heck, you can even track the Hero’s Journey in movies, too. No matter which avenue you use, the Hero’s Journey encourages students to analyze plot structure, character motivation and development, and universal themes.

It gets them shrinking about essential questions like, are heroes born or are they made? What defines a hero? How can an individual change through taking heroic action? What can we learn about ourselves through studying a protagonist’s Hero’s Journey?

While many teachers opt for teaching the Hero’s Journey through a novel, here’s why I love using short stories to do so:

• Concise Storytelling: Short stories allow students to explore the Hero’s Journey in a concise format. This brevity allows for you to utilize short stories in various ways. Have students explore multiple examples of the Hero’s Journey, comparing and contrasting the variations. Alternatively, you can use a short story as Hero’s Journey review or as an introductory experience before diving into a full-length novel.
• Engaging Narratives: Given the waning attention spans of today’s students, it can be challenging to keep them engaged and on track with a longer text. On the other hand, short stories captivate students with their fast-paced narratives and intriguing characters. Short stories can make it through a 12-phase Hero’s Journey in a matter of pages. They often pack a punch with their themes and conflicts, giving students plenty to work with.
• Diverse Perspectives: Heroes come from different places and backgrounds, and possess various strengths and skills. It’s not a one-size-fits-all thing. Therefore, short stories allow you to expose your students to a range of protagonists and the different journeys they take. In fact, students can analyze multiple heroes in the same amount of time it would take to read an entire novel. In turn, you expose students to different voices, perspectives, and cultural experiences, fostering empathy and understanding in addition to highlighting the Hero’s Journey. Talk about two birds with one stone!
• Accessibility and Differentiation: Short stories are a great way to make literature accessible for students of varying abilities and interests. Teaching the Hero’s Journey through these shorter narratives is a great way to set students up for success by assigning a text based on their reading and comprehension level. And, if you ask me, it’s far easier for teachers to manage various short stories than multiple novels.

8 Short Stories for Teaching the Hero’s Journey

If you’ve made it this far down in the post, I’ve convinced you to at least consider using short stories when teaching the Hero’s Journey. (You won’t regret it.) But, let’s take it one step further, shall we? Instead of starting from the drawing board, here are 8 short stories that are perfect for teaching the Hero’s Journey in secondary ELA.

1. “A Sound of Thunder” by Ray Bradbury

Would it be a great short story list without at least one Bradbury title? “A Sound of Thunder” may not follow every stage of the Hero’s Journey in a traditional sense, but the protagonist, Eckels, certainly experiences his own form of the journey. Bradbury’s story incorporates elements of the hero’s transformation, the challenges faced, and the revelation of the consequences of their actions as Eckles ultimately learns the hard truth that even the smallest actions can have big consequences.

2. “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” by James Thurber

This is another short story that doesn’t completely follow the journey in the most traditional sense. However, students will enjoy tracking protagonist Walter Mitty’s own form of his Hero’s Journey. Walter Mitty’s journey involves vivid daydreams that serve as an escape from his mundane reality. Students can track the stages of the Hero’s Journey as Mr. Mitty sets out on a quest for self-expression, courage, and embracing the extraordinary within.

3. “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

This is not your average Hero’s Journey, making it the perfect challenge text for advanced students. Students can track how the unnamed narrator turns to the titular yellow wallpaper as her supernatural aid, becoming the catalyst for her journey of self-discovery.

4. “Thank you, Ma’am” by Langston Hughes

Students will appreciate the simple realness of Roger’s Hero’s Journey. What begins as an attempted purse robbery, Roger is faced with a different kind of call to “adventure.” Ironically, the woman he tried to steal from, Mrs. Luella Bates Washington Jones, serves as his mentor during this journey, ultimately leading him to gain a newfound understanding of the importance of kindness and compassion.

5. “The Most Dangerous Game” by Richard Connell

The story’s protagonist and skilled hunter, Sanger Rainsford, goes on a harrowing Hero’s Journey when he falls off his yacht and winds up stranded on a mysterious island. Suddenly, he finds himself caught in a deadly game of survival. (Dun, dun, dun.) However, by the end of his journey, Rainsford returns to civilization with a newfound perspective and appreciation for life.

6. “Raymond’s Run” by Toni Cade Bambara

Squeaky, the story’s young protagonist, is a talented runner who unexpectedly embarks on her own Hero’s Journey. While she is initially focused on her own ambitions, Squeaky’s perspective shifts as she heads down a path of self-discovery and compassion. By the end of her journey, Squeaky transforms from a self-centered competitor to a caring sister who is able to support her brother.

7. “Marigolds” by by Eugenia Collier

The story’s protagonist, Lizabeth, finds herself on a transformative journey initiated by frustrations with the poverty and hopelessness in her community. By the end, despite the struggles around her, she is able to find moments of beauty and to approach others with kindness and understanding. Ultimately, Lizabeth’s Hero’s Journey is one of learning empathy and self-realization in the face of adversity.

8.  “To Build a Fire” by Jack London Does this story follow the traditional Hero’s Journey? Nope. But that’s what makes it the perfect companion text to a storyline that follows the traditional journey structure and stages. In London’s story, the protagonist, simply known as “the man,” sets out on a journey through the frozen Yukon wilderness. The man’s survival skills and overall resilience are tested again and again as he faces numerous challenges and tests throughout his journey. Rather than ending with a traditional elixir or triumphant return, the man learns the power of nature and the consequences of overestimating one’s abilities. (Yikes!)

There you have it, my teacher friend! If you’re looking to shake up your approach to the Hero’s Journey, short stories may just be what you need. The stories above offer diverse examples of the Hero’s Journey, showcasing different characters, settings, and themes. As a result, your students can explore variations of this classic narrative structure, laying the groundwork for engaging discussions, a cumulative compare and contrast activity, or analytical essay.

Have any other titles to add to the list? Don’t forget to share your favorite short stories for teaching the Hero’s Journey in the comments below!

1 thought on “Best Short Stories for Teaching the Hero’s Journey”

I was searching for short stories that fit the monomyth and came across “Through the Tunnel” by Dorris Lessing. It’s fantastic and fits beautifully. Thanks for your list!

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The Hero’s Journey

What is the Hero's Journey in Literature?

Crafting a heroic character is a crucial aspect of storytelling, and it involves much more than simply sketching out a brave and virtuous figure. The hero's journey definition is not the typical linear narrative but rather a cyclical pattern that encompasses the hero's transformation, trials, and ultimate return, reflecting the profound and timeless aspects of human experience. The writer's journey in this endeavor goes beyond the external actions of the hero and delves into the character's inner world. The hero arc is the heart of the narrative, depicting the character's evolution from an ordinary person to a true hero.

Narratology and Writing Instructions for Heroic Characters

Related to both plot diagram and types of literary conflict , the ”Hero’s Journey” structure is a recurring pattern of stages many heroes undergo over the course of their stories. Joseph Campbell, an American mythologist, writer, and lecturer, articulated this cycle after researching and reviewing numerous myths and stories from a variety of time periods and regions of the world. He found that different writers take us on different journeys, however, they all share fundamental principles. Through the hero's trials, growth, and ultimate triumph, the narrative comes full circle, embodying the timeless pattern of the hero cycle. Literature abounds with examples of the hero cycle, illustrating how this narrative structure transcends cultural boundaries and remains a fundamental element of storytelling. This hero cycle in literature is also known as the Monomyth, archetype . The most basic version of Joseph Campbell's Monomyth has 12 steps, while more detailed versions can have up to 17 steps. His type of hero's journey diagram provides a visual roadmap for understanding the various stages and archetypal elements that protagonists typically encounter in their transformative quests. The wheel to the right is an excellent visual to share with students of how these steps occur. Hero's journey diagram examples provide a visual roadmap for understanding the various stages and archetypal elements that protagonists typically encounter in their transformative quests. Exploring the monomyth steps outlined by Joseph Campbell, we can see how these universal narrative elements have shaped countless stories across cultures and time periods.

Which Story Structure is Right for You?

The choice of story structure depends on various factors, including the type of story you want to tell, your intended audience, and your personal creative style. Here are some popular story structures and when they might be suitable:

• The Hero's Journey: Use this structure when you want to tell a story of personal growth, transformation, and adventure. It works well for epic tales, fantasy, and science fiction, but it can be adapted to other genres as well.
• Three-Act Structure: This is a versatile structure suitable for a wide range of genres, from drama to comedy to action. It's ideal for stories that have a clear beginning, middle, and end, with well-defined turning points.
• Episodic or Serial Structure: If you're creating a long-running series or a story with multiple interconnected arcs, this structure is a good choice. It allows for flexibility in storytelling and can keep audiences engaged over the long term.
• Nonlinear Structure: Experiment with this structure if you want to challenge traditional narrative conventions. It's suitable for stories where timelines are fragmented, revealing information gradually to build intrigue and suspense.
• Circular or Cyclical Structure: This structure is great for stories with recurring themes or for tales that come full circle. It can be particularly effective in literary fiction and philosophical narratives.

Ultimately, the right story structure for you depends on your creative vision, the genre you're working in, and the narrative you want to convey. You may also choose to blend or adapt different structures to suit your story's unique needs. The key is to select a structure that serves your storytelling goals and engages your target audience effectively.

What is a Common Theme in the Hero's Journey?

A common theme in the hero's journey is the concept of personal transformation and growth. Throughout the hero's journey, the protagonist typically undergoes significant change, evolving from an ordinary or flawed individual into a more heroic, self-realized, or enlightened character. This theme of transformation is often accompanied by challenges, trials, and self-discovery, making it a central and universal element of hero's journey narratives.

Structure of the Monomyth: The Hero's Journey Summary

This summary of the different elements of the archetypal hero's journey outlines the main four parts along with the different stages within each part. This can be shared with students and used as a reference along with the hero's journey wheel to analyze literature.

Part One - Call to Adventure

During the exposition, the hero is in the ordinary world , usually the hero’s home or natural habitat. Conflict arises in their everyday life, which calls the hero to adventure , where they are beckoned to leave their familiar world in search of something. They may refuse the call at first, but eventually leave, knowing that something important hangs in the balance and refusal of the call is simply not an option.

Part Two - Supreme Ordeal or Initiation

Once the hero makes the decision to leave the normal world, venture into the unfamiliar world, and has officially begun their mysterious adventure, they will meet a mentor figure (a sidekick in some genres) and together these two will cross the first threshold . This is the point where turning back is not an option, and where the hero must encounter tests, allies and enemies . Obstacles like tests and enemies must be overcome to continue. Helpers aid the hero in their journey.

Part Three - Unification or Transformation

Having overcome initial obstacles, in this part of the heroic cycle, the hero and their allies reach the approach . Here they will prepare for the major challenge in this new or special world. During the approach, the hero undergoes an ordeal , testing them to point near death. Their greatest fear is sometimes exposed, and from the ordeal comes a new life or revival for the hero. This transformation is the final separation from their old life to their new life. For their efforts in overcoming the ordeal, the hero reaches the reward . The hero receives the reward for facing death. There may be a celebration, but there is also danger of losing the reward.

Part Four - Road Back or Hero's Return

Once the hero achieves their goal and the reward is won, the hero and companions start on the road back . The hero wants to complete the adventure and return to their ordinary world with their treasure. This stage is often referred to as either the resurrections or atonement . Hero's journey examples that showcase the atonement stage often highlight the protagonist's inner turmoil and the difficult decisions they must make to reconcile with their past and fully embrace their heroic destiny. The hero becomes "at one" with themselves. As the hero crosses the threshold (returning from the unknown to their ordinary world), the reader arrives at the climax of the story. Here, the hero is severely tested one last time. This test is an attempt to undo their previous achievements. At this point, the hero has come full circle, and the major conflict at the beginning of the journey is finally resolved. In the return home, the hero has now resumed life in his/her original world, and things are restored to ordinary.

Popular Hero's Journey Examples

Monomyth example: homer's odyssey.

Monomyth examples typically involve a hero who embarks on an adventure, faces trials and challenges, undergoes personal transformation, and returns home or to society with newfound wisdom or a significant achievement, making this storytelling structure a powerful and timeless tool for crafting compelling narratives.

The hero's journey chart below for Homer’s Odyssey uses the abridged ninth grade version of the epic. The Heroic Journey in the original story of the Odyssey is not linear, beginning in media res , Latin for “in the middle of things”.)

To Kill a Mockingbird Heroic Journey

Did you know that many popular movies have heroes that follow this type of journey? It is true! In the "Star Wars" movies, Hollywood film producer George Lucas creates a journey for Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia. In "The Lion King", Simba goes on quite the adventure that ends in a final battle with his uncle Scar, a major turning point in the film before the hero returns to save his land. In "The Wizard of Oz", Dorothy takes on the role of the epic hero as she teeters between the two worlds of Kansas and Oz. These are just a few of the many examples of Campbell's theory in the cinematic realm.

Classroom Applications and Uses

Example exercises.

Create your own hero's journey examples using the Storyboard That Creator! Customize the level of detail and number of cells required for projects based on available class time and resources.

• Students identify the stages of the heroic journey in a piece of literature by creating one cell depicting each of the twelve steps.
• Students create storyboards that show and explain each stage found in the work of literature, using specific quotes from the text which highlight each part of the journey.
• Students create an outline of their own original story that follows the monomyth stages.

Common Core

• ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.3 : Analyze how complex characters (e.g., those with multiple or conflicting motivations) develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme
• ELA-Literacy.RL.9-10.7 : Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment (e.g., Auden’s “Musée des Beaux Arts” and Breughel’s Landscape with the Fall of Icarus)
• ELA-Literacy.W.9-10.6 : Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and dynamically
• ELA-Literacy.SL.9-10.2 : Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source
• ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.3 : Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed)
• ELA-Literacy.RL.11-12.7 : Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem (e.g., recorded or live production of a play or recorded novel or poetry), evaluating how each version interprets the source text. (Include at least one play by Shakespeare and one play by an American dramatist.)
• ELA-Literacy.W.11-12.6 : Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information
• ELA-Literacy.SL.11-12.2 : Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data

Related Resources

• Plot Diagram and Narrative Arc
• Types of Conflict In Literature
• What is an Archetype?
• The Odyssey Teacher Guide
• Types of Heroes in Literature

How Teachers Can Use The Concept of The Heroic Journey To Help Students Better Understand Character Development In Literature

Introduce the concept of the heroic journey.

Teachers can introduce the concept of the heroic journey to students and explain the different stages involved in the journey. This will provide a framework for students to better understand how characters develop throughout the story.

Analyze Characters Using the Heroic Journey

Teachers can guide students through the stages of the heroic journey and ask them to identify where the character is in the journey. This will help students to understand the character's development and how their actions and decisions are influenced by the different stages of the journey.

Compare and Contrast Character Journeys

Teachers can ask students to compare and contrast the journeys of different characters within a story or across multiple stories. This will help students to gain a deeper understanding of how the heroic journey is used to develop characters in literature and how it can be applied across different genres and cultures.

Discuss the Role of Character Motivation

Teachers can encourage students to think critically about the motivations of characters at each stage of the journey. This will help students to understand why characters make certain decisions and how their motivations contribute to their development.

Apply the Concept to Real-Life Situations

Teachers can encourage students to apply the concept of the heroic journey to real-life situations. This will help students to see how the journey applies not only to literature, but also to their own lives and experiences.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Hero's Journey

What is a "monomyth" or the "hero's journey" in literature.

In comparative mythology, the monomyth, or the hero's journey, is the series of stages that can be applied to a variety of stories from all genres. It involves a hero who is called to pursue an adventure, undergoes an ordeal, achieves their goal and returns home transformed.

What are the 12 Stages of the Hero's Journey in literature?

• Ordinary World
• Call to Adventure
• Meeting the Mentor / Helper
• Crossing the Threshold
• Test / Allies / Enemies

What is a common theme in the hero's journey?

The Hero's Journey usually follows the path of the main character from childhood or young adulthood through maturity. It is about the common human experiences of growth, challenges and change that are relatable to us all.

Why should students learn about the hero's journey?

The hero's journey is relevant for students in that it demonstrates the possibility of overcoming adversity and the potential for growth and change that is within us all. It is a common theme of literature and movies that once students understand, they will be able to identify over and over again. It is helpful for students to make the text-to-self connection and apply this thinking to their own life as a "growth mindset" . They can see that they are on their own hero's journey and that everyone has the ability to overcome obstacles to achieve their goals and affect positive change in their lives and the lives of others.

What are some of the best examples of the hero's journey?

The hero's journey stages appear in more books than students may realize! Here are just a few examples of popular books that contain the monomyth structure:

• The Graveyard Book
• The Hunger Games
• To Kill a Mockingbird
• The Odyssey
• The Lions of Little Rock
• Wednesday Wars
• One Crazy Summer
• Out of My Mind
• Brown Girl Dreaming
• The Lightning Thief
• The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
• The Stars Beneath Our Feet
• Fish in a Tree

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Last updated on Aug 10, 2023

The Hero's Journey: 12 Steps to a Classic Story Structure

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About Dario Villirilli

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The Hero's Journey is a timeless story structure which follows a protagonist on an unforeseen quest, where they face challenges, gain insights, and return home transformed. From Theseus and the Minotaur to The Lion King , so many narratives follow this pattern that it’s become ingrained into our cultural DNA. 

In this post, we'll show you how to make this classic plot structure work for you — and if you’re pressed for time, download our cheat sheet below for everything you need to know.

FREE RESOURCE

Hero's Journey Template

Plot your character's journey with our step-by-step template.

What is the Hero’s Journey?

The Hero's Journey, also known as the monomyth, is a story structure where a hero goes on a quest or adventure to achieve a goal, and has to overcome obstacles and fears, before ultimately returning home transformed.

This narrative arc has been present in various forms across cultures for centuries, if not longer, but gained popularity through Joseph Campbell's mythology book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces . While Campbell identified 17 story beats in his monomyth definition, this post will concentrate on a 12-step framework popularized in 2007 by screenwriter Christopher Vogler in his book The Writer’s Journey .

The 12 Steps of the Hero’s Journey

The Hero's Journey is a model for both plot points and character arc development: as the Hero traverses the world, they'll undergo inner and outer transformation at each stage of the journey. The 12 steps of the hero's journey are: 

• The Ordinary World: We meet our hero.
• Call to Adventure:  Will they meet the challenge?
• Refusal of the Call: They resist the adventure.
• Meeting the Mentor: A teacher arrives.
• Crossing the First Threshold: The hero leaves their comfort zone.
• Tests, Allies, Enemies: Making friends and facing roadblocks.
• Approach to the Inmost Cave: Getting closer to our goal.
• Ordeal: The hero’s biggest test yet!
• Reward (Seizing the Sword):  Light at the end of the tunnel
• The Road Back: We aren’t safe yet.
• Resurrection:  The final hurdle is reached.
• Return with the Elixir:  The hero heads home, triumphant.

Believe it or not, this story structure also applies across mediums and genres. Let's dive into it!

1. Ordinary World

In which we meet our Hero.

The journey has yet to start. Before our Hero discovers a strange new world, we must first understand the status quo: their ordinary, mundane reality.

It’s up to this opening leg to set the stage, introducing the Hero to readers. Importantly, it lets readers identify with the Hero as a “normal” person in a “normal” setting, before the journey begins.

2. Call to Adventure

In which an adventure starts.

The call to adventure is all about booting the Hero out of their comfort zone. In this stage, they are generally confronted with a problem or challenge they can't ignore. This catalyst can take many forms, as Campbell points out in Hero with a Thousand Faces . The Hero can, for instance:

• Decide to go forth of their own volition;
• Theseus upon arriving in Athens.
• Be sent abroad by a benign or malignant agent;
• Odysseus setting off on his ship in The Odyssey .
• Stumble upon the adventure as a result of a mere blunder;
• Dorothy when she’s swept up in a tornado in The Wizard of Oz .
• Be casually strolling when some passing phenomenon catches the wandering eye and lures one away from the frequented paths of man.
• Elliot in E.T. upon discovering a lost alien in the tool shed.

The stakes of the adventure and the Hero's goals become clear. The only question: will he rise to the challenge?

3. Refusal of the Call

In which the Hero digs in their feet.

Great, so the Hero’s received their summons. Now they’re all set to be whisked off to defeat evil, right?

Not so fast. The Hero might first refuse the call to action. It’s risky and there are perils — like spiders, trolls, or perhaps a creepy uncle waiting back at Pride Rock . It’s enough to give anyone pause.

In Star Wars , for instance, Luke Skywalker initially refuses to join Obi-Wan on his mission to rescue the princess. It’s only when he discovers that his aunt and uncle have been killed by stormtroopers that he changes his mind.

4. Meeting the Mentor

In which the Hero acquires a personal trainer.

The Hero's decided to go on the adventure — but they’re not ready to spread their wings yet. They're much too inexperienced at this point and we don't want them to do a fabulous belly-flop off the cliff.

Enter the mentor: someone who helps the Hero, so that they don't make a total fool of themselves (or get themselves killed). The mentor provides practical training, profound wisdom, a kick up the posterior, or something abstract like grit and self-confidence.

Wise old wizards seem to like being mentors. But mentors take many forms, from witches to hermits and suburban karate instructors. They might literally give weapons to prepare for the trials ahead, like Q in the James Bond series. Or perhaps the mentor is an object, such as a map. In all cases, they prepare the Hero for the next step.

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5. Crossing the First Threshold

In which the Hero enters the other world in earnest.

Now the Hero is ready — and committed — to the journey. This marks the end of the Departure stage and is when the adventure really kicks into the next gear. As Vogler writes: “This is the moment that the balloon goes up, the ship sails, the romance begins, the wagon gets rolling.”

From this point on, there’s no turning back.

Like our Hero, you should think of this stage as a checkpoint for your story. Pause and re-assess your bearings before you continue into unfamiliar territory. Have you:

• Launched the central conflict? If not, here’s a post on types of conflict to help you out.
• Established the theme of your book? If not, check out this post that’s all about creating theme and motifs.
• Made headway into your character development? If not, this author-approved template may be useful:

Reedsy’s Character Profile Template

A story is only as strong as its characters. Fill this out to develop yours.

6. Tests, Allies, Enemies

In which the Hero faces new challenges and gets a squad.

When we step into the Special World, we notice a definite shift. The Hero might be discombobulated by this unfamiliar reality and its new rules. This is generally one of the longest stages in the story , as our protagonist gets to grips with this new world.

This makes a prime hunting ground for the series of tests to pass! Luckily, there are many ways for the Hero to get into trouble:

• In Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle , Spencer, Bethany, “Fridge,” and Martha get off to a bad start when they bump into a herd of bloodthirsty hippos.
• In his first few months at Hogwarts, Harry Potter manages to fight a troll, almost fall from a broomstick and die, and get horribly lost in the Forbidden Forest.
• Marlin and Dory encounter three “reformed” sharks, get shocked by jellyfish, and are swallowed by a blue whale en route to finding Nemo.

This stage often expands the cast of characters. Once the protagonist is in the Special World, he will meet allies and enemies — or foes that turn out to be friends and vice versa. He will learn a new set of rules from them. Saloons and seedy bars are popular places for these transactions, as Vogler points out (so long as the Hero survives them).

7. Approach to the Inmost Cave

In which the Hero gets closer to his goal.

This isn’t a physical cave. Instead, the “inmost cave” refers to the most dangerous spot in the other realm — whether that’s the villain’s chambers, the lair of the fearsome dragon, or the Death Star. Almost always, it is where the ultimate goal of the quest is located.

Note that the protagonist hasn’t entered the Inmost Cave just yet. This stage is all about the approach to it. It covers all the prep work that's needed in order to defeat the villain.

In which the Hero faces his biggest test of all thus far.

Of all the tests the Hero has faced, none have made them hit rock bottom — until now. Vogler describes this phase as a “black moment.” Campbell refers to it as the “belly of the whale.” Both indicate some grim news for the Hero.

The protagonist must now confront their greatest fear. If they survive it, they will emerge transformed. This is a critical moment in the story, as Vogler explains that it will “inform every decision that the Hero makes from this point forward.”

The Ordeal is sometimes not the climax of the story. There’s more to come. But you can think of it as the main event of the second act — the one in which the Hero actually earns the title of “Hero.”

9. Reward (Seizing the Sword)

In which the Hero sees light at the end of the tunnel.

Our Hero’s been through a lot. However, the fruits of their labor are now at hand — if they can just reach out and grab them! The “reward” is the object or knowledge the Hero has fought throughout the entire journey to hold.

Once the protagonist has it in their possession, it generally has greater ramifications for the story. Vogler offers a few examples of it in action:

• Luke rescues Princess Leia and captures the plans of the Death Star — keys to defeating Darth Vader.
• Dorothy escapes from the Wicked Witch’s castle with the broomstick and the ruby slippers — keys to getting back home.

10. The Road Back

In which the light at the end of the tunnel might be a little further than the Hero thought.

The story's not over just yet, as this phase marks the beginning of Act Three. Now that he's seized the reward, the Hero tries to return to the Ordinary World, but more dangers (inconveniently) arise on the road back from the Inmost Cave.

More precisely, the Hero must deal with the consequences and aftermath of the previous act: the dragon, enraged by the Hero who’s just stolen a treasure from under his nose, starts the hunt. Or perhaps the opposing army gathers to pursue the Hero across a crowded battlefield. All further obstacles for the Hero, who must face them down before they can return home.

11. Resurrection

In which the last test is met.

Here is the true climax of the story. Everything that happened prior to this stage culminates in a crowning test for the Hero, as the Dark Side gets one last chance to triumph over the Hero.

Vogler refers to this as a “final exam” for the Hero — they must be “tested once more to see if they have really learned the lessons of the Ordeal.” It’s in this Final Battle that the protagonist goes through one more “resurrection.” As a result, this is where you’ll get most of your miraculous near-death escapes, à la James Bond's dashing deliverances. If the Hero survives, they can start looking forward to a sweet ending.

12. Return with the Elixir

In which our Hero has a triumphant homecoming.

Finally, the Hero gets to return home. However, they go back a different person than when they started out: they’ve grown and matured as a result of the journey they’ve taken.

But we’ve got to see them bring home the bacon, right? That’s why the protagonist must return with the “Elixir,” or the prize won during the journey, whether that’s an object or knowledge and insight gained.

Of course, it’s possible for a story to end on an Elixir-less note — but then the Hero would be doomed to repeat the entire adventure.

Examples of The Hero’s Journey in Action

To better understand this story template beyond the typical sword-and-sorcery genre, let's analyze three examples, from both screenplay and literature, and examine how they implement each of the twelve steps. 

The 1976 film Rocky is acclaimed as one of the most iconic sports films because of Stallone’s performance and the heroic journey his character embarks on.

• Ordinary World. Rocky Balboa is a mediocre boxer and loan collector — just doing his best to live day-to-day in a poor part of Philadelphia.
• Call to Adventure. Heavyweight champ Apollo Creed decides to make a big fight interesting by giving a no-name loser a chance to challenge him. That loser: Rocky Balboa.
• Refusal of the Call. Rocky says, “Thanks, but no thanks,” given that he has no trainer and is incredibly out of shape.
• Meeting the Mentor. In steps former boxer Mickey “Mighty Mick” Goldmill, who sees potential in Rocky and starts training him physically and mentally for the fight.
• Crossing the First Threshold. Rocky crosses the threshold of no return when he accepts the fight on live TV, and 一 in parallel 一 when he crosses the threshold into his love interest Adrian’s house and asks her out on a date.
• Tests, Allies, Enemies. Rocky continues to try and win Adrian over and maintains a dubious friendship with her brother, Paulie, who provides him with raw meat to train with.
• Approach to the Inmost Cave. The Inmost Cave in Rocky is Rocky’s own mind. He fears that he’ll never amount to anything — something that he reveals when he butts heads with his trainer, Mickey, in his apartment.
• Ordeal. The start of the training montage marks the beginning of Rocky’s Ordeal. He pushes through it until he glimpses hope ahead while running up the museum steps.
• Reward (Seizing the Sword). Rocky's reward is the restoration of his self-belief, as he recognizes he can try to “go the distance” with Apollo Creed and prove he's more than "just another bum from the neighborhood."
• The Road Back. On New Year's Day, the fight takes place. Rocky capitalizes on Creed's overconfidence to start strong, yet Apollo makes a comeback, resulting in a balanced match.
• Resurrection. The fight inflicts multiple injuries and pushes both men to the brink of exhaustion, with Rocky being knocked down numerous times. But he consistently rises to his feet, enduring through 15 grueling rounds.
• Return with the Elixir. Rocky loses the fight — but it doesn’t matter. He’s won back his confidence and he’s got Adrian, who tells him that she loves him.

Moving outside of the ring, let’s see how this story structure holds on a completely different planet and with a character in complete isolation. 

The Martian 

In Andy Weir’s bestselling novel (better known for its big screen adaptation) we follow astronaut Mark Watney as he endures the challenges of surviving on Mars and working out a way to get back home.

• The Ordinary World. Botanist Mark and other astronauts are on a mission on Mars to study the planet and gather samples. They live harmoniously in a structure known as "the Hab.”
• Call to Adventure. The mission is scrapped due to a violent dust storm. As they rush to launch, Mark is flung out of sight and the team believes him to be dead. He is, however, very much alive — stranded on Mars with no way of communicating with anyone back home.
• Refusal of the Call. With limited supplies and grim odds of survival, Mark concludes that he will likely perish on the desolate planet.
• Meeting the Mentor. Thanks to his resourcefulness and scientific knowledge he starts to figure out how to survive until the next Mars mission arrives.
• Crossing the First Threshold. Mark crosses the mental threshold of even trying to survive 一 he successfully creates a greenhouse to cultivate a potato crop, creating a food supply that will last long enough.
• Tests, Allies, Enemies. Loneliness and other difficulties test his spirit, pushing him to establish contact with Earth and the people at NASA, who devise a plan to help.  
• Approach to the Inmost Cave. Mark faces starvation once again after an explosion destroys his potato crop.
• Ordeal. A NASA rocket destined to deliver supplies to Mark disintegrates after liftoff and all hope seems lost.
• Reward (Seizing the Sword). Mark’s efforts to survive are rewarded with a new possibility to leave the planet. His team 一 now aware that he’s alive 一 defies orders from NASA and heads back to Mars to rescue their comrade.
• The Road Back. Executing the new plan is immensely difficult 一 Mark has to travel far to locate the spaceship for his escape, and almost dies along the way.
• Resurrection. Mark is unable to get close enough to his teammates' ship but finds a way to propel himself in empty space towards them, and gets aboard safely.
• Return with the Elixir. Now a survival instructor for aspiring astronauts, Mark teaches students that space is indifferent and that survival hinges on solving one problem after another, as well as the importance of other people’s help.

Coming back to Earth, let’s now examine a heroine’s journey through the wilderness of the Pacific Crest Trail and her… humanity. 

The memoir Wild narrates the three-month-long hiking adventure of Cheryl Strayed across the Pacific coast, as she grapples with her turbulent past and rediscovers her inner strength.

• The Ordinary World. Cheryl shares her strong bond with her mother who was her strength during a tough childhood with an abusive father.
• Call to Adventure. As her mother succumbs to lung cancer, Cheryl faces the heart-wrenching reality to confront life's challenges on her own.
• Refusal of the Call. Cheryl spirals down into a destructive path of substance abuse and infidelity, which leads to hit rock bottom with a divorce and unwanted pregnancy. 
• Meeting the Mentor. Her best friend Lisa supports her during her darkest time. One day she notices the Pacific Trail guidebook, which gives her hope to find her way back to her inner strength.
• Crossing the First Threshold. She quits her job, sells her belongings, and visits her mother’s grave before traveling to Mojave, where the trek begins.
• Tests, Allies, Enemies. Cheryl is tested by her heavy bag, blisters, rattlesnakes, and exhaustion, but many strangers help her along the trail with a warm meal or hiking tips. 
• Approach to the Inmost Cave. As Cheryl goes through particularly tough and snowy parts of the trail her emotional baggage starts to catch up with her.  
• Ordeal. She inadvertently drops one of her shoes off a cliff, and the incident unearths the helplessness she's been evading since her mother's passing.
• Reward (Seizing the Sword). Cheryl soldiers on, trekking an impressive 50 miles in duct-taped sandals before finally securing a new pair of shoes. This small victory amplifies her self-confidence.
• The Road Back. On the last stretch, she battles thirst, sketchy hunters, and a storm, but more importantly, she revisits her most poignant and painful memories.
• Resurrection. Cheryl forgives herself for damaging her marriage and her sense of worth, owning up to her mistakes. A pivotal moment happens at Crater Lake, where she lets go of her frustration at her mother for passing away.
• Return with the Elixir. Cheryl reaches the Bridge of the Gods and completes the trail. She has found her inner strength and determination for life's next steps.

There are countless other stories that could align with this template, but it's not always the perfect fit. So, let's look into when authors should consider it or not.

When should writers use The Hero’s Journey?

The Hero’s Journey is just one way to outline a novel and dissect a plot. For more longstanding theories on the topic, you can go here to read about the ever-popular Three-Act Structure, here to discover Dan Harmon's Story Circle, and here to learn about three more prevalent structures.

So when is it best to use the Hero’s Journey? There are a couple of circumstances which might make this a good choice.

When you need more specific story guidance than simple structures can offer

Simply put, the Hero’s Journey structure is far more detailed and closely defined than other story structure theories. If you want a fairly specific framework for your work than a thee-act structure, the Hero’s Journey can be a great place to start.

Of course, rules are made to be broken . There’s plenty of room to play within the confines of the Hero’s Journey, despite it appearing fairly prescriptive at first glance. Do you want to experiment with an abbreviated “Resurrection” stage, as J.K. Rowling did in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone? Are you more interested in exploring the journey of an anti-hero? It’s all possible.

Once you understand the basics of this universal story structure, you can use and bend it in ways that disrupt reader expectations.

Need more help developing your book? Try this template on for size:

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Use this template to go from a vague idea to a solid plan for a first draft.

When your focus is on a single protagonist

No matter how sprawling or epic the world you’re writing is, if your story is, at its core, focused on a single character’s journey, then this is a good story structure for you. It’s kind of in the name! If you’re dealing with an entire ensemble, the Hero’s Journey may not give you the scope to explore all of your characters’ plots and subplot — a broader three-act structure may give you more freedom to weave a greater number story threads. ​​

Which story structure is right for you?

Take this quiz and we'll match your story to a structure in minutes!

Whether you're a reader or writer, we hope our guide has helped you understand this universal story arc. Want to know more about story structure? We explain 6 more in our guide — read on!

6 responses

PJ Reece says:

25/07/2018 – 19:41

Nice vid, good intro to story structure. Typically, though, the 'hero's journey' misses the all-important point of the Act II crisis. There, where the hero faces his/her/its existential crisis, they must DIE. The old character is largely destroyed -- which is the absolute pre-condition to 'waking up' to what must be done. It's not more clever thinking; it's not thinking at all. Its SEEING. So many writing texts miss this point. It's tantamount to a religions experience, and nobody grows up without it. STORY STRUCTURE TO DIE FOR examines this dramatic necessity.

↪️ C.T. Cheek replied:

13/11/2019 – 21:01

Okay, but wouldn't the Act II crisis find itself in the Ordeal? The Hero is tested and arguably looses his/her/its past-self for the new one. Typically, the Hero is not fully "reborn" until the Resurrection, in which they defeat the hypothetical dragon and overcome the conflict of the story. It's kind of this process of rebirth beginning in the earlier sections of the Hero's Journey and ending in the Resurrection and affirmed in the Return with the Elixir.

Lexi Mize says:

25/07/2018 – 22:33

Great article. Odd how one can take nearly every story and somewhat plug it into such a pattern.

Bailey Koch says:

11/06/2019 – 02:16

This was totally lit fam!!!!

↪️ Bailey Koch replied:

11/09/2019 – 03:46

where is my dad?

Frank says:

12/04/2020 – 12:40

Great article, thanks! :) But Vogler didn't expand Campbell's theory. Campbell had seventeen stages, not twelve.

Comments are currently closed.

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Hero's Journey 101: How to Use the Hero's Journey to Plot Your Story

By Dan Schriever

How many times have you heard this story? A protagonist is suddenly whisked away from their ordinary life and embarks on a grand adventure. Along the way they make new friends, confront perils, and face tests of character. In the end, evil is defeated, and the hero returns home a changed person.

That’s the Hero’s Journey in a nutshell. It probably sounds very familiar—and rightly so: the Hero’s Journey aspires to be the universal story, or monomyth, a narrative pattern deeply ingrained in literature and culture. Whether in books, movies, television, or folklore, chances are you’ve encountered many examples of the Hero’s Journey in the wild.

In this post, we’ll walk through the elements of the Hero’s Journey step by step. We’ll also study an archetypal example from the movie The Matrix (1999). Once you have mastered the beats of this narrative template, you’ll be ready to put your very own spin on it.

Sound good? Then let’s cross the threshold and let the journey begin.

What Is the Hero’s Journey?

The 12 stages of the hero’s journey, writing your own hero’s journey.

The Hero’s Journey is a common story structure for modeling both plot points and character development. A protagonist embarks on an adventure into the unknown. They learn lessons, overcome adversity, defeat evil, and return home transformed.

Joseph Campbell , a scholar of literature, popularized the monomyth in his influential work The Hero With a Thousand Faces (1949). Looking for common patterns in mythological narratives, Campbell described a character arc with 17 total stages, overlaid on a more traditional three-act structure. Not all need be present in every myth or in the same order.

The three stages, or acts, of Campbell’s Hero’s Journey are as follows:

1. Departure. The hero leaves the ordinary world behind.

2. Initiation. The hero ventures into the unknown ("the Special World") and overcomes various obstacles and challenges.

3. Return. The hero returns in triumph to the familiar world.

Hollywood has embraced Campbell’s structure, most famously in George Lucas’s Star Wars movies. There are countless examples in books, music, and video games, from fantasy epics and Disney films to sports movies.

In The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers (1992), screenwriter Christopher Vogler adapted Campbell’s three phases into the "12 Stages of the Hero’s Journey." This is the version we’ll analyze in the next section.

For writers, the purpose of the Hero’s Journey is to act as a template and guide. It’s not a rigid formula that your plot must follow beat by beat. Indeed, there are good reasons to deviate—not least of which is that this structure has become so ubiquitous.

Still, it’s helpful to master the rules before deciding when and how to break them. The 12 steps of the Hero's Journey are as follows :

• The Ordinary World
• The Call of Adventure
• Refusal of the Call
• Meeting the Mentor
• Crossing the First Threshold
• Tests, Allies, and Enemies
• Approach to the Inmost Cave
• Reward (Seizing the Sword)
• The Road Back
• Resurrection
• Return with the Elixir

Let’s take a look at each stage in more detail. To show you how the Hero’s Journey works in practice, we’ll also consider an example from the movie The Matrix (1999). After all, what blog has not been improved by a little Keanu Reeves?

#1: The Ordinary World

This is where we meet our hero, although the journey has not yet begun: first, we need to establish the status quo by showing the hero living their ordinary, mundane life.

It’s important to lay the groundwork in this opening stage, before the journey begins. It lets readers identify with the hero as just a regular person, “normal” like the rest of us. Yes, there may be a big problem somewhere out there, but the hero at this stage has very limited awareness of it.

The Ordinary World in The Matrix :

We are introduced to Thomas A. Anderson, aka Neo, programmer by day, hacker by night. While Neo runs a side operation selling illicit software, Thomas Anderson lives the most mundane life imaginable: he works at his cubicle, pays his taxes, and helps the landlady carry out her garbage.

#2: The Call to Adventure

The journey proper begins with a call to adventure—something that disrupts the hero’s ordinary life and confronts them with a problem or challenge they can’t ignore. This can take many different forms.

While readers may already understand the stakes, the hero is realizing them for the first time. They must make a choice: will they shrink from the call, or rise to the challenge?

The Call to Adventure in The Matrix :

A mysterious message arrives in Neo’s computer, warning him that things are not as they seem. He is urged to “follow the white rabbit.” At a nightclub, he meets Trinity, who tells him to seek Morpheus.

#3: Refusal of the Call

Oops! The hero chooses option A and attempts to refuse the call to adventure. This could be for any number of reasons: fear, disbelief, a sense of inadequacy, or plain unwillingness to make the sacrifices that are required.

A little reluctance here is understandable. If you were asked to trade the comforts of home for a life-and-death journey fraught with peril, wouldn’t you give pause?

Refusal of the Call in The Matrix :

Agents arrive at Neo’s office to arrest him. Morpheus urges Neo to escape by climbing out a skyscraper window. “I can’t do this… This is crazy!” Neo protests as he backs off the ledge.

#4: Meeting the Mentor

Okay, so the hero got cold feet. Nothing a little pep talk can’t fix! The mentor figure appears at this point to give the hero some much needed counsel, coaching, and perhaps a kick out the door.

After all, the hero is very inexperienced at this point. They’re going to need help to avoid disaster or, worse, death. The mentor’s role is to overcome the hero’s reluctance and prepare them for what lies ahead.

Meeting the Mentor in The Matrix :

Neo meets with Morpheus, who reveals a terrifying truth: that the ordinary world as we know it is a computer simulation designed to enslave humanity to machines.

#5: Crossing the First Threshold

At this juncture, the hero is ready to leave their ordinary world for the first time. With the mentor’s help, they are committed to the journey and ready to step across the threshold into the special world . This marks the end of the departure act and the beginning of the adventure in earnest.

This may seem inevitable, but for the hero it represents an important choice. Once the threshold is crossed, there’s no going back. Bilbo Baggins put it nicely: “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

Crossing the First Threshold in The Matrix :

Neo is offered a stark choice: take the blue pill and return to his ordinary life none the wiser, or take the red pill and “see how deep the rabbit hole goes.” Neo takes the red pill and is extracted from the Matrix, entering the real world .

#6: Tests, Allies, and Enemies

Now we are getting into the meat of the adventure. The hero steps into the special world and must learn the new rules of an unfamiliar setting while navigating trials, tribulations, and tests of will. New characters are often introduced here, and the hero must navigate their relationships with them. Will they be friend, foe, or something in between?

Broadly speaking, this is a time of experimentation and growth. It is also one of the longest stages of the journey, as the hero learns the lay of the land and defines their relationship to other characters.

Wondering how to create captivating characters? Read our guide , which explains how to shape characters that readers will love—or hate.

Tests, Allies, and Enemies in The Matrix :

Neo is introduced to the vagabond crew of the Nebuchadnezzar . Morpheus informs Neo that he is The One , a savior destined to liberate humanity. He learns jiu jitsu and other useful skills.

#7: Approach to the Inmost Cave

Time to get a little metaphorical. The inmost cave isn’t a physical cave, but rather a place of great danger—indeed, the most dangerous place in the special world . It could be a villain’s lair, an impending battle, or even a mental barrier. No spelunking required.

Broadly speaking, the approach is marked by a setback in the quest. It becomes a lesson in persistence, where the hero must reckon with failure, change their mindset, or try new ideas.

Note that the hero hasn’t entered the cave just yet. This stage is about the approach itself, which the hero must navigate to get closer to their ultimate goal. The stakes are rising, and failure is no longer an option.

Approach to the Inmost Cave in The Matrix :

Neo pays a visit to The Oracle. She challenges Neo to “know thyself”—does he believe, deep down, that he is The One ? Or does he fear that he is “just another guy”? She warns him that the fate of humanity hangs in the balance.

#8: The Ordeal

The ordeal marks the hero’s greatest test thus far. This is a dark time for them: indeed, Campbell refers to it as the “belly of the whale.” The hero experiences a major hurdle or obstacle, which causes them to hit rock bottom.

This is a pivotal moment in the story, the main event of the second act. It is time for the hero to come face to face with their greatest fear. It will take all their skills to survive this life-or-death crisis. Should they succeed, they will emerge from the ordeal transformed.

Keep in mind: the story isn’t over yet! Rather, the ordeal is the moment when the protagonist overcomes their weaknesses and truly steps into the title of hero .

The Ordeal in The Matrix :

When Cipher betrays the crew to the agents, Morpheus sacrifices himself to protect Neo. In turn, Neo makes his own choice: to risk his life in a daring rescue attempt.

#9: Reward (Seizing the Sword)

The ordeal was a major level-up moment for the hero. Now that it's been overcome, the hero can reap the reward of success. This reward could be an object, a skill, or knowledge—whatever it is that the hero has been struggling toward. At last, the sword is within their grasp.

From this moment on, the hero is a changed person. They are now equipped for the final conflict, even if they don’t fully realize it yet.

Reward (Seizing the Sword) in The Matrix :

Neo’s reward is helpfully narrated by Morpheus during the rescue effort: “He is beginning to believe.” Neo has gained confidence that he can fight the machines, and he won’t back down from his destiny.

#10: The Road Back

We’re now at the beginning of act three, the return . With the reward in hand, it’s time to exit the inmost cave and head home. But the story isn’t over yet.

In this stage, the hero reckons with the consequences of act two. The ordeal was a success, but things have changed now. Perhaps the dragon, robbed of his treasure, sets off for revenge. Perhaps there are more enemies to fight. Whatever the obstacle, the hero must face them before their journey is complete.

The Road Back in The Matrix :

The rescue of Morpheus has enraged Agent Smith, who intercepts Neo before he can return to the Nebuchadnezzar . The two foes battle in a subway station, where Neo’s skills are pushed to their limit.

#11: Resurrection

Now comes the true climax of the story. This is the hero’s final test, when everything is at stake: the battle for the soul of Gotham, the final chance for evil to triumph. The hero is also at the peak of their powers. A happy ending is within sight, should they succeed.

Vogler calls the resurrection stage the hero’s “final exam.” They must draw on everything they have learned and prove again that they have really internalized the lessons of the ordeal . Near-death escapes are not uncommon here, or even literal deaths and resurrections.

Resurrection in The Matrix :

Despite fighting valiantly, Neo is defeated by Agent Smith and killed. But with Trinity’s help, he is resurrected, activating his full powers as The One . Isn’t it wonderful how literal The Matrix can be?

#12: Return with the Elixir

Hooray! Evil has been defeated and the hero is transformed. It’s time for the protagonist to return home in triumph, and share their hard-won prize with the ordinary world . This prize is the elixir —the object, skill, or insight that was the hero’s true reward for their journey and transformation.

Return with the Elixir in The Matrix :

Neo has defeated the agents and embraced his destiny. He returns to the simulated world of the Matrix, this time armed with god-like powers and a resolve to open humanity’s eyes to the truth.

If you’re writing your own adventure, you may be wondering: should I follow the Hero’s Journey structure?

The good news is, it’s totally up to you. Joseph Campbell conceived of the monomyth as a way to understand universal story structure, but there are many ways to outline a novel. Feel free to play around within its confines, adapt it across different media, and disrupt reader expectations. It’s like Morpheus says: “Some of these rules can be bent. Others can be broken.”

Think of the Hero’s Journey as a tool. If you’re not sure where your story should go next, it can help to refer back to the basics. From there, you’re free to choose your own adventure.

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The Art of Narrative

Learn to write.

A Complete Guide to The Hero’s Journey (or The Monomyth)

Learn how to use the 12 steps of the Hero’s Journey to structure plot, develop characters, and write riveting stories that will keep readers engaged!

Before I start this post I would like to acknowledged the tragedy that occurred in my country this past month. George Floyd, an innocent man, was murdered by a police officer while three other officers witnessed that murder and remained silent.

To remain silent, in the face of injustice, violen ce, and murder is to be complicit . I acknowledge that as a white man I have benefited from a centuries old system of privilege and abuse against black people, women, American Indians, immigrants, and many, many more.

This systemic abuse is what lead to the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Treyvon Martin, Philando Castile, Freddie Gray, Walter Scott, Tamir Rice and many more. Too many.

Whether I like it or not I’ve been complicit in this injustice. We can’t afford to be silent anymore. If you’re disturbed by the violence we’ve wit nessed over, and over again please vote this November, hold your local governments accountable, peacefully protest, and listen. Hopefully, together we can bring positive change. And, together, we can heal .

In this post, we’ll go over the stages of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, also known as the Monomyth. We’ll talk about how to use it to structure your story. You’ll also find some guided questions for each section of the Hero’s Journey. These questions are designed to help guide your thinking during the writing process. Finally, we’ll go through an example of the Hero’s Journey from 1997’s Men In Black.  

Down at the bottom, we’ll go over reasons you shouldn’t rely on the Monomyth. And we’ll talk about a few alternatives for you to consider if the Hero’s Journey isn’t right for your story.  

But, before we do all that let’s answer the obvious question- 

What is the Hero’s Journey?

The Hero’s Journey was first described by Joseph Campbell. Campbell was an American professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College. He wrote about the Hero’s Journey in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces . More than a guide, this book was a study on the fundamental structure of myths throughout history. 

Through his study, Campbell identified seventeen stages that make up what he called the Monomyth or Hero’s Journey. We’ll go over these stages in the next section. Here’s how Campbell describes the Monomyth in his book:

“A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.” 

Something important to note is that the Monomyth was not conceived as a tool for writers to develop a plot. Rather, Campbell identified it as a narrative pattern that was common in mythology. 

George Lucas used Campbell’s Monomyth to structure his original Star Wars film. Thanks to Star Wars ’ success, filmmakers have adopted the Hero’s Journey as a common plot structure in movies. 

We see it in films like The Matrix , Spider-man , The Lion King , and many more. But, keep in mind, this is not the only way to structure a story. We’ll talk about some alternatives at the end of this post. 

With that out of the way, let’s go over the twelve stages of the Hero’s Journey, or Monomyth. We’ll use the original Men In Black film as an example (because why not?). And, we’ll look at some questions to help guide your thinking, as a writer, at each stage. 

Quick note – The original Hero’s Journey is seventeen stages. But, Christopher Vogler, an executive working for Disney, condensed Campbell’s work. Vogler’s version has twelve stages, and it’s the version we’re talking about today. Vogler wrote a guide to use the Monomyth and I’ll link to it at the bottom.)

The 12 Stages of The Hero’s Journey 

The ordinary world .

This is where the hero’s story begins. We meet our hero in a down-to-earth, or humble setting. We establish the hero as an ordinary citizen in this world, not necessarily “special” in any way. 

Think exposition . 

We get to know our hero at this stage of the story. We learn about the hero’s life, struggles, inner or outer demons. This an opportunity for readers to identify with the hero. A good idea since the story will be told from the hero’s perspective. 

Read more about perspective and POV here.

In Men In Black, we meet our hero, James, who will become Agent J, chasing someone down the streets of a large city. The story reveals some important details through the action of the plo t. Let’s go over these details and how they’re shown through action. 

Agent J’s job: He’s a cop. We know this because he’s chasing a criminal. He waves a badge and yells, “NYPD! Stop!” 

The setting: The line “NYPD!” tells us that J is a New York City cop. The chase sequence also culminates on the roof of the Guggenheim Museum. Another clue to the setting. 

J’s Personality: J is a dedicated cop. We know this because of his relentless pursuit of the suspect he’s chasing. J is also brave. He jumps off a bridge onto a moving bus. He also chases a man after witnessing him climb vertically, several stories, up a wall. This is an inhuman feat that would have most people noping out of there. J continues his pursuit, though. 

Guided Questions

• What is your story’s ordinary world setting? 
• How is this ordinary world different from the special world that your hero will enter later in the story? 
• What action in this story will reveal the setting? 
• Describe your hero and their personality. 
• What action in the story will reveal details about your hero? 

The Call of Adventure

The Call of Adventure is an event in the story that forces the hero to take action. The hero will move out of their comfort zone, aka the ordinary world. Does this sound familiar? It should, because, in practice, The Call of Adventure is an Inciting Event. 

Read more about Inciting Events here. 

The Call of Adventure can take many forms. It can mean a literal call like one character asking another to go with them on a journey or to help solve a problem. It can also be an event in the story that forces the character to act. 

The Call of Adventure can include things like the arrival of a new character, a violent act of nature, or a traumatizing event. The Call can also be a series of events like what we see in our example from Men In Black.  

The first Call of Adventure comes from the alien that Agent J chases to the roof of the Guggenheim. Before leaping from the roof, the alien says to J, “Your world’s going to end.” This pique’s the hero’s interest and hints at future conflict. 

The second Call of Adventure comes after Agent K shows up to question J about the alien. K wipes J’s memory after the interaction, but he gives J a card with an address and a time. At this point, J has no idea what’s happened. All he knows is that K has asked him to show up at a specific place the next morning. 

The final and most important Call comes after K has revealed the truth to J while the two sit on a park bench together. Agent K tells J that aliens exist. K reveals that there is a secret organization that controls alien activity on Earth. And the Call- Agent K wants J to come to work for this organization.  

• What event (or events) happen to incite your character to act? 
• How are these events disruptive to your character’s life? 
• What aspects of your story’s special world will be revealed and how? (think action) 
• What other characters will you introduce as part of this special world? 

Refusal of the Call

This is an important stage in the Monomyth. It communicates with the audience the risks that come with Call to Adventure. Every Hero’s Journey should include risks to the main characters and a conflict. This is the stage where your hero contemplates those risks.  They will be tempted to remain in the safety of the ordinary world. 

In Men in Black, the Refusal of the Call is subtle. It consists of a single scene. Agent K offers J membership to the Men In Black. With that comes a life of secret knowledge and adventure. But, J will sever all ties to his former life. No one anywhere will ever know that J existed. Agent K tells J that he has until sunrise to make his decision.

J does not immediately say, “I’m in,” or “When’s our first mission.” Instead, he sits on the park bench all night contemplating his decision. In this scene, the audience understands that this is not an easy choice for him. Again, this is an excellent use of action to demonstrate a plot point. 

It’s also important to note that J only asks K one question before he makes his decision, “is it worth it?” K responds that it is, but only, “if you’re strong enough.” This line of dialogue becomes one of two dramatic questions in the movie. Is J strong enough to be a man in black? 

• What will your character have to sacrifice to answer the call of adventure? 
• What fears does your character have about leaving the ordinary world? 
• What risks or dangers await them in the special world? 

Meeting the Mentor 

At this point in the story, the hero is seeking wisdom after initially refusing the call of adventure. The mentor fulfills this need for your hero. 

The mentor is usually a character who has been to the special world and knows how to navigate it. Mentor’s provides your hero with tools and resources to aid them in their journey. It’s important to note that the mentor doesn’t always have to be a character. The mentor could be a guide, map, or sacred texts. 

If you’ve seen Men In Black then you can guess who acts as J’s mentor. Agent K, who recruited J, steps into the mentor role once J accepts the call to adventure. 

Agent K gives J a tour of the MIB headquarters. He introduces him to key characters and explains to him how the special world of the MIB works. Agent K also gives J his signature weapon, the Noisy Cricket. 

• Who is your hero’s mentor? 
• How will your character find and encounter with their mentor? 
• What tools and resources will your mentor provide? 
• Why/how does your mentor know the special world? 

Crossing the Threshold 

This is the point where your hero finally crosses over from the ordinary world into the special one. At this point, there is no turning back for your hero. 

Your hero may not cross into the special world on their own. Or, they may need a dramatic event that forces them to act.

At this point, you’ll want to establish the dramatic question of your story. This is the question will your reader wants to answer by the end of your story. A dramatic question is what will keep your audience reading. 

Once J decides to commit to the MIB Agent K starts the process of deleting J’s identity. The filmmakers do a great job communicating the drastic nature of J’s decision. This is done through, again, action and an effective voice-over. J’s social security number is deleted, and his fingerprints are burned off. He dons a nondescript black suit, sunglasses, and a sick-ass Hamilton watch . 

This scene is immediately followed by a threatening message sent by aliens called the Arquillians. They tell the MIB they will destroy the Earth unless J and K can deliver a galaxy. The only problem is no one knows what the galaxy is. So, we get our story question. Can J and K find and deliver the MacGuffin before the Earth is destroyed? 

Read more about MacGuffins here.

• What event will push your hero into the special world? 
• Once they enter the special world, what keeps them from turning back?
• What is the dramatic question you will introduce?
• How will your hero’s life change once they’ve entered the special world?

Tests, Allies, Enemies

This is stage is exactly what it sounds like. Once they’ve entered the special world, your hero will be tested. They will learn the rules of this new world. Your hero’s mentor may have to further teach your hero. 

The hero will also begin collecting allies. Characters whose goals align with those of your hero’s. People who will help your hero achieve their goal. These characters may even join your hero on their quest. 

And this is also the point where your hero’s enemy will reveal themselves. Now, you’ve may have hinted at, or even introduced the villain in the earlier stages. But, this is where the audience discovers how much of a threat this villain is to your hero. 

Read more about creating villains here. 

J and K arrive at the city morgue to investigate the body of a slain member of Arquillian royalty. While there, J encounters the villain of the film. He is lured into a standoff with Edgar. Edgar isn’t Edgar. He’s a 10 foot tall, alien cockroach wearing an “Edgar suit.” 

J doesn’t know that yet, though. 

Edgar has also taken a hostage. He threatens the life of Dr. Laurel Weaver who has discovered the truth about aliens living on Earth. Dr. Weaver becomes an ally of J’s as he continues his search for the Arquillian’s galaxy. 

J is faced with a new test as well. Just before he dies, the Arquillian alien tells J that the galaxy is on Orion’s Belt. J must discover the meaning behind this cryptic message if he hopes to save Earth. 

• Who is the villain of your story, and what is their goal?
• Who are your hero’s allies?
• How will your hero meet them? And, How do everyone’s goals align? 
• How will your hero be tested? Through battle? A puzzle? An emotional trauma? 

Approach to the Inmost Cave

The inmost cave is the path towards the central conflict of your story. In this section, your hero is preparing for battle. They may be regrouping with allies, going over important information, or taking a needed rest. This is also a part of the story where you may want to inject some humor. 

The approach is also a moment for your audience to regroup. This is an important aspect of pacing. A fast-paced story can be very exciting for the audience, but at some point, the writer needs to tap the breaks. 

This approach section gives your audience time to process the plot and consider the stakes of your conflict. This is also a good time to introduce a ticking clock, and it’s perfect for character development. 

In Men, In Black the Approach the Inmost Cave involves an interview with a character called Frank the Pug. Frank is a Pug breed of dog. He’s an alien in disguise. 

Frank knows important details about the conflict between the Arquillians and Edgar. This is one of the funnier scenes in an overall funny film. 

Read more about alliteration here… jk. 

Frank also gives J a vital clue to determine the location of the Arquillian’s galaxy. They also discover that the galaxy is an energy source and not an actual galaxy. 

Finally, we have the arrival of the Arquillian battleship come to destroy Earth. They give the MIB a warning. If the galaxy is not returned in one hour the will fire on the planet. So, we have a literal ticking clock. 

• Where and how will your hero slow down and regroup? 
• What information or resources will they need to go into the final battle? 
• How can you introduce some humor or character development into this section? 
• What kind of “ticking clock” will you introduce to increase the stakes of your final act? 

The Ordeal 

The Ordeal is about one thing, and that’s death. Your hero must go through a life-altering challenge. This will be a conflict where the hero faces their greatest fears. 

It’s essential that your audience feels as if the hero is really in danger. Make the audience question whether the hero will make it out alive. But, your story’s stakes may not be life or death, such as in a comedy or romance. 

In that case the death your character experiences will be symbolic. And, your audience will believe that there’s a chance the hero won’t achieve their goal. 

Through the ordeal, your hero will experience death whether that be real or symbolic. With this death, the hero will be reborn with greater powers or insight. Overall, the ordeal should be the point in which your character hits rock bottom. 

The Ordeal in Men In Black comes the moment when J and K confront Edgar at the site of the World’s Fair. In the confrontation with Edgar, K is eaten alive by Edgar. At this moment J is left alone to confront death. The audience is left to wonder if J can defeat Edgar on his own. 

Guided Questions 

• What death will your hero confront? 
• What does “rock bottom” mean for your character? 
• How will your hero be changed on the other side of this death event? 

Reward or Seizing the Sword

At this point in the story, your hero will earn some tangible treasure for all their trouble. This can be a physical treasure. In the context of the monomyth, this is often referred to as the elixir or sword. 

However, the reward can be inwardly focused. Your hero might discover hidden knowledge or insight that helps them vanquish their foe. Or, your hero can find their confidence or some self-actualization. This reward, whatever it is, is the thing that they will take with them. It is what they earn from all their hard-fought struggles. 

Once K is eaten J seems to be on his own with a massive alien cockroach. This is a pretty bad spot for the rookie agent. What’s worse is the Arquillian clock is still ticking. Edgar, the cockroach, is about to escape Earth, with the galaxy, sealing the planet’s fate. 

All seems lost until J claims his reward. In this case, that reward comes in the form of an insight J has about Edgar. Being a giant cockroach, J realizes that Edgar may have a weakness for his Earth-bound counterparts. So, J kicks out a dumpster and starts to smash all the scurrying bugs under his foot. 

J guesses correctly, and Edgar is momentarily distracted by J’s actions. Edgar climbs down from his ship to confront J. Agent K, who is still alive in Edgar’s stomach, can activate a gun, and blow Edgar in two.  J’s reward is the knowledge that he is no longer a rookie, and he is strong enough for this job. J also captures a physical treasure. After Edgar has exploded, J finds the galaxy which Edgar had swallowed earlier in the film. In this scene, both dramatic questions are answered. The MIB can save the world. And, J is strong enough for the MIB.  

• What reward will your hero win?
• A physical treasure, hidden knowledge, inner wisdom, or all of the above? 

The Road Back 

At this point, your hero has had some success in their quest and is close to returning to the ordinary world. Your hero has experienced a change from their time in the special world. This change might make your hero’s return difficult. Similar to when your hero crossed the threshold, your hero may need an event that forces them to return. 

The road back must be a dramatic turning point that heightens stakes and changes the direction of your story. This event will also re-establish the dramatic question of your story. This act may present a final challenge for your hero before they can return home. 

In Men In Black, the road backstage gets a little tricky. The film establishes that when J crosses the threshold he is not able to go back to the ordinary world. His entire identity is erased. Having J go back to his life as a detective would also undo his character growth and leave the audience feeling cheated. Luckily, the filmmakers work around this by having K return to the ordinary world rather than J. 

After Edgar is defeated, K tells J that he is retiring from the MIB and that J will step in as K’s replacement. The movie establishes early that agents can retire, but only after having their memory wiped. So, K asks J to wipe his memory so that he can return to a normal life. Once again, J has to grapple with the question of whether he is strong enough for this job. Can he bring himself to wipe K’s memory and lose his mentor forever? Can he fill K’s shoes as an MIB agent? 

• How will your hero have to recommit to their journey? 
• What event will push your hero through their final test? 
• What final test will your hero face before they return to the ordinary world? 

Resurrection 

This is the final act of your story. The hero will have one last glorious encounter with the forces that are set against them. This is the culminating event for your hero. Everything that has happened to your hero has prepared them for this moment. 

This can also be thought of as a rebirth for your hero. A moment when they shed all the things that have held them back throughout the story. The resurrection is when your hero applies all the things they’ve learned through their journey. 

The final moment can be a physical battle, or again, it can be metaphorical. This is also a moment when allies return to lend a last-minute hand. But, as with any ending of a story, you need to make sure your hero is the one who saves the day. 

So, here’s where things start to get a little clumsy. There are a couple of moments that could be a resurrection for our hero J. It could be the moment he faces off with Edgar. This is right before Edgar is killed. But, it’s K that pulls the trigger and kills Edgar. Based on our explanation J needs to be the one who saves the day. Maybe by stalling for time J is the one responsible for saving the day? It’s hard to say what the filmmakers’ intention was here. 

The second moment that could represent a resurrection for J might be when he wipes K’s memory. It is the final dramatic hurdle that J faces before he can become a true Man in Black. But, this moment doesn’t resolve the conflict of the film. 

Notice that the Hero’s Journey framework isn’t always followed to the letter by all storytellers. We’ll get back to this point at the end of the article. 

• What final challenge will your hero face? 
• How will your hero use the skills they’ve used to overcome their last challenge?
• How will your hero’s allies help save the day?  

Return with the Elixir

The ending of your story. Your hero returns to the ordinary world, but this time they carry with them the rewards earned during their journey. They may share these rewards with others who inhabit the ordinary world. But most important, is that you show that your hero has changed for the better. 

The elixir represents whatever your hero gained on their journey. Remember, the elixir can be an actual physical reward like a treasure. But, the elixir can also be a metaphorical prize like knowledge or a feeling of fulfillment.  This is a moment where your hero will return some sort of balance to the ordinary world. 

Be sure to show that the journey has had a permanent effect on your hero. 

In the final scene of the movie, we see that J has taken on a mentor role for Dr. Weaver, an MIB recruit now. He has physically changed- his clothes are more representative of his personality. This physical transformation is meant to show that J has fully embraced his new life and journey. No longer a rookie, J has stepped into his mentor, K’s, role. 

• How will you show that your character has changed from their journey? 
• What reward will they bring back to the ordinary world? 
• In what way will they change the ordinary world when they return? 

Should I Use the Hero’s Journey for My Story? 

This is a question you should ask yourself before embarking on your journey. The Monomyth works well as a framework. This is pretty obvious when you realize how many films have used it as a plotting device. 

But there’s a downside to the popularity of the Monomyth. And that’s that audiences are very familiar with the beats of this kind of story. Sure, they may not be able to describe each of the twelve sections in detail. But, audiences know, intuitively, what is going to happen in these stories. At the very least, audiences, or readers, know how these stories are going to end. 

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If your story is exciting, well-paced, and the stakes are high, people aren’t going to mind some predictability. But, if you want to shock your readers- 

(And if you’re interested in how to shock readers with a plot twist, click here. )

this might not be the best story structure. And, despite how popular it is, the hero’s journey ain’t the only game in town when it comes to story structure. And, you can always take artistic liberty with the Hero’s Journey. The fact that audiences are expecting certain beats means you have an opportunity to subvert expectations. 

You can skip parts of the hero’s journey if they don’t fit your plot. With my example, Men In Black it was difficult to fit the story neatly into the hero’s journey framework. This is because aspects of the movie, like the fact that it’s a buddy comedy, don’t always jive with a hero’s journey. Agent K has an important character arch, and so he ends up killing the villain rather than J. But, K’s arch isn’t at all a hero’s journey. 

The point is, don’t feel locked in by any single structure. Allow yourself some freedom to tell your story. If there’s no purpose to a resurrection stage in your story then skip it! No one is going to deduct your points. 

With that said, here are a few resources on the Hero’s Journey, and some alternate plot structures you’ll want to check out! 

This post contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links

Further Reading on Plot Structure and the Hero’s Journey

If you’d like to learn more about the Hero’s Journey, or Monomyth, why not go straight to the source? The Hero With 1000 Faces is a collection of work written by Joseph Campbell. His version of the hero’s journey has 17 stages. This is less of a writing manual and more of an exploration of the evolution of myth and storytelling through the ages. 

The Seven Basic Plots , by Christopher Booker, is another academic study of storytelling by Christopher Booker. Booker identifies seven basic plots that all stories fit into. They are: 

• Overcoming the Monster
• Rags to Riches
• Voyage and Return

The Snowflake Method is a teaching tool designed by Randy Ingermanson that will take you through a step-by-step process of writing a novel. The Snowflake Method boils down the novel-writing process six-step process. You will start with a single sentence and with each step you build on that sentence until you have a full-fledged novel! If you’re love processes then pick up a copy of this book today.  

In The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, Hollywood consultant, Christopher Vogler teaches writers how to use the Hero’s Journey to write riveting stories.

Resources: 

Wikipedia- Joseph Campbell

Wikipedia- Hero With 1000 Faces

Published by John

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6 comments on “A Complete Guide to The Hero’s Journey (or The Monomyth)”

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I don’t understand the use of all those pictures/graphics you threw in as I was reading. They were extremely distracting and seriously detracted from whatever message you were trying to convey.

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• Story Writing Guides

12 Hero’s Journey Stages Explained (+ Free Templates)

From zero to hero, the hero’s journey is a popular character development arc used in many stories. In today’s post, we will explain the 12 hero’s journey stages, along with the simple example of Cinderella.

The Hero’s Journey was originally formulated by American writer Joseph Campbell to describe the typical character arc of many classic stories, particularly in the context of mythology and folklore. The original hero’s journey contained 17 steps. Although the hero’s journey has been adapted since then for use in modern fiction, the concept is not limited to literature. It can be applied to any story, video game, film or even music that features an archetypal hero who undergoes a transformation. Common examples of the hero’s journey in popular works include Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, The Hunger Games and Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.

• What is the hero's journey?

Stage 1: The Ordinary World

Stage 2: call of adventure, stage 3: refusal of the call, stage 4: meeting the mentor, stage 5: crossing the threshold, stage 6: tests, allies, enemies, stage 7: the approach, stage 8: the ordeal, stage 9: reward, stage 10: the road back, stage 11: resurrection, stage 12: return with the elixir, cinderella example, campbell’s 17-step journey, leeming’s 8-step journey, cousineau’s 8-step journey.

• Free Hero's Journey Templates

What is the hero’s journey?

The hero’s journey, also known as the monomyth, is a character arc used in many stories. The idea behind it is that heroes undergo a journey that leads them to find their true selves. This is often represented in a series of stages. There are typically 12 stages to the hero’s journey. Each stage represents a change in the hero’s mindset or attitude, which is triggered by an external or internal event. These events cause the hero to overcome a challenge, reach a threshold, and then return to a normal life.

The hero’s journey is a powerful tool for understanding your characters. It can help you decide who they are, what they want, where they came from, and how they will change over time. It can be used to

• Understand the challenges your characters will face
• Understand how your characters react to those challenges
• Help develop your characters’ traits and relationships

In this post, we will explain each stage of the hero’s journey, using the example of Cinderella.

You might also be interested in our post on the story mountain or this guide on how to outline a book .

12 Hero’s Journey Stages

The archetypal hero’s journey contains 12 stages and was created by Christopher Vogler. These steps take your main character through an epic struggle that leads to their ultimate triumph or demise. While these steps may seem formulaic at first glance, they actually form a very flexible structure. The hero’s journey is about transformation, not perfection.

Your hero starts out in the ordinary world. He or she is just like every other person in their environment, doing things that are normal for them and experiencing the same struggles and challenges as everyone else. In the ordinary world, the hero feels stuck and confused, so he or she goes on a quest to find a way out of this predicament.

Example: Cinderella’s father passes away and she is now stuck doing chores and taking abuse from her stepsisters and stepmother.

The hero gets his or her first taste of adventure when the call comes. This could be in the form of an encounter with a stranger or someone they know who encourages them to take a leap of faith. This encounter is typically an accident, a series of coincidences that put the hero in the right place at the right time.

Example: An invite arrives inviting the family to a royal ball where the Prince will choose a wife.

Some people will refuse to leave their safe surroundings and live by their own rules. The hero has to overcome the negative influences in order to hear the call again. They also have to deal with any personal doubts that arise from thinking too much about the potential dangers involved in the quest. It is common for the hero to deny their own abilities in this stage and to lack confidence in themselves.

Example: Cinderella accepts the call by making her own dress for the ball. However, her stepmother refuses the call for her by not letting her go to the ball. And her step-sisters ruin her dress, so she can not go.

After hearing the call, the hero begins a relationship with a mentor who helps them learn about themselves and the world. In some cases, the mentor may be someone the hero already knows. The mentor is usually someone who is well-versed in the knowledge that the hero needs to acquire, but who does not judge the hero for their lack of experience.

Example: Cinderella meets her fairy godmother who equips her with everything she needs for the ball, including a dress and a carriage.

The hero leaves their old life behind and enters the unfamiliar new world. The crossing of the threshold symbolises leaving their old self behind and becoming a new person. Sometimes this can include learning a new skill or changing their physical appearance. It can also include a time of wandering, which is an essential part of the hero’s journey.

Example: Cinderella hops into the carriage and heads off to the ball. She has transformed from a servant into an elegant young lady. 

As the hero goes on this journey, they will meet both allies (people who help the hero) and enemies (people who try to stop the hero). There will also be tests, where the hero is tempted to quit, turn back, or become discouraged. The hero must be persistent and resilient to overcome challenges.

Example: At the ball, Cinderella meets the prince, and even see’s her stepmother and stepsister. She dances with Prince all night long making her step-sisters extremely jealous.

The hero now reaches the destination of their journey, in some cases, this is a literal location, such as a cave or castle. It could also be metaphorical, such as the hero having an internal conflict or having to make a difficult decision. In either case, the hero has to confront their deepest fears in this stage with bravery. In some ways, this stage can mark the end of the hero’s journey because the hero must now face their darkest fears and bring them under control. If they do not do this, the hero could be defeated in the final battle and will fail the story.

Example: Cinderella is having a great time at the ball and nearly forgets about the midnight rule. As she runs away in a hurry, her glass slipper falls off outside the palace.

The hero has made it to the final challenge of their journey and now must face all odds and defeat their greatest adversary. Consider this the climax of the story. This could be in the form of a physical battle, a moral dilemma or even an emotional challenge. The hero will look to their allies or mentor for further support and guidance in this ordeal. Whatever happens in this stage could change the rest of the story, either for good or bad. 

Example: Prince Charming looks all over the kingdom for the mysterious girl he met at the ball. He finally visits Cinderella’s house and tries the slippers on the step-sisters. The prince is about to leave and then he sees Cinderella in the corner cleaning.

When the hero has defeated the most powerful and dangerous of adversaries, they will receive their reward. This reward could be an object, a new relationship or even a new piece of knowledge. The reward, which typically comes as a result of the hero’s perseverance and hard work, signifies the end of their journey. Given that the hero has accomplished their goal and served their purpose, it is a time of great success and accomplishment.

Example: The prince tries the glass slipper on Cinderella. The glass slipper fits Cinderella perfectly, and they fall in love.

The journey is now complete, and the hero is now heading back home. As the hero considers their journey and reflects on the lessons they learned along the way, the road back is sometimes marked by a sense of nostalgia or even regret. As they must find their way back to the normal world and reintegrate into their former life, the hero may encounter additional difficulties or tests along the way. It is common for the hero to run into previous adversaries or challenges they believed they had overcome.

Example: Cinderella and Prince Charming head back to the Prince’s castle to get married.

The hero has one final battle to face. At this stage, the hero might have to fight to the death against a much more powerful foe. The hero might even be confronted with their own mortality or their greatest fear. This is usually when the hero’s true personality emerges. This stage is normally symbolised by the hero rising from the dark place and fighting back. This dark place could again be a physical location, such as the underground or a dark cave. It might even be a dark, mental state, such as depression. As the hero rises again, they might change physically or even experience an emotional transformation. 

Example: Cinderella is reborn as a princess. She once again feels the love and happiness that she felt when she was a little girl living with her father.

At the end of the story, the hero returns to the ordinary world and shares the knowledge gained in their journey with their fellow man. This can be done by imparting some form of wisdom, an object of great value or by bringing about a social revolution. In all cases, the hero returns changed and often wiser.

Example: Cinderella and Prince Charming live happily ever after. She uses her new role to punish her stepmother and stepsisters and to revitalise the kingdom.

We have used the example of Cinderella in Vogler’s hero’s journey model below:

Below we have briefly explained the other variations of the hero’s journey arc.

The very first hero’s journey arc was created by Joseph Campbell in 1949. It contained the following 17 steps:

• The Call to Adventure: The hero receives a call or a reason to go on a journey.
• Refusal of the Call: The hero does not accept the quest. They worry about their own abilities or fear the journey itself.
• Supernatural Aid: Someone (the mentor) comes to help the hero and they have supernatural powers, which are usually magical.
• The Crossing of the First Threshold: A symbolic boundary is crossed by the hero, often after a test. 
• Belly of the Whale: The point where the hero has the most difficulty making it through.
• The Road of Trials: In this step, the hero will be tempted and tested by the outside world, with a number of negative experiences.
• The Meeting with the Goddess: The hero meets someone who can give them the knowledge, power or even items for the journey ahead.
• Woman as the Temptress: The hero is tempted to go back home or return to their old ways.
• Atonement with the Father: The hero has to make amends for any wrongdoings they may have done in the past. They need to confront whatever holds them back.
• Apotheosis: The hero gains some powerful knowledge or grows to a higher level. 
• The Ultimate Boon: The ultimate boon is the reward for completing all the trials of the quest. The hero achieves their ultimate goal and feels powerful.
• Refusal of the Return: After collecting their reward, the hero refuses to return to normal life. They want to continue living like gods. 
• The Magic Flight: The hero escapes with the reward in hand.
• Rescue from Without: The hero has been hurt and needs help from their allies or guides.
• The Crossing of the Return Threshold: The hero must come back and learn to integrate with the ordinary world once again.
• Master of the Two Worlds: The hero shares their wisdom or gifts with the ordinary world. Learning to live in both worlds.
• Freedom to Live: The hero accepts the new version of themselves and lives happily without fear.

David Adams Leeming later adapted the hero’s journey based on his research of legendary heroes found in mythology. He noted the following steps as a pattern that all heroes in stories follow:

• Miraculous conception and birth: This is the first trauma that the hero has to deal with. The Hero is often an orphan or abandoned child and therefore faces many hardships early on in life. 
• Initiation of the hero-child: The child faces their first major challenge. At this point, the challenge is normally won with assistance from someone else.
• Withdrawal from family or community: The hero runs away and is tempted by negative forces.
• Trial and quest: A quest finds the hero giving them an opportunity to prove themselves.
• Death: The hero fails and is left near death or actually does die.
• Descent into the underworld: The hero rises again from death or their near-death experience.
• Resurrection and rebirth: The hero learns from the errors of their way and is reborn into a better, wiser being.
• Ascension, apotheosis, and atonement: The hero gains some powerful knowledge or grows to a higher level (sometimes a god-like level). 

In 1990, Phil Cousineau further adapted the hero’s journey by simplifying the steps from Campbell’s model and rearranging them slightly to suit his own findings of heroes in literature. Again Cousineau’s hero’s journey included 8 steps:

• The call to adventure: The hero must have a reason to go on an adventure.
• The road of trials: The hero undergoes a number of tests that help them to transform.
• The vision quest: Through the quest, the hero learns the errors of their ways and has a realisation of something.
• The meeting with the goddess: To help the hero someone helps them by giving them some knowledge, power or even items for the journey ahead.
• The boon: This is the reward for completing the journey.
• The magic flight: The hero must escape, as the reward is attached to something terrible.
• The return threshold: The hero must learn to live back in the ordinary world.
• The master of two worlds: The hero shares their knowledge with the ordinary world and learns to live in both worlds.

As you can see, every version of the hero’s journey is about the main character showing great levels of transformation. Their journey may start and end at the same location, but they have personally evolved as a character in your story. Once a weakling, they now possess the knowledge and skill set to protect their world if needed.

Free Hero’s Journey Templates

Use the free Hero’s journey templates below to practice the skills you learned in this guide! You can either draw or write notes in each of the scene boxes. Once the template is complete, you will have a better idea of how your main character or the hero of your story develops over time:

The storyboard template below is a great way to develop your main character and organise your story:

Did you find this guide on the hero’s journey stages useful? Let us know in the comments below.

Marty the wizard is the master of Imagine Forest. When he's not reading a ton of books or writing some of his own tales, he loves to be surrounded by the magical creatures that live in Imagine Forest. While living in his tree house he has devoted his time to helping children around the world with their writing skills and creativity.

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• Writing craft

Hero’s Journey: A Guide to the Ultimate Storytelling Framework

Every captivating story, from ancient myths to modern blockbusters, shares a common narrative structure that resonates with audiences across generations and cultures. This powerful storytelling framework is known as the hero’s journey, a concept rooted in the groundbreaking work of renowned mythologist and author, Joseph Campbell. In this blog post, we’ll delve deep into the fascinating world of the hero’s journey, exploring its key components, providing examples from iconic literature, and sharing insights on how you can harness this timeless narrative structure to elevate your own writing. So, buckle up and join us on this epic adventure as we unravel the secrets of the hero’s journey and uncover the universal threads that bind us all together through the power of storytelling.

What is the Hero’s Journey?

At its core, the hero’s journey is a narrative framework that outlines the transformative arc of a protagonist as they embark on an adventure, face and overcome challenges, and ultimately return home, forever changed by their experiences. The concept was popularized by Joseph Campbell in his seminal work, “The Hero with a Thousand Faces,” where he identified a common pattern in the myths and stories from different cultures and historical periods. Campbell believed that the hero’s journey resonated deeply with readers and audiences because it mirrored universal psychological and spiritual experiences, making it a powerful tool for creating engaging and meaningful stories.

The hero’s journey serves as both a structural blueprint and a symbolic template for stories, enabling writers to craft compelling narratives that reflect the trials, triumphs, and transformations we all encounter in our own lives. By understanding and incorporating the elements of the hero’s journey into your writing, you can create stories that not only entertain but also inspire and enlighten, transcending the boundaries of time and culture to connect with the very essence of human experience.

The Three Acts of a Hero’s Journey

Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey can be broken down into three distinct acts, each comprising a series of stages that capture the essential elements of the protagonist’s transformative arc. These three acts provide a roadmap for writers, helping them navigate the complex landscape of their stories and ensuring that their heroes undergo meaningful and memorable journeys.

• Departure (The Call to Adventure)
• Initiation (Trials and Transformation)
• Return (Master of Two Worlds)

As we explore each act in greater detail, you’ll begin to recognize the familiar narrative beats that have captivated audiences for centuries, and discover how you can use these archetypal elements to bring your own stories to life.

It’s important to note that while the hero’s journey offers a structured framework for storytelling, it is by no means a rigid formula. Writers should feel free to adapt, modify, and expand upon the hero’s journey to suit the unique needs of their stories and characters, always bearing in mind that the ultimate goal is to create engaging, emotionally resonant narratives that connect with readers on a deeper level.

Act 1 – Departure

The first act of the hero’s journey, Departure, sets the stage for the protagonist’s transformative adventure. It introduces the hero in their familiar, ordinary world and presents them with a call to action that will propel them into the unknown. Here are the key stages of the Departure act:

• The Ordinary World: This stage establishes the hero’s everyday life, providing a relatable starting point for the reader. It highlights the hero’s wants, needs, and any underlying issues that will be addressed throughout the story.
• Call to Adventure: The hero is presented with a challenge, quest, or opportunity that disrupts their ordinary world and demands a response. This call to action sets the story in motion and paves the way for the protagonist’s transformative journey.
• Refusal of the Call: Often, the hero initially resists or doubts the call to adventure, revealing their fears and insecurities. This refusal adds tension and deepens the character’s complexity, making their eventual acceptance of the call more satisfying and impactful.
• Meeting the Mentor: The hero encounters a guide, teacher, or wise figure who provides advice, support, and sometimes magical aid. This mentor figure helps prepare the hero for the trials they will face, and often plays a crucial role in the protagonist’s development.
• Crossing the Threshold: The hero finally commits to the adventure, leaving their ordinary world behind and stepping into the unknown. This stage marks the point of no return, as the hero embarks on a journey that will forever change them.

The Departure act sets the foundation for the hero’s journey, establishing the protagonist’s relatable struggles and desires while setting them on a path toward growth and transformation. As a writer, it’s essential to carefully craft this act to create a compelling and believable starting point for your hero’s adventure.

Famous Example: The Departure of Harry Potter

To help illustrate the Departure act in action, let’s examine the early stages of the beloved hero’s journey in J.K. Rowling’s “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone.”

• The Ordinary World: Harry Potter’s life is far from ideal. He lives with his cruel and uncaring aunt, uncle, and cousin, the Dursleys, in the small, ordinary town of Little Whinging. Despite his miserable circumstances, Harry longs for a sense of belonging and yearns to learn more about his deceased parents.
• Call to Adventure: Harry receives a mysterious letter from Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, inviting him to attend the prestigious institution. This invitation promises to pull him out of his mundane life and into a world of magic, wonder, and hidden potential.
• Refusal of the Call: Initially, the Dursleys do everything in their power to prevent Harry from attending Hogwarts, hiding the letters and even fleeing to a remote island. Harry’s desire to learn about his parents and his true heritage is challenged by the Dursleys’ determination to keep him from discovering the truth.
• Meeting the Mentor: Harry meets Rubeus Hagrid, the half-giant groundskeeper of Hogwarts, who not only delivers Harry’s acceptance letter but also serves as his guide and protector in the magical world. Hagrid reveals the truth about Harry’s parents, his connection to the wizarding world, and the significance of the lightning-shaped scar on his forehead.
• Crossing the Threshold: Harry leaves his life with the Dursleys behind and steps into the magical realm by traveling through the hidden platform 9 ¾ at King’s Cross Station. As he boards the Hogwarts Express, he embarks on an adventure that will transform him from a downtrodden orphan into a powerful and celebrated wizard.

By skillfully weaving together the stages of the Departure act, J.K. Rowling creates an unforgettable introduction to Harry Potter’s hero’s journey, setting the stage for a thrilling and transformative adventure that has captivated readers for generations.

Act 2 – Initiation

As the hero steps into the unknown, the second act, Initiation, unfolds. This act is where the hero’s character and resolve are tested through a series of trials and tribulations. Through these challenges, the protagonist forms new relationships, acquires new skills, and grows as an individual. Here are the key stages of the Initiation act:

• Trials, Allies, and Enemies: The hero encounters a series of tests and obstacles that push them to their limits. They forge new alliances and face adversaries, which help them gain the skills and knowledge needed to confront their ultimate challenge. This stage is crucial for character development, as the protagonist’s reactions and choices reveal their true nature.
• Approach to the Innermost Cave: As the hero nears the climax of their journey, they must confront their deepest fears and darkest shadows. The “Innermost Cave” can be a physical location or a metaphorical space, representing the hero’s confrontation with their greatest personal or external challenge.
• The Ordeal: The protagonist faces their most significant trial, a life-or-death struggle that tests their strength, courage, and resourcefulness. This ordeal often leads to a symbolic or literal death and rebirth, signifying a profound transformation in the hero’s character or perception of themselves.
• Reward (Seizing the Sword): After overcoming the ordeal, the hero is granted a reward, which may take the form of a physical object, a new ability, or a revelation. This reward symbolizes the hero’s growth and newfound mastery, equipping them to face the final challenges of their journey.

The Initiation act is a crucible for the hero, as they confront adversity and evolve in response to the challenges they face. As a writer, it’s essential to craft compelling trials and conflicts that not only entertain but also illuminate the protagonist’s inner journey, revealing their strengths, weaknesses, and capacity for growth.

Famous Example: The Initiation of Luke Skywalker

To better understand the Initiation act, let’s delve into the captivating trials and tribulations of Luke Skywalker from George Lucas’s “ Star Wars : Episode IV – A New Hope.”

• Trials, Allies, and Enemies: Luke encounters numerous challenges on his journey, from evading Imperial forces to navigating the treacherous Death Star. Along the way, he forms alliances with characters such as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Princess Leia, Han Solo, and Chewbacca, each of whom plays a vital role in his development. He also confronts adversaries like Darth Vader and the ruthless Galactic Empire, which test his courage and convictions.
• Approach to the Innermost Cave: As the Rebel Alliance prepares for their daring assault on the Death Star, Luke faces his greatest fear: the possibility of failure and the loss of his newfound friends. This moment of self-doubt forces Luke to confront his insecurities and embrace the lessons he has learned from his mentor, Obi-Wan.
• The Ordeal: Luke’s ordeal comes during the climactic Battle of Yavin, where he pilots his X-wing fighter in a desperate attempt to destroy the Death Star before it can annihilate the Rebel base. As he faces seemingly insurmountable odds, Luke is guided by the spirit of Obi-Wan, who encourages him to trust in the Force.
• Reward (Seizing the Sword): After successfully destroying the Death Star, Luke is celebrated as a hero and awarded a medal by Princess Leia. More importantly, he gains newfound confidence in his abilities and his connection to the Force, setting the stage for his continued growth and transformation throughout the remainder of the saga.

By incorporating the stages of the Initiation act, George Lucas masterfully charts Luke Skywalker’s transformative journey from a naïve farm boy to a resourceful and courageous hero. This compelling narrative arc not only entertains but also reflects timeless themes of self-discovery, resilience, and the power of friendship, making “Star Wars” an enduring classic that continues to captivate audiences worldwide.

Act 3 – Return

The final act of the hero’s journey, Return, brings the protagonist’s transformative arc to a satisfying conclusion. Having overcome their trials and emerged victorious, the hero must now return to their ordinary world, where they will apply their newfound wisdom, skills, or power for the benefit of others. Here are the key stages of the Return act:

• The Road Back: The hero begins their journey back to the ordinary world, often facing challenges or temptations that test their resolve and commitment to their newfound purpose. This stage serves as an opportunity for the hero to demonstrate their growth and mastery, as they confront familiar obstacles with renewed strength and insight.
• Resurrection: The hero faces a final, climactic ordeal that represents their ultimate test of character, courage, and transformation. Often mirroring the earlier ordeal in the Initiation act, this confrontation requires the hero to draw upon all the lessons and experiences they have gained on their journey, leading to a powerful moment of catharsis and renewal.
• Return with the Elixir: Having triumphed over their final challenge, the hero returns to their ordinary world, bearing a tangible or intangible “elixir” that represents their transformation and the wisdom they have acquired. This elixir often serves as a solution to a problem or conflict within their community, fulfilling the hero’s ultimate purpose and bringing their journey full circle.

The Return act is a crucial component of the hero’s journey, as it not only completes the protagonist’s transformation but also reinforces the universal themes of growth, self-discovery, and the power of individual agency. As a writer, it’s essential to craft a compelling and emotionally resonant conclusion that both celebrates the hero’s achievements and emphasizes the lasting impact of their journey.

Famous Example: The Return of Frodo Baggins

To illustrate the power of the Return act, let’s explore the culmination of Frodo Baggins’s epic journey in J.R.R. Tolkien’s “The Lord of the Rings.”

• The Road Back: After the destruction of the One Ring and the defeat of Sauron, Frodo and his companions begin their journey back to the Shire, their home in the ordinary world. Despite their hard-won victory, the hobbits are not immune to the lingering effects of their experiences, as they continue to grapple with the emotional and physical scars of their adventure.
• Resurrection: Upon their return to the Shire, Frodo and his friends discover that their home has been ravaged by the villainous Saruman and his henchmen. This final confrontation serves as a test of the hobbits’ newfound strength and resourcefulness, as they apply the skills and lessons they have gained on their journey to rally their community and reclaim their homeland.
• Return with the Elixir: With the Shire restored and Saruman defeated, Frodo and his companions are hailed as heroes, and their once-ordinary lives are forever transformed by their extraordinary journey. Frodo, in particular, bears the intangible elixir of wisdom and courage, which he shares through his writing and storytelling, ensuring that the legacy of their adventure endures for future generations.

Through the stages of the Return act, J.R.R. Tolkien skillfully brings Frodo Baggins’s transformative journey to a close, emphasizing the lasting impact of his experiences and the power of individual agency in shaping not only his own destiny but the fate of his entire world. This emotionally resonant and satisfying conclusion is a testament to the enduring power of the hero’s journey as a framework for creating timeless and universally resonant narratives.

How to Use the Hero’s Journey in Your Writing

Now that we’ve delved into the three acts of the hero’s journey and explored some famous examples, you may be wondering how you can apply this timeless narrative structure to your own writing. While the hero’s journey offers a valuable framework for crafting compelling stories, it’s essential to approach it as a flexible blueprint rather than a rigid formula. Here are some tips for incorporating the hero’s journey into your writing:

Identify your hero’s core desires and fears

Understanding your protagonist’s motivations and inner struggles is crucial for crafting a meaningful and emotionally resonant hero’s journey. Consider what drives your hero, what they hope to achieve, and what obstacles they must overcome to realize their goals.

Adapt the structure to your unique story

While the hero’s journey is a proven narrative structure, not every stage will be relevant or necessary for your specific story. Don’t be afraid to modify, expand, or omit certain elements to suit the needs of your characters and plot. The key is to maintain a clear sense of the protagonist’s transformative arc and ensure that their journey remains engaging and emotionally satisfying.

Create compelling challenges and conflicts

The trials and ordeals your hero faces should not only test their physical and mental abilities but also push them to confront their deepest fears and insecurities. Design conflicts that force your protagonist to grow, change, and ultimately emerge as a stronger, more capable individual.

Balance the familiar with the unexpected

While the hero’s journey is based on universal archetypes and narrative beats, it’s crucial to infuse your story with originality and surprise. Experiment with unconventional approaches to the hero’s journey, such as subverting expectations, exploring unconventional hero archetypes, or employing an unconventional narrative structure.

Emphasize your hero’s transformation

The heart of the hero’s journey lies in the protagonist’s personal growth and transformation. Ensure that your hero’s arc is clear, believable, and emotionally resonant by highlighting the lessons they learn, the relationships they form, and the inner obstacles they overcome on their journey.

By integrating the hero’s journey into your writing and adapting it to suit your unique story, you can create compelling, emotionally resonant narratives that resonate with readers and stand the test of time. In essence, you become a better writer .

The Hero’s Journey Across Cultures and Time

The hero’s journey is not only a powerful narrative framework, but it also holds immense cultural and historical significance. Present in countless myths, legends, and stories from around the world, the hero’s journey transcends time and geography, offering a universal blueprint for storytelling that resonates with diverse audiences.

Mythology and folklore

The hero’s journey can be traced back to the earliest myths and legends, from the Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh to the Greek hero’s journey of Odysseus in Homer’s “The Odyssey.” These ancient narratives reflect the hero’s journey’s timeless appeal and the universal themes of transformation, self-discovery, and redemption.

Religious narratives

The hero’s journey is also deeply ingrained in religious texts and stories, such as the journeys of Moses in the Hebrew Bible or the life of the Buddha in Buddhist traditions. These narratives not only convey spiritual and moral lessons but also embody the transformative power of the hero’s journey, emphasizing the potential for personal growth and enlightenment.

Literature and popular culture

From classic novels like “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” by Mark Twain to modern film franchises like “The Matrix” and “ The Hunger Games ,” the hero’s journey continues to captivate and inspire storytellers and audiences alike. Its enduring appeal is a testament to its ability to tap into universal human experiences and desires, transcending the boundaries of culture, language, and time.

Cross-cultural connections

The hero’s journey reveals a fascinating tapestry of interconnected narratives and themes, which can foster a greater appreciation and understanding of the diverse cultural traditions and perspectives that have shaped human history. By exploring the hero’s journey in various contexts, we can deepen our empathy and broaden our worldview, recognizing the shared human experiences that unite us all.

The hero’s journey’s remarkable longevity and cross-cultural resonance underscore its profound significance as a tool for storytelling and resource for writers . By embracing and celebrating the hero’s journey in its many forms, we can not only create compelling stories but also foster a deeper sense of connection and empathy with others, transcending the barriers of time and culture.

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• Sep 7, 2018

The Hero's Journey: 12 of the Best Books about Quests

Updated: Sep 26, 2018

The quest narrative is one of the oldest and more enduring types of stories. It has played a prominent role in folklore and myth around the world and continues to appear in fiction and film. Closely tied to the monomyth of the Hero’s Journey, the quest narrative is centred on a character who must set out on a journey in order to achieve a goal. This journey usually takes the character and the readers through exotic or fantastical landscapes, as well as through a series of obstacles and perils. The object of the quest typically centres on the search for a person, place, or thing, as seen in the stories of The Wizard of Oz , the hunt for El Dorado, and the quest for the Holy Grail, respectively. The desire, or wish to return home after the object is found also plays a prominent role in many quest narratives.

Quests have appeared in literature throughout the ages, usually in the most popular genre of that era. They came to prominence in the chivalric romances of the Middle Ages, and the figure of the knight-errant has remained closely tied to the conception of quests ever since. This is particularly notable in the adventure fiction of the 19th century, which saw not only a resurgence of quest stories, but also of novels set in the medieval era, such as Walter Scott’s Ivanhoe . This medievalist approach has continued into modern fantasy literature where the quest continues to play a prominent role in some of the most popular books of today. Here we have listed some of the great examples of quests in literature across the ages.

The Odyssey by Homer

Homer’s epic poems, the Iliad and the Odyssey are among some of the oldest

surviving examples of Western literature. While the story of the Odyssey happens chronologically directly after the events in the Iliad, in that it charts the journey home of a group of soldiers involved in the Trojan War, the two poems have a very different tone and style. Where the Iliad is tragic, the Odyssey has much more of an adventurous feel. The Odyssey’s quest is unusual in that it is centred on the ‘returning home’ aspect rather than the going out. Within this overarching quest however is a series of smaller quests and adventures that take Odysseus and his comrades into the lairs of cyclops, through the waters of sirens and into the underworld. An enduring classic for a reason, it’s hard not to get swept up in the trials and exploits of Odysseus and his comrades in their quest to return home.

Le Morte Darthur by Thomas Malory

While The Odyssey remains one of the most iconic quests in the literary canon, as already noted the conception of quests is often much more associated with medieval courtly romances. Of these, the Arthurian legends are perhaps the most enduring. Completed in 1470, Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur is considered the definitive English account of King Arthur’s life, from his ascent to the throne and his founding of the Knights of the Round Table, to the fall of the golden age of chivalry culminating in his death. Although not the only quest described, the greatest part of the text is given to the individual efforts of the various knights to find the Holy Grail. In this Le Morte d'Arthur is perhaps the quintessential quest story.

Sir Gawain and the Green Knight

Where Le Morte d’Arthur takes a serious look at the expectations of heroism and the need for true chivalry, another medieval Arthurian story, Sir Gawain and the Green Knight takes an altogether more light-hearted approach. It is an outlandish and playful tale and the quest in this case is an unusual one, as it is a journey towards death. Set on New Year’s day, an unexpected guest, in the form of the Green Knight, appears at the Camelot festivities. He

challenges any of the knights to strike him with their axe, on the condition that he may return the blow in exactly one year. Sir Gawain agrees, striking the green knight on the neck, but the beheaded knight simply picks up his own head and walks away. Gawain must then set out to find the castle of the Green Knight and receive his agreed blow. The story which was recorded in the 14th century, here receives a modernized rendering by J.R.R. Tolkien, who will be

returned to later in this list for his own quest stories. This edition also contains another medieval quest story, Sir Orfeo , in which a knight must enter the fairy world in order to retrieve his stolen wife, making this particular edition an excellent place to explore medieval quests.

The White Company by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

In moving on to the adventure fiction of the 19th century, we find ourselves right back in the medieval world, with Arthur Conan Doyle’s knightly historical tale The White Company . While Doyle is most famous for creating the iconic detective Sherlock Holmes, he himself found much greater pride in his carefully researched and lovingly crafted historical fiction adventures. Set during the Hundred Years War, The White Company follows two young men, Allenye and John Hordle, who both leave their lives in the abbey for very different reasons, but find themselves united in joining the mercenary regiment known as The White Company . They set out for France on a quest to fight for England, a journey which takes them through many perils and adventures. The length of this novel, in comparison to the serialised Holmes stories, gives Doyle space to demonstrate his truly masterful talent. He balances a romantic and rose tinted perspective of the medieval era while carrying the wealth of carefully researched knowledge and detail.

The Man who would be King by Rudyard Kipling

Kipling is iconic for his evocative stories set in the Indian subcontinent. His writing, blending exoticism with verisimilitude, captures the reader’s imagination almost instantly, making it perfect for adventure. In this novella, Kipling describes the exploits of two men, Dravot and Carnehan, who make the audacious claim that: “India isn’t big enough for such as us.” They embark on a quest to set themselves up as kings in Karifistan. While they find initial success, their quest ultimately ends in disaster. Kipling’s work is often critiqued now for it’s positive views on colonialism, however The Man Who Would Be King also serves as a reproach to self-interested rulers and the dangers of implanting yourself as the leader of a culture you don’t understand. It’s an atmospheric and unsettling story of the dark side of a quest.

A Modern Telemachus by Charlotte M. Yonge

The writings of Charlotte M. Yonge are sadly forgotten by most modern readers, but she was widely read and well-respected during her life in the nineteenth century. Her admirers included many famous literary figures including George Eliot and Lewis Carroll. She was prolific in her work, producing over 50 novels in a range of genres and settings. Her novel The Lances of Lynwood may be the most obvious recommendation for this list, however we feel we

can move away from courtly romance for a moment and instead embrace the perils of the high seas in A Modern Telemachus . When the Countess of Bourke set out to sail from France to Spain in order to see her husband, her ship is attacked by pirates and wrecked on the coast of North Africa. A young man on board, Arthur Hope Maxwell, rescues the Countess’ young son Ulysse but both are swept further down the coast by the current. The two then set out on a quest to rescue the survivors of the shipwreck, who they learn have been captured by natives. Yonge’s gripping details of the conflicts and dangers make this a bombastic and entertaining tale of adventure and heroics.

In Search of the Castaways by Jules Verne

Verne’s writing is almost synonymous with adventure fiction. While we could talk about some of his more famous titles, In Search of the Castaways is a regrettably overlooked story that encompasses some of the best elements of quests and adventure fiction. After finding a letter in a bottle, retrieved from a shark’s stomach, the story’s protagonist, Lord Glenarvan, goes on a quest across three continents in order to find the shipwrecked author of the letter, Captain Grant. The only clue is Grant’s last known latitude, and so Glenarvan and his companions set out to circumnavigate the world along the 37th parallel south. Verne lets loose on all the expected adventure fare, his characters experience piracy, cannibals, and earthquakes. Parts of the story are certainly of its time, but then so is that spirit of adventure.

Going After Cacciato by Tim O'Brien

So far, our suggestions have stayed within the classic expectations of quests, but there have been plenty of stories that play with the expectations. Turning to a more modern example, O’Brien’s Going After Cacciato is a quixotic quest that blends hallucination and reality. In the middle of the Vietnam War, Cacciato announces to his squad that he plans to walk from Vietnam to Paris. When he subsequently goes missing. his squad must then set off on their own quest to find and capture Cacciato for deserting. Drawing on his own experiences as a soldier in Vietnam, O’Brien draws the reader into the world with great immediacy, managing to balance the graphic realities of his characters, with the fantasy world the characters slip into in order to deal with their surroundings.

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien

Going After Cacciato shows the way in which quests can figure in contemporary literature, but for the most part, modern fiction has seen the quest move into genres such as fantasy. Perhaps most famous for this is Tolkien. He created his fantasy world with the hope of crafting a truly English mythology. This means that his fiction features many of the elements we have already seen in the classical and medieval stories, including that of the quest. Some people may consider Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings trilogy as his ultimate quest narrative, however it is his first novel The Hobbit that actually ties closest to the genre, with its light-hearted tone and Romantic setting. The Hobbit takes the protagonist Bilbo Baggins through the landscapes of Middle-Earth in order to help his friends reclaim their dwarven kingdom. There are many perils but the story stays jovial and adventurous.

Rumo and His Miraculous Adventures by Walter Moers

Walter Moers is famed for his exuberant and hare-brained fantasy stories, filled with eccentric creatures and bizarre landscapes. While most of his novels involve long and meandering journeys of some kind, Rumo and His Miraculous Adventures best fits the characteristics of questing literature. The eponymous Rumo is a Wolperting, a canine creature with small horns, famed for their intelligence and strength, and the first half of the book follows Rumo as he discovers a town of fellow Wolpertingers, trains to become a warrior and falls in love. The second half of the book however, sees all of Rumo’s companions disappear into the Netherworld. Rumo sets out on a quest to traverse the Netherworld in order to rescue his friends from the despotic underworld king, Gornab the Ninety-Ninth. There are a host of joyously outlandish characters to be met along the way, from Dandelion, the sentient sword, to General Tick-Tock, the mechanical and maniacal commander of Netherworld’s forces.

The Letter for the King by Tonke Dragt

Tonke Dragt is recognised as one of The Netherland’s greatest children’s authors. Her most famous work The Letter for the King , set in an enchanted version of the Middle Ages, is one of those classic children’s stories that are eminently readable for adults. The story opens with 16-year-old Tiuri sitting vigil the night before he becomes a knight when he hears a desperate knock on the chapel door. He is forbidden to answer it but he feels compelled to help. On the other side of the door Tiuri finds an old man with an urgent letter that must reach King Unauwen. Tiuri finds himself drawn into a secret mission, where he must abandon his dreams of becoming a knight, travel across the dangerous lands and keep both the letter and his identity hidden. Pursued by vengeful knights and overcoming daunting trials Tiuri’s quest is a delightful modern fairy tale.

Momo by Michael Ende

Michael Ende is perhaps most famous for The Neverending Story , but before writing that series he wrote the also excellent and sadly neglected Momo . Ende’s main character Momo is an orphan who lives in the ruins of an amphitheatre where many people come to see her for her incredible power of listening. One day sinister men in grey arrive and persuade the city’s inhabitants to part with their time, only Momo is able to resist. With the help of the administrator of Time, Master Hora, and his strangely gifted tortoise, Cassiopeia, Momo sets off on a quest to restore time to her community. She must travel into the underground lair of the grey men to find and retrieve their hoards of stolen time. It’s an enchanting and intricate story that plays with the role that time plays in society.

As we mentioned in the beginning of this article, stories about quests appear the world over, in a variety of different forms and contexts. This list is but a brief introduction to some great examples of questing narratives. If there are any other examples you feel are sorely missing, please feel free to mention them in the comments below. As any hero will tell you, there’s always more to explore.

This article was originally written for Bookwitty.com and published on April 6th, 2017.

• Previously Published

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The Hero’s Journey: A 17 Step Story Structure Beat Sheet

The Hero’s Journey is a classic plot structure made up of 17 steps. Learn how to craft an epic story using the Hero’s Journey story beats.

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The Hero’s Journey is a story structure that tells how a hero starts in one place, goes on an adventure into an unknown world, and then returns to what they started with.

This blog post will explain the 17 steps of the Hero’s Journey and share how you can use this common plot structure to write your own story or novel.

What is the Hero’s Journey?

Joseph Campbell first introduced the Hero’s Journey in 1949. It is based on the idea that we can break down most stories into one basic story structure.

The plot structure of the Hero’s Journey is made up of 17 steps, all of which can be excellent guideposts for you when plotting your novel and planning your chapters.

To simplify the 17 steps of the Hero’s Journey, there are 3 main acts of the story: The Departure, The Initiation, and The Return.

Here’s an overview of all of the 17 steps of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey:

Act One: The Departure

The Call to Adventure

Refusal of the call, supernatural aid.

• The Crossing of the First Threshold

Belly of the Whale

Act 2: The Initiation :

The Road of Trials

The meeting with the goddess, woman as the temptress, atonement with the father/abyss, the ultimate boon.

Act 3: The Return:

Refusal of the Return

The magic flight, rescue from without, the crossing of the return threshold, master of the two worlds, freedom to live.

In this post, we will cover each step of the Hero’s Journey and what it includes. If you are writing a novel , think of this as the ultimate beat sheet to help you plan and plot your novel !

To understand the 17 steps of the hero’s journey, we will share with you exactly what happens in each step and what it should include. We’ve divided the 17 steps into the three main acts: The Departure, The Initiation, and the Return.

Let’s dive on in, shall we?

The Departure

The Departure (Act 1) of the Hero’s Journey is all about your novel’s main characters and their ordinary lives. You want to show how they live before something happens that throws them into a world outside of what was normal for them.

In a nutshell, The Departure is when we see our heroes start in their current environment and set out on an adventure where they leave their comfort zone.

There are 5 steps of the Departure, each of which can help you base your chapters for your novel. Let’s look at these 5 steps in detail.

In the first 1 or 2 chapters of our book, our character is introduced and is given the call to adventure. Of course, the call to adventure is what sets our character on their journey. There is a moment when our hero realizes something isn’t right, and it’s time for them to become the hero of their own story.

The Call to Adventure should introduce your main characters and what part of life they are living before things start changing for them. You want this to be a scene that you can use to give your reader an idea of who they are and what their life is like.

The call to adventure is sometimes also called the inciting incident because it often comes from another character or situation in which our hero feels compelled to do something. This could come in the form of a problem or something that they’ve always wanted to accomplish.

Once we understand the character’s life and why they must go on their journey, we move onto the next crucial element: Refusal of the Call.

The Refusal of the Call sounds like it’s a bad thing, but in reality, it can help the hero grow and become more self-sufficient. In this step of the Departure, we see that our character isn’t sure if they are ready for such an adventure.

The refusal of the call is often used as a way for your reader to get more insight into some of your character’s weaknesses. It can also open up the character to seeing what they are missing in their life and get them a little more excited about going after it.

When writing your story, you will show your readers why your hero is reluctant to go on the journey. Why don’t they want to change? What are their fears? This step helps build your character arc, as well as builds some suspense in the story.

You also want to make sure in this step that the refusal of the call is resolved in some way. This can be through another character encouraging your hero or by realizing what they are missing out on if they don’t go on the journey.

Either way, you need to ensure this scene or chapter ends with the hero deciding to accept the challenge.

After your main character decides whether or not they want to go on this journey, we move onto Supernatural Aid.

Supernatural aid is the hero’s first experience with a mentor or teacher. While we use the term supernatural here, it does not necessarily have to be some mystical being.

It could be a random stranger giving our hero advice or someone who has been to this magical place before and knows the path. The important thing is this character is someone who will help your protagonist in their journey.

Supernatural aid helps your audience understand there will be obstacles along the way. The hero will need help. You will need a strong supporting character willing to give our main character advice on how they should proceed through their journey.

In this scene, you want to show us why you chose these characters for mentors. What qualities do they possess? Do they have experience with adventures like this? Why can they help the hero, and more importantly, why do they want to help the hero?

Once this person is introduced, we are ready for the next stage of the Hero’s Journey: Crossing the First Threshold.

Crossing the First Threshold

Crossing the first threshold is where your hero commits to going on the journey. They may have made some attempts at it before, but now they are fully committed and ready to go, even if that means leaving their comfort zone behind.

Your character will be doing something different than what they’ve done in the past, or perhaps this act will lead them into a dark and dangerous place.

For example, your hero may leave their home for the first time to go on this journey, or they are finally ready to go and confront someone who has been standing in their way of happiness.

In this 4th step of the Hero’s Journey, you want to show your reader why this is such a big change for the character.

You want to show your character scared and uncertain of what lies ahead for them while still being brave enough to continue on their journey! You don’t need to make this scene too long or spend time explaining every little detail; just put us in the headspace of your hero so we can understand what unknown dangers and fears are ahead.

Once our hero takes their first steps towards danger, we find ourselves in the Belly of the Whale.

The Belly of the Whale is the last step before the hero breaks away from their normal existence and sense of self. When someone enters this stage, they are showing that they want to change.

A typical element of the Belly of the Whale Scene is displaying a small problem or threat. These problems aren’t the major conflict of the story, but it is enough of an obstacle that we see the hero absolutely cannot go back to where they used to be and must change.

In this scene, it’s common to show a “dark night of the soul.” This is where they feel like everything in their life has been turned upside down, and things seem hopeless. Yet, they must commit to making a change and continuing on their journey in this final step of the Departure stage.

Now that we’ve covered all the steps of the Departure state let’s move onto Act 2: The Initiation.

The Initiation

The second act of our story, the Initiation, is the part where things get interesting. The character is now deeper into their journey and facing new challenges that they must overcome.

Not only are we focusing on our hero’s personal development, but our protagonist’s character traits start to change. They will be showing how they’ve become different from who they were in Act One and developing the traits needed for a successful journey.

The first scene or chapter of the Initiation stage of the Hero’s Journey is The Road of Trials. The Road of Trials is where the protagonist faces a series of tests that your hero must pass to move onto the next stage.

These trials will continue until our hero has shown they are ready for whatever is waiting ahead on their journey and have discovered what lessons they needed to learn along the way.

Usually, there is a series of 3 tests, and your hero will not ace all of them immediately. Sometimes, we will revisit the person introduced as a mentor or guiding force from Act One in these scenes, as the hero will certainly need some support in going through these trials.

In this scene, you want to make sure your reader sees how the hero experiences growth and changes. You want your reader to appreciate how far our hero has come along their journey, but there are still more experiences ahead for them!

The next step of the Initiation stage is The Meeting with the Goddess/Saviour. This is where we are introduced to someone who will give our protagonist a sense of love, peace, safety, and unity.

This character is essential because they offer our protagonist something he didn’t have before and will be the support that helps them through whatever journey lies ahead. Sometimes they appear as a love interest, but not always.

The Goddess figure is often human but could also be an animal or nature spirit. They are someone who will help your hero become whole again. They are an equal opposite of your hero.

In this scene, we want our hero to feel everything is going to be okay now. They will learn that they don’t need to face their problems alone; someone here with them understands what they are going through.

Of course, this doesn’t last forever as we move into the next chapter: Woman as the Temptress.

In this next step, the hero faces physical temptations that might cause them to be distracted from their quest. Again, it’s important to understand this does not mean you need to introduce a female character in this scene – the woman is only a metaphorical symbol.

Many things can tempt our heroes to stray from their path. It might be money, power, or fame. It could even be something as simple as food and drink. But, of course, these temptations are not meant actually to distract the protagonist from their path. Our hero must resist them to gain a greater reward at the end of this stage.

Throughout this scene, they may face several such temptations until our hero learns how to resist them and stay focused on what they really want.

The word Atonement means “reparations for a wrong or injury,” and the Father is a symbol for an authority figure in the hero’s life. Finally, the Abyss represents death or darkness.

In this scene, the hero must confront whatever it is that holds the most power over them. This could be another character or it could even be internal conflict where the hero must come face-to-face with the dark side of their personality and be willing to embrace it.

The goal of this step in the Hero’s Journey is to make your protagonist question their entire being. Only when they confront the most powerful obstacle in their path and reconcile with it can they move forward on their journey.

As with most characters, the father does not have to be an actual father or even a male figure. The important thing is this figure is a person of power and authority over the hero.

There are many ways the hero can reconcile with the father figure – they can defeat this person, win this person’s approval, or reconcile with a part of themselves that is related to the father.

This step is important because it forces your protagonist to face their biggest fears and insecurities. It gives them the opportunity and confidence boost to overcome these obstacles once and for all.

Apotheosis is another word for “the highest point of a person’s spiritual, moral or intellectual development.” It is when the protagonist transcends their humanity and becomes something more than they were before.

In this step of The Hero’s Journey, your protagonist will undergo an important change that brings them closer to being the ideal self they set out to be at the beginning.

In this stage of the Hero’s Journey, our hero learns something new about themselves that prepares them for the hardest part of their journey. This revelation gives them the necessary knowledge to complete their quest.

This step is often referred to as “the answer.” The protagonist will usually gain this new insight from a character who embodies wisdom or spiritual power, such as their mentor figure.

Now that our character has finally grown to where they need to be to accomplish their quest, they are ready for The Ultimate Boon’s next step.

The ultimate boon is the fulfillment of the purpose of the journey. This is when the hero finally achieves what they set out to accomplish.

All of the previous steps of the journey worked to this point to help the hero finally reach their goal.

In mythology, the “boon” is often something otherworldly. It could be the fountain of youth, an ancient scroll with sacred information, or a magical potion.

There are many ways to play out this step of The Hero’s Journey, so your character’s end goal will determine what the boon is.

This step of The Hero’s Journey often includes a battle with something that opposes your protagonist, such as an enemy or villain.

Our heroes might have to face their own dark side to achieve this final prize and complete their journey successfully. This could cause them to question whether or not they even want what the boon is.

When your protagonist achieves this final goal, it marks a major change in their life. Now we are ready to proceed to Act 3: The Return.

Act 3: The Return

Act Three of the Hero’s Journey often moves faster than the other acts of our story. In The Return, we see how the protagonist’s newfound knowledge and achievement of their goal affect their life and world.

This step of The Hero’s Journey is crucial because it gives us a glimpse as to what our character has learned from this journey, which is the ultimate test of whether they have truly successfully achieved their quest or not.

Let’s dive into the remaining scenes of our story.

The Refusal of the Return is when our protagonist does not want to return home after achieving their goal. They may be too frightened of what awaits them, or they may not want to give up the new life and world they have found themselves in.

Just as they were hesitant to go on the adventure in the beginning, they are also hesitant to go back.

They may be concerned with how their “boon” might affect the world – such as a magic potion or secret power that could get into the wrong hands. They may worry about what consequences they may face when they go back, or they may be afraid nothing is left for them to return to.

In some cases, our hero doesn’t want to leave because they have become comfortable with their new world and who they have become.

However, to truly finish the quest, our hero must return home. This refusal of return helps build up the tension to the final resolution of the story. This is when the reader questions whether the hero will return home – and wonders with great anticipation of what might happen when it happens.

The Magic Flight is the final conflict to the story where our protagonist must escape danger, sometimes using their newfound knowledge or boon. This is a way of symbolically proving that they have truly learned from this journey and are ready to bring it back home with them.

This part of The Hero’s Journey often involves a chase scene or battle against an opposing force. However, this is the final push necessary push they need to realize they must make the journey home because it becomes apparent they cannot stay where they are.

The Rescue From Without step of the Hero’s Journey is when the protagonist is rescued from danger by an outside source.

This outside source may be an ordinary person, or it might resemble deus ex machina, or god-like intervention, where something rescues our hero from an impossible situation, such as lightning striking that saves the day for our hero.

When you are writing the rescue scene, the circumstances of the rescue must be believable. Most people do not like the deus ex machina in writing simply because it’s too easy.

Those of us who have lived life long enough all know that a magic fairy godmother isn’t going to swoop us in, wave her wand and make all our problems disappear.

After being rescued, the hero truly has no other choice except to return home.

The Crossing of the Return Threshold is when our protagonist finally returns home after completing their adventure and achieving their goal.

This is the part of The Hero’s Journey where we see what they have learned from this journey and how it affects them.

In this story scene, you will want to answer the following questions: How has the hero changed from their journey? How is their old world different from when they left? How do they acclimate to being back home? Finally, how do others react to their return?

This is the part of The Hero’s Journey where our protagonist has reached their full potential. They have overcome their fears and grown in ways they could never have imagined.

They are a new person and have been forever changed by what they’ve experienced. Yet, it allows them to go back into society with heightened wisdom, power, skills, or resources that will help others in need when called upon again.

In this scene, we see the hero apply their knowledge and share it with the world.

After our hero has conquered all of their fears and has put their wisdom to good use, the hero finally has the freedom to do anything they want.

This is the resolution of our story – we see our heroes accomplish their “happily ever after.” Their fears or concerns no longer control them, and nothing exists between them and what they want.

More often than not, this closing chapter of the story gives the reader some closure. We want some type of affirmation that the story is truly complete. We get a glimpse of what our protagonist will do with their life now that they are free to live it.

If you’re looking for a story structure that is proven and effective, the Hero’s Journey might be perfect for you. With 17 stages of development, it will help you create an engaging plot with your readers and develop strong characters .

And of course, while the Hero’s Journey is the classic beat sheet for writers, remember you don’t always have to dedicate one chapter to each step. Sometimes you can combine 2-3 steps in one scene, while other steps might take several chapters to cover.

The important thing is you now know the Hero’s Journey! We hope this is helpful for you – whether you are writing your own novel or studying the Hero’s Journey arc in literature. Most of all, we hope that by breaking down each step of the Hero’s Journey, you can better understand all of it.

Do you have any thoughts or questions on the Hero’s Journey? We’d love to hear from you in the comments section below!

Chelle Stein wrote her first embarrassingly bad novel at the age of 14 and hasn't stopped writing since. As the founder of ThinkWritten, she enjoys encouraging writers and creatives of all types.

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So if you’re writing an epic fantasy that will be a series, are these 17 steps strung out across the entire series, or redone in each book?

Thank you for such a helpful article. This has helped me fill in a glaring hole in my novel outline and shown me what was missing. I’m really grateful for this advice.

Glad it was helpful for you Laura!

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Home / Book Writing / The Hero’s Journey: The 12 Steps of Mythic Structure

The Hero’s Journey: The 12 Steps of Mythic Structure

The Hero’s Journey plot structure is a common template for writing a compelling story. It also has a built-in character arc for the hero or heroine. Whether you write detailed outlines before getting into any prose, or you think writing is best done without an outline, the Hero’s Journey can help. Many writers fall somewhere in between, keeping in mind the broad strokes of a plot structure like the Hero’s Journey as they write. 

Now, before you roll up your sleeves and get started with plotting your brand new idea, make sure it's viable to become a bestseller. Take just a few minutes to use book idea validation – without it, your book risks obscurity after it's published. If you have already written your book with a structure like the Hero's Journey and are looking to increase your sales, read how to make your book #1 on Amazon so you don't miss out on new readers.

One thing’s for sure: learning the twelve steps of the Hero’s Journey can only help your writing. This is why I recommend Plottr as an excellent tool to strengthen your writing. They have the Hero’s Journey and other well-known story archetypes to choose from so you can find one that best fits your particular story. 

More on Plottr later. For now, let’s go on an adventure through the Hero’s Journey!

• The origins of the Hero’s Journey
• The 12 Steps of the Journey
• Examples of the Hero’s Journey
• How to incorporate this story structure into your writing

Table of contents

• What is the Hero’s Journey?
• The Hero’s Journey: An Overview
• 1. The Ordinary World
• 2. The Call to Adventure
• 3. Refusing the Call to Adventure
• 4. Meeting the Mentor
• 5. Crossing the Threshold
• 6. Test, Allies, and Enemies
• 7. Approach to the Inmost Cave
• 8. The Ordeal
• 9. The Reward
• 10. The Road Back
• 11. Resurrection
• 12. Return With the Elixir
• Star Wars: A New Hope
• The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
• The Hunger Games
• Bonus Option: Use the Hero's Journey in a Series
• What Stories Work With the Hero’s Journey?

Get it for FREE here: Get the PDF Here

Popularized by mythologist Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero With a Thousand Faces , the Hero’s Journey is a story structure that has been used to tell exciting and captivating stories for centuries. Campbell, a literature professor, found that this was a common mythic structure. It’s widely known by the moniker the Hero’s Journey, but this name didn’t come around until well after Campbell’s 1949 book.

Campbell’s name for it was the monomyth. 

Other scholars and storytellers have made tweaks to Campbell’s original monomyth structure, which has seventeen steps instead of the twelve I’ll be discussing today. The version of the Hero’s Journey widely used by screenwriters, authors, and playwrights today was popularized by screenwriter and producer Christopher Vogler .

You can apply this story structure to mythology, films, books, and even short stories.

There are three overall stages to the Hero’s Journey, each with individual story beats. These are 1) Departure, 2) Initiation, and 3) Return.

• The Ordinary World
• The Call to Adventure
• Refusing the Call to Adventure
• Meeting the Mentor
• Crossing the Threshold
• Test, Allies, and Enemies
• Approach to the Inmost Cave
• The Road Back
• Resurrection
• Return With the Elixir

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The Twelve Stages of the Hero’s Journey

Each of the twelve steps has its own story beats that happen. As we finish each stage, we’ll reflect on each story beat with an example from a famous movie. 

The first step in the Hero’s Journey is your chance to familiarize the reader with the known world in which your story happens. This means giving the reader what they need to know to make sense of the world (otherwise known as exposition ). If your story takes place in a reality much like our own, you won’t have a lot to do. But if magic and mythical beasts are normal, or it’s far into the future and interstellar travel is possible, you’ll have a bit more work to do here.  If you're having trouble picking which type of world is best for your book, research popular keywords in your genre to reveal settings that readers find interesting.

While you introduce the world, you’ll want to introduce the main character(s) as well. And in doing so, it’s important to give the reader a reason to like him, her, or them . While the protagonist is in their normal, ordinary world, they should want something more or different. And this want or need should dovetail nicely with the primary conflict of the story. 

• Introduce the world and the character in an interesting way. Readers will give you some leeway at the beginning of the book, but if it reads like a textbook, you’ll lose them pretty quickly!
• Give the character personality and dimension . Needs, wants, flaws, and characteristics don’t all have to come out right away, but there should be enough for the reader to want to follow the hero through the story. 

Tip: This first step should take the first 10-12% of the story. 

Step two, the call to adventure, is also called the inciting incident. This is something disruptive that pulls the hero out of their ordinary world and toward a journey that will ultimately change their life . . . if they survive. 

This call propels the rest of the story forward , so it should be exciting enough for the reader to want to continue with the story. This will change from genre to genre, so it’s important to know the tropes of whatever genre you’re writing in.  On Amazon, there are thousands of genre categories to choose from, so research potential category options to better understand your market.

• Most heroes will resist this initial call to action. The stakes should be very real and clear to the reader at this point. In many stories, the stakes will be life or death.
• Remember that your story needs to grow in intensity until it peaks at the climax. So the call to action should be dramatic, but things will get worse for the protagonist from here.

Tip: The Call To Adventure should happen around the 12% mark.  

Not every protagonist will refuse the call. Some may be ready to go. But if you pay attention to some of your favorite stories, you’ll likely see that most heroes ‌resist initially until ‌they have no choice. 

Something should happen to make a refusing hero realize that they have no choice but to take on the challenge presented to them. For every refusal, some incident or information should come out that will raise the stakes and make the hero realize they must face the challenge . The hero ventures forth at the end of this section.

• It’s good to have the character refuse the call for a reason that ties in with the need or want established in the first step of the Hero’s Journey. 
• Give them a good reason to refuse — and an even better reason to finally heed the call to adventure. 

Tip: The refusal section starts around the 15% mark of the story.  

At this point in the story, the protagonist has responded to the call to adventure. But their initial unease is still there. They don’t yet have the skills, items, or knowledge to succeed against such a challenge. This is where the mentor comes in. 

The mentor helps the protagonist gain the confidence needed to continue on the journey. This is usually done in a multifaceted manner, with both physical and mental help. Much of the time, the mentor provides tough love, kicking the protagonist’s butt into action, so to speak. While mentors are often people, they can also take the form of information, like a map, a magic scepter, or any other number of things that help the hero along. 

• Make it clear that, without the mentor, the protagonist would likely fall flat were they to continue on unaided. 
• The hero’s time with the mentor should ultimately result in a revelation , giving the hero exactly what they need (or at least what they think they need) to face the antagonist or challenge. 

Tip: Have this section start around the 20% mark of the story.

Step five of the Hero’s Journey is often called the point of no return. While the protagonist has learned from the mentor and gained confidence, this story beat forces them to engage fully with the challenge. Usually, this dramatic turning point is orchestrated by the antagonist, giving both the reader and the protagonist an idea of how powerful the villain really is.

One common tactic is to have the mentor killed in this section. Whatever you choose to do, make it pivotal and have it reinforce the central theme and conflict of the story . This is also the end of the Departure section, otherwise known as the first act. 

• Until this point, the hero has had one foot in their ordinary world. Now, there’s no choice but to go forward into unknown territory, otherwise called the special world. 
• The hero’s reaction to this pivotal story beat should be in line with what the reader knows about them. They need to work for any major changes that come about in this section. 

Tip: Crossing the Threshold usually starts around the 25% mark. 

This section marks the beginning of the second act. Building on everything that has come before, the protagonist should be challenged, putting their new abilities and knowledge to the test. It will become clear that the hero still needs help to resolve the main conflict of the story. This is where allies come into play. By teaming up with allies, the hero should continue to grow, playing off the other characters and working to overcome the tests or setbacks in the Special World. 

Enemies are those that put the tests in their place, working actively against the hero and allies. The reader should learn to care about the allies, which ‌means making them multifaceted characters. By the time this section is done, not all allies will have made it. Some may have even betrayed the hero. Likewise, enemies can also transform in this section, turning into allies. 

• While the allies may want the same thing as the hero, they may have conflicting views on how to get it. Everyone in agreement all the time makes for a boring story. 
• The hero’s abilities should be in doubt — both by the hero and the reader. 

Tip: This section occurs around the 30% mark. 

The approach to the inmost cave section gives the characters (and reader) a chance to reflect on the challenges of the previous section. Remember that the stakes and tension need to continue rising, so the previous section should have been the hardest challenge yet. The hero and allies are beaten and bruised — maybe one or more has died along the way — but the protagonist is still alive. The journey continues. 

The group is closer to the goal — and to the place or time of ultimate danger. They’re regrouping and gathering their wits as they prepare to face the antagonist or some of the villain’s formidable forces.

• This is a good place for the characters to formulate a plan of attack, clarifying the price of failure and the prize for success. 
• At this point, the hero has redoubled his effort and believes he is ready to face the challenge, despite his setbacks. The ordinary world is now far behind and impossible to get back to. The only way out is through. 

Tip: This section happens around the 40% mark. 

The ordeal is the biggest test yet and a transformative event that affects how the hero goes forward on their journey. This confrontation has the highest stakes so far, and it’s part of the central conflict. It brings the hero to their darkest point yet, and results in a metamorphosis of sorts that allows them to push through to the other side. 

Campbell spoke of the ordeal in terms of death and rebirth for the protagonist. The hero uses all they have learned up to this point to push through the ordeal. A character close to the hero is often killed in this section, whether it be the mentor, a close ally, or a loved one. However, it’s not always a death. It could involve facing fears, going up against the biggest foe, or breaking through some seemingly insurmountable mental barrier. Whatever form the ordeal takes, the hero is broken down and comes out the other side stronger than before . 

• This section is a long one, taking nearly a fifth of the story. It should be dramatic, compelling, and speak directly to the heart of both the external and internal conflicts of the story.
• Don’t be afraid to make things hard on your characters in this section. Even though the reader knows the hero will prevail, they should be left wondering in this section. 

Tip: The Ordeal takes place from around the 50% mark. 

Also called seizing the sword, this is the section in which the hero gets whatever they were searching for during the story. They’ve made it through the ordeal, and this is the reward. It can be an object, clarity, knowledge, or new skills/abilities. Whatever the reward is, it needs to be important in defeating the antagonist at the coming climax . 

After the action and emotion of the ordeal, this section is a place for the reader and characters to regroup and catch their breath again. It can be a good place for a celebration of sorts, something to show for the sacrifices made so far. The hero may even reflect on all it took to get here. 

• It should be clear to the reader how the reward will help the hero to finish the journey.
• This is a major milestone in the journey and should be treated as such. It also marks the end of act two.  

Tip: The Reward section takes place around the 70% mark of the story. 

Reward firmly in hand, the hero starts the journey back to the ordinary world. But every action has consequences, and those of claiming the reward block the hero’s road back. It becomes clear that things aren’t so simple, and the hero’s tribulations aren’t yet over. 

The unforeseen consequences of claiming the reward make the hero realize they’re in more danger than ever before, and they must face the antagonist head-on before returning to the ordinary world. The hero prepares for the ultimate battle — the climax. 

• It should be clear to the reader why the hero must face the antagonist once and for all. There should be no choice, given who the hero has become and the stakes they now face. 
• This is a good place to re-establish the central conflict of the story and make clear the results of failure. 

Tip: This section happens around the 75% mark. 

This is the climax of the story — the ultimate showdown between hero and villain . The tension and the stakes are higher than they’ve been throughout the story. If the hero fails, the world as they know it will be forever changed for the worst. The hero uses all they have learned on the journey to defeat the antagonist. 

The hero comes out of the confrontation changed, transformed into a true hero. This should be a dramatic transformation, completing the resurrection started earlier in the story. 

• Like every other challenge, the hero needs to earn this victory by sacrificing something for it. In some stories, the hero may even sacrifice him or herself.
• By vanquishing the antagonist, the hero should find the strength or gain the knowledge to address their internal conflict in a satisfactory manner. 

Tip: This section happens around the 85% mark .  

The last section of the story details the hero’s return from the special world to the ordinary world. Sometimes called the magic flight, the hero now has changed for the better. Show what new skills, items, knowledge, or understanding of the world the hero brings with them (the elixir). This “elixir” can often be used to help those the hero left behind in the ordinary world. 

In most stories, the hero will return to celebration. They’ve risked it all, saved lives, and learned important lessons. The people in the ordinary world are happy to have them back. The hero may decide to settle back into this world to use their newfound abilities. Or they may find they’ve outgrown it and have a taste for adventure.

• Re-establish the hero’s internal conflict and show how solving it has changed their view and life, completing the character arc . 
• If you’re writing a series, provide a hook for the next story here by hinting at another conflict the hero will need to deal with. 

Tip: This section happens around the 95% mark and finishes out the story! 

Examples of the Hero’s Journey from Famous Works

In George Lucas's Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope , we can see the Hero's Journey in action. We also see it in The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring and The Hunger Games . Let’s take a look now.

• Luke Skywalker — an archetypal hero — in his Ordinary World, living with his aunt and uncle, hoping for adventure. 
• Luke’s Call to Adventure comes when he activates a hidden message from Princess Leia that R2D2 is carrying for Obi-Wan Kenobi. 
• Luke initially Refuses the Call — until he returns home to discover his aunt and uncle have been killed by Imperial forces.
• While Luke has already met his Mentor (Obi-Wan), the active mentoring really starts after Luke's home has been destroyed and the only family he's ever known killed.
• When Luke, Obi-Wan, and the droids step into the dangerous Mos Eisley Spaceport, it signifies the beginning of Luke's heroic journey and the Crossing of the Threshold. 
• Luke and Obi-Wan hire a couple of Allies, Han Solo and Chewbacca, to transport them off the planet. Once on the Millennium Falcon, Luke's Tests begin. 
• The Approach to the Inmost Cave happens when the Death Star captures the Falcon in a tractor beam and pulls them in. 
• The Ordeal happens while Obi-Wan goes off to try and disengage the tractor beam. Luke, Han, and the others rescue Princess Leia. Obi-Wan confronts Darth Vader and sacrifices himself so the others can get away. 
• With the Rewards (the Death Star plans and the princess), Luke thinks he should be able to defeat the Empire. And while Obi-Wan's death weighs on him, he can see success ahead.
• The Road Back is interrupted as the Falcon is attacked. They have no choice but to go to the Rebel base to deliver the Death Star plans, even though they’re being tracked.
• As the Rebels are attacking the Death Star, Obi-Wan's voice speaks to Luke, telling him to use the Force. Luke does, using all that he's learned and finally “sacrificing” his old self, embracing the Force and “Resurrecting” as a true hero. He fires and blows up the Death Star.  
• Luke Returns to the Rebel base triumphant. Both he and Han Solo receive medals and accolades for delivering the (temporary) blow to the evil Empire.
• We get to see Frodo’s idyllic Ordinary World in the Shire. The idea of adventure is attractive to him, but not overly so.  
• Frodo’s Call to Adventure begins after Bilbo disappears, leaving behind the Ring, which Gandalf entrusts to young Frodo. 
• Frodo Refuses the Call not just once, but repeatedly throughout the story. He feels he is not the one to be entrusted with such a job of carrying and disposing of the Ring. 
• Gandalf acts as Frodo’s Mentor, instructing him on what he must do to protect the Ring and, in so doing, protecting the Shire. 
• Frodo and Sam quite literally Cross the Threshold as they leave the Shire after splitting from Gandalf. 
• Frodo and Sam run into Allies Merry and Pippin on their way toward Bree. They are also Tested by Enemies as they’re pursued by the Nazgûl. These tests continue until the group gets to Rivendell. 
• The Approach to the Inmost Cave is the group’s approach to the Mines of Moria — literal caves. 
• The Ordeal happens inside the Mines of Moria as the group is attacked by orcs and then Balrog, which Gandalf fights off, falling down into the depths and presumed dead. 
• The Reward is sparse in The Fellowship of the Rings. Gandalf is gone, and the group escapes with their lives. 
• The Road Back isn’t signified in this story by a turn back to the Ordinary World. Instead, it’s Frodo’s stay in Lothlórien, where he sees the stakes of his failure in a vision. 
• The Resurrection is the climax of the story, where the Uruk-hai catch up with the group and Boromir betrays Frodo, trying to take the ring from him. Frodo realizes he must travel alone to Mordor. 
• The Return with the Elixir portion is Sam’s refusal to let Frodo journey alone. Frodo pulls him into the boat and they cross the river together. Meanwhile, the rest of the Fellowship are determined to save Merry and Pippin. To be continued . . . 
• We see Katniss Everdeen living in her Ordinary World (District 12) with her mother and sister. It’s a bleak, depressing world, but it’s her Ordinary World nonetheless.
• After Prim, Katniss’s sister is called for Tribute, Katniss volunteers in her stead. This is the Call to Adventure. 
• This is one example of a story with no real Refusal of the Call. She may not want to take part in the Hunger Games, but she makes the decision and sticks with it to save her sister. 
• Katniss meets Haymitch, her Mentor. Though a drunk, he guides her on the politics and gives her tips on surviving the Games. 
• Katniss Crosses the Threshold when she’s put on the train to the capital, leaving her Ordinary World behind.
• The Tests, Enemies, and Allies section starts when she has to navigate the preparation for the Games. She meets Rue and has Peeta as an ally, as well. The Careers are clearly enemies to contend with later. 
• Katniss Approaches the Inmost Cave when the Hunger Games begin. 
• The Ordeal is plain to see as the Games commence, and Katniss struggles to stay alive amid the chaos. 
• The Reward comes when only Katniss and Peeta are left alive in the arena. They don’t have to fight, thanks to a rule change; they can both claim victory. 
• It looks good for Katniss and Peeta until the Capital changes the rules again, putting an obstacle in the path of the Road Back. Suddenly, they’re forced to decide which of them gets to live. 
• The Resurrection portion of the story plays out as Katniss and Peeta threaten to kill themselves, leaving no winner and possibly sowing the seeds of revolution. The Capital changes the rules again, allowing both of them to claim victory. 
• Katniss gets to live, Returning from the Games as a hero. One who just may be able to make some real change to her Ordinary World.  

Let's say you want to think big. Like a 12 book series big. One little fun way that I use the Hero's Journey is to use each of the 12 steps to represent an entire book as a whole. You could also condense this into 6 books, 3 books, etc.

For example, the original Star Wars trilogy does a fantastic job of fitting the hero's journey not only into the first movie (A New Hope) but also into the trilogy as a whole. The first movie could easily represent the first four steps of the hero's journey from a macro-perspective (as well as covering all 12 within its self-contained plot), with The Empire Strikes Back covering steps 5-8, and Return of the Jedi covering steps 9-12.

Seriously though, the OG Star Wars trilogy is a masterclass in plotting, you guys.

In other words, the Hero's Journey doesn't have to be used just for a single novel, it can be a great way to progress your character from a more zoomed out perspective through an entire series.

Now that you know what to look for, think about some of your favorite stories. See if you can see the beats of the Hero's Journey in them. From Harry Potter and Toy Story to the Lion King and The Hunger Games , you'll find evidence of this story structure.

Its uses aren't just for adventure stories, though. With a little tweaking, a sweet romance story could also follow this template pretty closely. The point of the Hero’s Journey plot template isn’t to lock you into a formula that you can’t deviate from. Instead, it’s a tool that can guide you along. When you know the tropes of your genre, you can marry them with the major beats of the Hero’s Journey to come up with a novel readers will love . Remember, however, that writing an incredible novel is only part of the battle to find loyal readers- it's also important to have a strong marketing strategy so people can actually discover your book, as outlined in my free e-book on how to become an Amazon bestseller.

To make story beats easier, I recommend giving Plottr a try. It’s a great storytelling tool for writers that can help keep you on track using structures like the Hero’s Journey, Dan Harmon’s Story Circle , the Three Act Structure , and more. 

Dave Chesson

When I’m not sipping tea with princesses or lightsaber dueling with little Jedi, I’m a book marketing nut. Having consulted multiple publishing companies and NYT best-selling authors, I created Kindlepreneur to help authors sell more books. I’ve even been called “The Kindlepreneur” by Amazon publicly, and I’m here to help you with your author journey.

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A Practical Guide to Joseph Campbell and the Hero’s Journey

OVERVIEW: What are the hero’s journey steps? That is, what’s the psychological process we go through that can lead to inner transformation? This guide answers these questions.

______________

Treasure, love, reward, approval, honor, status, freedom, and survival … these are some of the many things associated with the hero’s journey.

However, we don’t find the meaning of the hero’s journey in slaying the dragon or saving the princess.

These are but colorful metaphors and symbols for a more significant purpose.

Battling inner and outer demons, confronting bullies, and courting your ideal mate symbolize a passage through the often treacherous path of self-discovery toward adulthood.

If you complete one of these “adventures,” you’re different. Sometimes visually, but always internally.

Here, we’ll explore the meaning of the hero’s journey steps and see how it applies to psychological development and our ability to actualize our potential.

Let’s dive in …

What is the Hero’s Journey?

The hero’s journey refers to a common motif, or set of patterns, found in many ancient mythologies around the world.

The hero’s journey steps are said to be universal and found throughout recorded history.

The popularization of the hero’s journey is attributed to the late mythologist Joseph Campbell.

These stages lead an individual (the would-be hero) through a challenging process of change that often includes great hardships.

This well-known story structure is used in many modern films and storytelling. However, the true meaning of the hero’s journey motif is psychological in origin.

What is the Monomyth?

Joseph Campbell was a curious mythologist. In the field of comparative mythology, most scholars examine how one culture’s myths are different than another.

Instead of focusing on the many differences between cultural myths and religious stories, however, Campbell did the opposite: He looked for the similarities.

His studies resulted in what’s called the monomyth . The monomyth is a universal story structure.

Essentially, it’s a story template that takes a character through a sequence of stages. Campbell began identifying the patterns of this monomyth (the hero’s journey steps).

Over and over again, he was amazed to find this structure in the cultures he studied. He also observed the same sequence in many religions including the stories of Gautama Buddha, Moses, and Jesus Christ.

Campbell outlined the stages of the monomyth in his classic book  The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949).

What is the Hero?

The main character in the monomyth is the hero .

The hero isn’t a person, but an archetype —a set of universal images combined with specific patterns of behavior.

Think of a protagonist from your favorite film. He or she represents the hero.

The storyline of the film enacts the hero’s journey.

The Hero archetype resides in the psyche of every individual, which is one of the primary reasons we love hearing and watching stories.

What is a Myth?

We might ask, why explore the hero’s journey steps?

Sure, Hollywood uses it as their dominant story structure for its films (more on that later). But what relevance does it have for us as individuals?

Today, when we speak of “myth,” we refer to something that’s commonly believed, but untrue.

Myth, for minds like Campbell and Carl Jung however, had a much deeper meaning. Myths, for them, represent dreams of the collective psyche .

That is, in understanding the symbolic meaning of a myth, you come to know the psychological undercurrent—including hidden motivations , tensions, and desires—of the people and culture.

What is the Power of Myth?

Campbell explains to Bill Moyer in The Power of Myth : 1 Joseph Campbell, The Power of Myth , 1991, 193.

Mythology is not a lie, mythology is poetry, it is metaphorical. It has been well said that mythology is the penultimate truth–penultimate because the ultimate cannot be put into words. It is beyond words. Beyond images, beyond that bounding rim of the Buddhist Wheel of Becoming. Mythology pitches the mind beyond that rim, to what can be known but not told.

As Campbell eloquently puts it in The Hero with a Thousand Faces ,

Mythology is psychology misread as biography, history, and cosmology.

Because the hero’s journey steps represent a monomyth that we can observe in most, if not all, cultures, it represents a process that is relevant to the entire human family .

What is this Process Within the Hero’s Journey?

It’s the process of personal transformation from an innocent child into a mature adult.

The child is born into a set of rules and beliefs of a group of people.

Through the child’s heroic efforts, he must break free from these conventions (transcend them) to discover himself.

In the process, the individual returns to his soul.

If we think of the hero’s journey as a roadmap for self-development, it can hold a lot of value for us.

A Quick Note About Gender: Masculine vs Feminine

This psychological decoding is based on a “Jungian” understanding of the psyche.

The hero is ultimately a masculine archetype. The female counterpart would be the heroine. While the hero and the heroine certainly share many attributes, they are not the same.

Similarly, the hero’s journey is predominantly a process of development for the masculine psyche. The hero archetype is associated with autonomy, building structure, and learning about limitations, which are qualities associated with masculine energy.

However, note that “masculine” and “feminine” are not the same as “man” and “woman.” The psyche of a man has a feminine counterpart—what Jung called the anima . The psyche of a woman has a masculine archetype called the animus . For this reason, the hero’s journey does have universal relevance.

While Western culture seems riddled with gender confusion, there are distinct differences between the feminine and masculine psyche .

Okay, now back to our story …

The 3 Main Stages of the Hero’s Journey

Okay, so now let’s begin to break down the structure and sequence of the hero’s journey.

As Campbell explains:

The usual hero adventure begins with someone from whom something has been taken, or who feels there is something lacking in the normal experience available or permitted to the members of society. The person then takes off on a series of adventures beyond the ordinary, either to recover what has been lost or to discover some life-giving elixir. It’s usually a cycle, a coming and a returning.

This cycle of coming and returning has 3 clear stages:

Stage 1: Departure

Campbell called the initial stage departure or the call to adventure . The hero departs from the world he knows.

Luke Skywalker leaves his home planet to join Obi-Wan to save the princess. Neo gets unplugged from The Matrix with the help of Morpheus and his crew.

In the Departure stage, you leave the safety of the world you know and enter the unknown.

Campbell writes of this stage in The Hero with a Thousand Faces :

This first step of the mythological journey—which we have designated the “call to adventure”—signifies that destiny has summoned the hero and transferred his spiritual center of gravity from within the pale of his society to a zone unknown.

That is, the hero must leave the known “conventional world” and enter a “special world” that is foreign.

Stage 2: Initiation

Now the hero must face a series of trials and tribulations. The hero’s journey isn’t safe.

The hero is tested in battle, skill, and conflict. He may not succeed in each action but must press on.

The protagonist will meet allies, enemies, and mentors with supernatural aid throughout the initiation stage.

Stage 3: Return

Having endured the trials and hardships of the adventure, the hero returns home.

But the hero is no longer the same. An internal transformation has taken place through the maturation process of the experience.

Luke is now a Jedi and has come to peace with his past. Neo embraces his destiny and liberates himself from the conventions of The Matrix.

The Hero’s Journey in Drama

In Three Uses of a Knife , famed playwright David Mamet suggests a similar three-act structure for plays and dramas: 2 David Mamet, Three Uses of the Knife: On the Nature and Purpose of Drama , 2000.

Act 1: Thesis . The drama presents life as it is for the protagonist. The ordinary world.

Act 2: Antithesis . The protagonist faces opposing forces that send him into an upheaval (disharmony).

Act 3: Synthesis . The protagonist attempts to integrate the old life with the new one.

We note that problems, challenges, and upheavals are the defining characteristic of this journey.

Without problems, the path toward growth is usually left behind. (More on this topic below.)

Assessing Your Place in the Hero’s Journey

Before we explore the stages of the monomyth more closely, let’s look at what these three phases reveal about self-mastery and psychological development.

Stage 1 represents our comfort zone. We feel safe here because it is known to us.

Stages 2 and 3, however, represent the unknown . Embracing the unknown means letting go of safety.

Abraham Maslow points out that we are confronted with an ongoing series of choices throughout life between safety and growth, dependence and independence, regression and progression, immaturity and maturity.

Maslow writes in Toward a Psychology of Being : 3 Abraham Maslow, Toward a Psychology of Being , 2014.

We grow forward when the delights of growth and anxieties of safety are greater than the anxieties of growth and the delights of safety.

Is it now clear why so many of us refuse the call to adventure?

We cling to the safety of the known instead of embracing the “delight of growth” that only comes from the unknown.

Campbell’s 17 Stages of the Hero’s Journey

Joseph Campbell didn’t just outline three stages of the monomyth. In The Hero with a Thousand Faces , he deconstructs every step along the journey.

The stages of the hero’s journey are the common sequence of events that occurred in the monomyth motif.

Technically speaking, Campbell outlined 17 stages in his The Hero with a Thousand Faces:

• 1: The Call to Adventure
• 2: Refusal of the Call
• 3: Supernatural Aid
• 4: The Crossing of the First Threshold
• 5: Belly of the Whale
• 6: The Road of Trials
• 7: The Meeting with the Goddess
• 8: Woman as the Temptress
• 9: Atonement with the Father
• 10: Apotheosis
• 11: The Ultimate Boon
• 12: Refusal of the Return
• 13: The Magic Flight
• 14: Rescue from Without
• 15: The Crossing of the Return Threshold
• 16: Master of the Two Worlds
• 17: Freedom to Live

These 17 stages or hero’s journey steps can be found globally in the myths and legends throughout recorded history.

The Modified 12 Hero’s Journey Steps

Now, let’s review these stages of the hero’s journey in more detail.

I’m going to outline these steps below using a slightly simplified version from Christopher Vogler’s The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers .

Vogler’s model, which is used throughout Hollywood, only has 12 steps (compared to 17), and I think it does a solid job of keeping the essence of Campbell’s monomyth structure intact.

As you read these hero’s journey steps, see if you can determine how they apply to your development.

Step 1: The Ordinary World

Before a would-be hero can enter the special world, he must first live in the ordinary world.

The ordinary world is different for each of us—it represents our norms, customs, conditioned beliefs, and behaviors. The ordinary world is sometimes referred to as the “conventional world.”

In The Hobbit , the ordinary world is the Shire where Bilbo Baggins lives with all the other Hobbits—gardening, eating and celebrating—living a simple life.

Novelist J.R.R. Tolkien contrasts this life in the Shire with the special world of wizards, warriors, men, elves, dwarfs, and evil forces on the brink of world war.

Step 2: The Call to Adventure

The first hero’s journey step is the call to adventure.

The call to adventure marks a transition from the ordinary world to the special world. The hero is introduced to his quest of great consequence.

Obi-Wan said to Luke, “You must come with me to Alderaan.” That is, Luke is invited to leave the ordinary world of his aunt and uncle’s farm life and go on an adventure with a Jedi knight.

Joseph Campbell explains: 4 Joseph Campbell, The Hero’s Journey: Joseph Campbell On His Life And Work , 1990.

The call to adventure signifies that destiny has summoned the hero and transferred his spiritual center of gravity from within the pale of this society to a zone unknown.

Step 3: Refusal of the Call

Fear of change as well as death, however, often leads the hero to refuse the call to adventure .

The ordinary world represents our comfort zone; the special world signifies the unknown.

Luke Skywalker immediately responds to Obi-Wan, “I can’t go with you,” citing his chores and responsibilities at home.

Step 4: Meeting the Mentor

Campbell called this archetype the “mentor with supernatural aid.”

Generally, at an early stage of the adventure, the hero is graced by the presence of a wise sage . Personified in stories as a magical counselor , a reclusive hermit, or a wise leader, the mentor’s role is to help guide the hero.

Think Obi-Wan, Yoda, Gandalf, Morpheus, or Dumbledore. Sometimes cloaked in mystery and secret language, a mentor manifests when the hero is ready.

Sadly, our modern world is depleted of wise elders or shamans who can effectively bless the younger generation. (A topic for a different day.) For most of us, it is best to seek wise counsel from your inner guide , the Self within.

Step 5: Cross the First Threshold

The hero resists change initially but is ultimately forced to make a critical decision: embark on the adventure or forever remain in the ordinary world with its illusion of security.

Although Luke refuses the call to adventure initially, when he returns home to see his aunt and uncle dead, he immediately agrees to go with Obi-Wan. He crossed the first threshold.

In one sense, the first threshold is the point of no return. Once the hero shoots across the unstable suspension bridge, it bursts into flames.

There’s no turning back, at least, not how he came.

The first threshold can mark a major decision in our personal lives:

• “I’m going to travel around the globe.”
• “I’m going to transform my physical health.”
• “I am going to write a book.”
• “I’m going to master the flute.”
• “I’m going to realize my true nature.”

This first breakthrough is a feat within itself; however, it is only the first of many turning points.

Step 6: Tests, Allies, Enemies

Along the hero’s journey, the main character encounters many obstacles and allies.

Luke meets Obiwan (mentor), Han Solo, Princess Leia, and the rebel alliance while fighting many foes. Neo meets Morpheus (mentor), Trinity, and the rest of the Nebuchadnezzar crew while having to fight Agents in a strange world.

Some people may try to stop you along your quest—possibly saying you’re unreasonable or unrealistic. These “dream-stoppers” are often cleverly masked as friends and family who appear to have positive intentions but hinder your development nonetheless.

Your ability to identify obstructions on your path and align with support along your adventure is critical to your adventure.

Unfortunately, because few complete their hero’s journey to mature adulthood, most people will unconsciously attempt to sabotage yours.

Step 7: Approach to the Inmost Cave

The next significant threshold is often more treacherous than the first.

Entering the villain’s castle or the evil billionaire’s mansion, this second major decision usually puts the hero at significant physical and psychological risks.

Neo decides to go save Morpheus who’s being held in a building filled with Agents.

Within the walls of the innermost cave lies the cornerstone of the special world where the hero closes in on his objective.

For a man, the innermost cave represents the Mother Complex, a regressive part of him that seeks to return to the safety of the mother. 5 Robert Johnson, He: Understanding Masculine Psychology, 1989.  When a man seeks safety and comfort—when he demands pampering—it means he’s engulfed within the innermost cave.

For a woman, the innermost cave often represents learning how to surrender to the healing power of nurturance—to heal the handless maiden. 6 Robert Johnson, The Fisher King and the Handless Maiden: Understanding the Wounded Feeling Function in Masculine and Feminine Psychology , 1995.

Step 8: Ordeal

No worthwhile adventure is easy. There are many perils on the path to growth, self-discovery , and self-realization.

A major obstacle confronts the hero, and the future begins to look dim: a trap, a mental imprisonment, or imminent defeat on the battlefield.

It seems like the adventure will come to a sad conclusion, as all hope appears lost. But hope remains and it is in these moments of despair when the hero must access a hidden part of himself—one more micron of energy, strength, faith, or creativity to find his way out of the belly of the beast.

Neo confronts Agent Smith in the subway station—something that was never done before. The hero must call on an inner power he doesn’t know he possesses.

Step 9: Reward

Having defeated the enemy and slain the dragon, the hero receives the prize. Pulling the metaphorical sword from the stone, the hero achieves the objective he set out to complete.

Whether the reward is monetary, physical, romantic, or spiritual, the hero transforms. Usually, the initial prize sought by the hero is physical—the sword in the stone or a physical treasure of some kind.

Step 10: The Road Back

Alas, the adventure isn’t over yet. There usually needs to be one last push to return home. Now the hero must return to the world from which he came with the sacred elixir.

Challenges still lie ahead in the form of villains, roadblocks, and inner demons. The hero must deal with whatever issues were left unresolved at this stage of the journey.

Taking moral inventory, examining the Shadow , and performing constant self-inquiry help the hero identify weaknesses and blindspots that will later play against him.

Step 11:  Resurrection

Before returning home—before the adventure is over—there’s often one more unsuspected, unforeseen ordeal.

This final threshold, which may be more difficult than the prior moment of despair, provides one last test to solidify the growth of the hero. This threshold represents the final climax.

Neo is shot and killed by Agent Smith. And, he literally resurrects to confront the enemy one last time following his transformation.

The uncertain Luke Skywalker takes that “one in a million” shot from his X-Wing to destroy the Death Star.

Step 12: Return with the Elixir

Often, the prize the hero initially sought (in Step 9) becomes secondary as a result of the personal transformation he undergoes.

Perhaps the original quest was financially driven , but now the hero takes greater satisfaction in serving others in need. The real change is always internal .

In this final stage, the hero can become the master of both worlds , with the freedom to live and grow, impacting all of humanity.

Returning with the prize, the hero’s experience of reality is different. The person is no longer an innocent child or adolescent seeking excitement or adventure.

Comfortable in his own skin, he has evolved and is now capable of handling the demands and challenges of everyday life.

The Hero’s Journey in Films

Are you now more aware of how these hero’s journey steps play out in popular films and television series?

George Lucas was friends with Joseph Campbell. Lucas used these hero’s journey steps from Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces to produce the original Star Wars film. 7 https://billmoyers.com/content/mythology-of-star-wars-george-lucas/

It’s difficult to appreciate the impact Star Wars still has on American culture and around the world. It’s even more difficult to articulate how much of that impact is attributed to Campbell’s insights.

However, one challenge our culture faces is that many popular film franchises produce movies that, most often, never complete the hero’s journey.

Many popular characters in action films like Marvel and DC Comics superheroes, James Bond, Ethan Hunt (Mission Impossible), Indiana Jones, etc. never actually transform.

These characters stay in the adolescent stage of development (and we tend to celebrate that reality).

These heroes don’t evolve into the warm, vulnerable, generative adults who no longer seek adventure and excitement.

That said, since I originally published this guide in early 2018, this has begun to change.

For example, in the final Bond film, No Time to Die (2021), James Bond did demonstrate some generative growth.

The same goes for Tony Stark’s character (Ironman) in Avengers: Endgame (2019).

Where Are You On Your Hero’s Journey?

More importantly, do you see how these hero’s journey steps are unfolding in your life?

Although each of our stories is unique, they have common threads—elements of this universal structure we all share.

Returning from the moment of despair—from inside the dragon’s lair—without the reward (or lesson), you are presented with a similar adventure repeated ad infinitum —until you either learn the lesson or give up.

In the beginning, the hero’s journey is about achievement.

Whether you’re trying to build a successful business, raise a family, write a screenplay, travel to a distant land, or become a skilled artist, these all represent external achievements that often launch us into our hero’s journey.

But through this external quest—if we become more conscious—the journey transitions to an emphasis on internal growth that leads to transformation.

The Hero isn’t an expression of mature adulthood. This archetype is a by-product of adolescence. The archetypes of adulthood are different, but to access them, we must complete the hero’s journey first .

The Primary Ingredient in Every Hero’s Journey

Compelling stories and real life comes down to one thing: problems .

The protagonist faces a problem and tries to overcome it. Problems represent the essence of drama and the key to good storytelling.  Without problems, there’s no story. Problems engage us, tantalizing the human mind.

The hero must face his problems, surmount his fears, resolve his tensions, or fail.

The same is true for our development: without problems and tensions, there can be no growth.

Psychological development is the process of overcoming setbacks, limitations, and conditioned behavior to reach maturity.

Refusing the Call to Adventure

Few people ever fully embrace the Hero’s Journey, a psychological odyssey that leads the individual to wholeness .

Because of our fear of the unknown, many refuse the call to adventure. We delay our journey in many ways:

• Put important things aside.
• Procrastinate.
• Distract ourselves with TV, social media, and other people’s lives.
• Make excuses.
• Stay stuck in the lazy part .
• Focus on competing with others.

But something brews inside of us. An internal tension builds. The tension may be small at first, but it grows stronger in the darkness. Tensions are those opposing forces at play within us. This internal conflict creates disharmony.

Humans don’t like disharmony when it bubbles into consciousness, and so these internal tensions can catapult us out of the familiar. The feeling of discord can lead to action and ultimately, some resolution.

Maybe you’re currently embracing your hero’s journey. Or perhaps you’ve been refusing the call. It matters not. What matters is what you do today— right now .

How to Embrace Your Hero’s Journey, Step by Step

The main thing you need to do to embrace your hero’s journey is stay present.

Remember, as Campbell explained, “You are the hero of your own story.”

Psychological development is supposed to be a natural process. But we aren’t currently in a world that supports healthy development.

As such, it’s vital to listen within .

Here are a few guides that may serve you:

• Access Your Inner Guide
• How to Ground Yourself
• How to Stay in Your Center
• How to Overcome Internal Resistance

Ultimately, be mindful of your fears and aspirations.

Left unchecked, your fears can subconsciously lead you to endlessly refuse the call to adventure.

In contrast, your aspirations can help you embrace your adventure.

As Joseph Campbell often said,

Follow your bliss!

Videos Related to the Hero’s Journey Steps

Book related to the hero’s journey steps.

The hero’s journey steps are outlined in the books referenced throughout this guide:

The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell

The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell

Joseph Campbell’s Mythos Lecture Series (DVD)

The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler

How to Be an Adult by David Richo

What Do You Think?

Are you going through the hero’s journey steps?

About the Author

Scott Jeffrey is the founder of CEOsage, a self-leadership resource publishing in-depth guides read by millions of self-actualizing individuals. He writes about self-development, practical psychology, Eastern philosophy, and integrated practices. For 25 years, Scott was a business coach to high-performing entrepreneurs, CEOs, and best-selling authors. He's the author of four books including Creativity Revealed .

Learn more >

I would like to understand the Hero’s journey. Joseph Campbell describes it as something that has been taken/lost or life giving. How do I know if my hero’s journey has been done?

If you’re examining the hero’s journey from the perspective of individuation — that is, the journey to mature adulthood — it takes many years to come to wholeness within oneself.

Psychologically speaking, the hero’s journey is inward. The characters you meet (like the Mentor) are within yourself. So it involves active imagination in bringing the archetype into some form of harmony within yourself.

You have mentioned a choice to stay in the comfort of safety or the unknow for growth. I am wondering if this is done in a Psychological manner where your life’s circumstances stay as they are or you physically live in a different environment, leaving your surroundings, people and material responsibilities etc.. Hope you can answer this for me.

If you’re a young adult, there’s often an external aspect to the hero’s journey — for example, leaving home and separating from one’s parents. But what Campbell was highlighting with the monomyth is ultimately a psychological process akin to Jungian individuation: https://scottjeffrey.com/individuation-process/

I want to share my thoughts on the heroes journey. After reading the twelve steps, and what you said- I quote “Step 12: Return with the Elixir Often, the prize the hero initially sought (in Step 9) becomes secondary as a result of the personal transformation he undergoes.

Perhaps the original quest was financially driven, but now the hero takes greater satisfaction in serving others in need.

The real change is always internal.

In this final stage, the hero can become the master of both worlds, with the freedom to live and grow, impacting all of humanity.”

My favorite movie for a while now has been The Peaceful Warrior, I have just watched Coach Carter. They seem to tell the same story and I think the story of The Heroes Journey. You have mentioned Star Wars, James Bond and the Matrix.

In the movies The Peaceful Warrior, and Coach Carter, the achievement earned is an inward spiritualism that is, I quote” impacting all of humanity.” Thank-you.

If The Peaceful Warrior is your favorite movie, read Dan Millman’s “The Way of the Peaceful Warrior” — the book the film is based on. Much deeper insights. It’s a magical book — especially when you’re just setting out on your self-discovery journey.

I have read about 25% so far, I am not a good reader. I give myself three pages each day, yet often I’m reading more. It is as if the movie is replaying and I’m able to go with it, imaging the main characters. There is more information from reading than watching the movie, though I am thinking there is a lot of fiction, as it has been described on the net. Though I just need to adhere to the believable parts. I don’t know if it is possible to remember the day’s events that happened during college. For example, what people said, what they were doing throughout the day. My college day’s I can only remember situations that happened all dispersed from one another, with only a few minutes recalled. Does someone like yourself able to recall conversations and put them as dialogs for a book? Or is it a writer’s privilege to invent these for the book?

“The Peaceful Warrior” is a work of fiction. The genre is technically called “visionary fiction.”

There is a passage in the book where Socrates say’s “Mind is an illusory reflection of cerebral fidgeting. It comprises all the random uncontrolled thoughts that bubble into awareness from the subconscious. Consciousness is not the mind; awareness is not mind; attention is not mind. Mind is an obstruction, an aggravation, a primal weakness in the human experiment. It is a kind of evolutionary mistake in the human being. I have no use for the mind.” I don’t think think this way because what we have as humans is natural and so it has a purpose. I am interested if you would give an opinion on this statement Socrates said.

For the most part, I agree with Millman’s statements. They are also consistent with much of the Eastern traditions. An essential aspect of the meditative traditions is to “pacify the mind”. They sometimes even use stronger longer of “killing the mind.” But at other times, they make the distinction between the “aware mind” versus the “monkey mind” or the “shining mind” versus the “stirring mind.” But in terms of the untrained mind (which is the mind of over 99% of people), I agree with Millman. I just wouldn’t call it “evolutionary.”

Millman would have already made ethical judgment towards any begger, so, he should not have thought twice about ignoring him. But because his story, is going through a transformation, he had these menacing mind talks. Do you think if you were in the same situation as him, would you give the begger money or use your self-consciousness to clear negative mind noise? I am wondering if a second time in the same situation would make one change their reaction…

This is quoted from the book; “A scrawny young teenager came up to me. “Spare some change, can’t you?” “No, sorry,” I said, not feeling sorry at all. As I walked away I thought, “Get a job.” Then vague guilts came into my mind; I’d said no to a penniless beggar. Angry thoughts arose. “He shouldn’t walk up to people like that!” I was halfway down the block before I realized all the mental noise i had tuned in to, and the tension it was causing – just because some guy had asked me for money and I’d said no. In that instant I let it go.”

I finished the peaceful warrior and found it enjoyable. The preview of Dan’s second book (Sacred Journey of the peaceful warrior) sums up what he was expressing through his life.

There was one part I have heard before where the dialog between Dan and Soc was flat, with no meaning. Thank-you.

I would like to balance the four functions Jung describes (thinking, feeling, sensation and intuition) in your Individuation Process page. How do I know when feeling and sensation are active in everyday events? Could you give me an example? Thank-you.

Brett, please use the related guide page to address your questions.

The Individuation process page has not got a comments section.

I was walking in the bush on a moonlit windy night. The moving branches displayed a moving shadow, I was startled at first thought someone was behind me. Then I put the moonlight and the moving branches together and summed up what had happened without turning around. Was my thinking a Feeling, thinking, intuition or sensation? Thank-you.

I didn’t realize the comment sections weren’t open on that other guide. The psychological types represent our dominant orientations for processing information. When you were startled, was your attention on your body or the fear itself? Was your mind focused on “what could that be”? No need to answer here.

But the main thing about psychological types, from a Jungian perspective, is to understand what your dominant and inferior types are so you can develop your weakest side. Taking an Enneagram assessment test can help you determine your dominant type. In that system, it’s either thinking, feeling, or sensing.

Thank-you for your reply. You gave me an example of what I believe would be my dominant (being the first impression of the event) type. The second instance you described, is that too my dominant type? I do already know what it was that brings me fear. Can you follow up with this scenario? I have done enneagram questions before, and I am hopeless in giving a true response as all multiple question apply to equally.

“I have done enneagram questions before, and I am hopeless in giving a true response as all multiple question apply to equally.”

In my experience, when people say things like this, it’s often because they are “out of center” and analyzing things in their heads. If, for example, you read detailed descriptions of each Type, there’s no way you’re going to relate equally to all of them. Only one (sometimes a few) will strike a deep cord within you. It may leave you feeling “raw” and exposed.

Using the example you provided isn’t really going to help in this context. Do you mostly live in your head (mind/thoughts/analysis), your body (gut/sensations/sensory perception), or feelings? We all use all of them, but one tends to be more dominant than the others.

Thank-you. I agree with you Quote “If, for example, you read detailed descriptions of each Type, there’s no way you’re going to relate equally to all of them”. You might think I’m procrastinating as I want to work this out. Quote” Superior Function versus Inferior Function We like to do things we’re good at and avoid doing things in which we feel inadequate. Thus, we develop specific skills while undeveloped capacities remain in the unconscious. Jung grouped these four functions into pairs: thinking and feeling, sensing and intuiting”. Follow me for a sec, I have determined my superior function is Thinking, that would leave my inferior function to feeling. I assume sensing and intuition would be in the middle. I’m going to give the answer that you will give to my question, how do I bring the four functions to the middle? Answer ; center yourself. Do you agree or tell me what I should be doing?

Brett, I can’t really speak to what you should be doing. From a Jungian perspective (as well as transpersonal psychology), you would develop your inferior function and grow in that line of intelligence. I borrow the concept of the Center from the Taoist tradition. Western psychology mainly seeks to build a healthy ego while Eastern traditions mainly focus on transcending the ego.

Is the answer to “center yourself”? Sure. But most likely you’ll only be able to do this temporarily (representing a “state” of consciousness), while if you develop via various practices, you establish different structural changes that become more stable.

How to Center Yourself.

I like this article and want to learn more. I’m sending you my questions in this article as there isn’t a comments section.

I have so many questions, do I really need these answered to be comfortable with learning? Or should I take a calming with acceptance approach, that will eventually find the answers I seek? Should I go ahead and ask… ok I will ask. In the four centers, take in information via the physical center, interpret experience via the emotional center, evaluate the world via the mental center. Could all be take in information? Thank-you.

Brett, I just opened the comment section on that centering guide. Please post your question there and then I’ll reply.

Is it always a Heroes journey to take on what seems an insurmountable task? I see this at the beginning of inspirational films. Thank-you.

Always be careful with the term “always.”

Remember that what Campbell was ultimately highlighting with his monomyth structure was a psychological process of development. So it’s best to keep that in context.

Insurmountable tasks can sometimes be a catalyst for one’s journey, but this is not always the case.

In films and storytelling, you need major a problem for the hero/protagonist to face. Otherwise, there’s no story.

With what you said in keeping the psychological process in context. I was thinking of the film where a football coach leaves a successful career in the city, to coach no-hoper orphans in the country. My first impression was that the coach is on a hero’s journey with much to lose but great inward comfort to gain. Now I think it is the orphan footballers who are on a hero’s journey, (by leading as an example of being an orphan and becoming successful to inspire them to do the same) to stand up with confidence to be equal to the rest of the world. The movie is twelve mighty orphans. Is this reasonable thinking and do you see different interpretation? Thank-you

I can’t really comment as I haven’t seen the film. In any decent film, multiple characters have “arcs.” In many cases, the coach in sports films plays the mentor/sage role but then has his own transformation as well. This is the case with Gandalf the Gray who has to “die” and be resurrected, transforming into Gandalf the White.

Merry Christmas Scott digital guide. Type to you soon:)

Does the hero’s journey have the same thoughts and feelings for a woman as a man?

From a Jungian perspective, the process would be different.

As Jungian Robert A. Johnson highlights in many of his books, the myths related to the feminine psyche are different than the myths related to the masculine. As such, they follow a different structure and aim.

That said, because there’s an anima in each male psyche and an animus in each female psyche, a part of us can relate to the hero’s journey in its totality. Hence, a heroine can go on a similar hero’s journey as a man.

What an excellent and thorough treatment. Thanks for these invaluable insights for my writing class.

Thank you for the feedback, Craig!

I love this observation about modern cinematic heroes: “Many popular characters in action films like Marvel and DC Comics superheroes, James Bond, Ethan Hunt (Mission Impossible), Indiana Jones, etc. never actually transform.”

Have you written elsewhere at greater length on this topic? I thought I read an article on this topic a few years back but don’t remember where! Certainly the weightiness of the observation was such a lightbulb moment.

Thanks and kind regards M.

You can find a more detailed archetypal decoding of the hero here:

https://scottjeffrey.com/hero-archetype/

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The 9 Stages of the Hero’s Journey and How to Use Them

by Lewis / July 14, 2018 / Story Structure

What is the true purpose of storytelling?

You might say it’s to uplift us, or to comfort us in times of trouble. Others will argue storytelling serves to teach us morality, the meaning of good versus evil, or the value of inner strength. Yet, Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey goes deeper than all of those things.

The Hero’s Journey is about exploring human nature and charting our common path from childhood to adulthood, regardless of who we are or what we struggle with. Not only that, but it embodies universal themes of growth and change, making it the perfect foundation to build your own unique story from!

What Is the Hero’s Journey?

• 1 What Is the Hero’s Journey?
• 2 Using the Hero’s Journey in Your Own Novel
• 3.1 The Ordinary World:
• 3.2 The Call to Adventure and Refusing the Call:
• 3.3 Overcoming Resistance and Meeting the Mentor:
• 3.4 Crossing the First Threshold:
• 3.5 Tests and Trials:
• 3.6 The Major Ordeal:
• 3.7 The Road Back:
• 3.8 Mastering the Journey:
• 3.9 Returning with the Elixir:
• 4 Understanding the Monomyth

Popularized by Joseph Campbell, the Hero’s Journey was part of his idea of the “Monomyth,” a term describing the universal progression of all human storytelling. He developed this while studying mythology from cultures across the world and throughout history, writing about them in The Hero With a Thousand Faces.

As a follow up, Christopher Vogler wrote The Writer’s Journey , further distilling the ideas of Campbell into a usable storytelling guide.

The result is one of the best storytelling tools around.

At its core, the Hero’s Journey is a form of story structure just like the Three Act Structure. However, in comparison the Hero’s Journey is much more broad, and is something you can see at play in almost every story—regardless of how anti-traditional it may be.

This is because the Monomyth builds on ever-present patterns of growth and change, something humans have been obsessed with forever.

• What is my purpose in life?
• What does it mean to grow up?
• Is there something greater out there?
• What will happen when I die?

These questions have always echoed in the human mind, and been reflected in our storytelling as a result. Thus, the Hero’s Journey is so powerful and omnipresent because it resonates with a core part of our human experience.

“A blunder—apparently the merest chance—reveals an unsuspected world, and the individual is drawn into a relationship with forces that are not rightly understood… They are the result of suppressed desires and conflicts. They are ripples on the surface of life, produced by unsuspected springs. And these may be very deep—as deep as the soul itself.” – Joseph Campbell, The Hero with a Thousand Faces

Using the Hero’s Journey in Your Own Novel

Of course, this is all well and good, but how can you use this Monomyth in your own writing?

Well, one of the best qualities of this structure is that it ties together both your characters and plot. Rather than just being a story structure, the Hero’s Journey can also act as something of a character arc. That’s the most helpful thing about these principles—they apply not only to your plot, but your protagonist’s arc as well, helping you build a more cohesive story.

When combined, you have a powerful recipe for engaging your readers!

Overall, the Hero’s Journey is split into two halves: The Ordinary World, and the Unknown World. The Ordinary World is exactly what it sounds like—your protagonist’s everyday life, complete with all of their flaws and insecurities.

However, a problem is brewing beneath the surface, and this is what will force them to leave home and enter the Unknown World. This Unknown World is where they’ll be tested and forced to grow as a person. Along the way they’ll gain new allies and skills, until they finally return to their Ordinary World to heal it’s suffering and take their place among the heroes.

Throughout this structure, your protagonist’s inner development will mirror the conflict of the story, giving your novel a cohesive and resonant feel. With that said, let’s look at the nine stages of the Hero’s Journey and how to incorporate them in your own storytelling!

The 9 Stages of Campbell’s Monomyth

The ordinary world:.

The start of the Hero’s Journey finds us in the Ordinary World, where readers are introduced to your setting, meet the starting cast, and get to know your protagonist. Essentially, the Ordinary World provides a baseline that will make the Unknown World your protagonist later encounters stand out.

Because of this, you don’t want to neglect this important setup.

Without seeing where your hero is starting from, a world full of magical purple unicorn dragons could be entirely normal to them. Instead, you need to you start your story by showing their normal everyday life in suburban Wisconsin. It’s the contrast between these two worlds that makes them feel impactful.

Alongside this, the Ordinary World also sets up the inner struggle your protagonist will need to overcome during their character arc. It shows how they’ve been living before their journey begins and foreshadows the cracks under the surface. Without this critical knowledge of the Ordinary World, the reader has no metric by which to measure your character’s growth or the growth of their world.

The Call to Adventure and Refusing the Call:

If you’re already a fan of the Three Act Structure, then the Call to Adventure will likely feel at least somewhat familiar.

This is because the Call to the Adventure mimics the Inciting Event and Key Event from the Three Act Structure. Here, your protagonist will learn of the coming conflict and get their first taste of the journey to come—though sometimes they are whisked away with little choice. Most often they’ll also refuse this call, helping your reader better understand the stakes of your story.

If your protagonist has reason to be afraid, then your audience does as well.

This stage allows you to build suspense, foreshadow the power of your antagonist and the dangers ahead, and show off your protagonist’s flaws in action. Are they too timid, headstrong, selfish, or careless? Incorporate this into their Refusal of the Call and show how it will hinder them on the journey ahead.

Overcoming Resistance and Meeting the Mentor:

Now that a Call has been issued, your protagonist will be feeling afraid, hesitant, or even outright resistant to beginning their journey.

Overcoming this resistance requires a period of counsel, where they’ll get advice and encouragement from mentors and allies. Here you’ll prepare your protagonist and audience for what’s coming, while also fitting in some last minute worldbuilding and plot development before your story picks up steam.

Your protagonist will begin collecting the tools and wisdom needed for the road ahead, though they won’t be completely prepared for a while yet. Their inner struggles will continue pushing against them here, and they may neglect important information they’ll regret later on. Still, they’ll also show promise, usually in the form of some redeeming quality that lets your readers know there is hope for them to grow.

Crossing the First Threshold:

This is the true beginning of your story.

Here your protagonist will Cross the First Threshold into the new, Unknown World, officially committing themselves to the journey ahead. There is no turning back from this point, and no returning to the Ordinary World until they’ve completed their quest and grown past their flaws.

Your protagonist will have to prove themselves to make it this far of course, even though they haven’t overcome their inner struggle just yet.

Just as they showed a redeeming quality while Overcoming Resistance and Meeting the Mentor, they’ll need to prove this redeeming quality again to cross into the Unknown World. As an example, Bilbo Baggins temporarily overcomes his fearfulness and leaves the Shire, while Mulan overcomes her self-doubt and joins the Chinese army. However, some characters will be forced into this Unknown World, like when Simba is driven from the Pride Lands by Scar.

Tests and Trials:

Your story has officially entered the Unknown World, and this is when a period of Tests and Trials begin for your protagonist.

Here they’ll gain new allies, new enemies, and new skills. They’ll be beaten down repeatedly, only to get back up again that much stronger and wiser. Essentially, this period is all about preparing them for the bigger battles that lie ahead.

This means that the Tests and Trials period is important for a variety of reasons.

It provides a stark contrast from the more stable Ordinary World and thrusts your protagonist into their new life. However, it also gives them the opportunity—through their new experiences—to prove their strengths, befriend others in your cast, and begin to threaten your antagonist. Overall, these tests will form nearly a quarter of your story’s overall runtime as you approach the Major Ordeal.

The Major Ordeal:

Perhaps confusingly named, the Major Ordeal is not the Climax.

Instead it corresponds with the Midpoint of the Three Act Structure, and shifts your protagonist from a period of reaction to action. After this point, they’ll finally be able to actively drive your plot forward, rather than just being pushed along against their will. They’ll also be rewarded for their success, either through a new tool, new allies, or new knowledge.

The Major Ordeal itself will feature a moment of growth that cements your protagonist’s progress. They’ll have to face their biggest conflict yet, giving them a chance to show how far they’ve come from their Ordinary World. However, don’t let them get ahead of themselves.

They haven’t overcome their inner struggle yet, though they may think they have.

To pick on Mulan again, her Major Ordeal occurs when she retrieves the arrow from the top of the pole in the middle of camp, proving her cleverness and intelligence. She has gained the acceptance of her comrades, but she is still living in disguise. This will come back to punish her later, just as your protagonist’s flaw will come back to punish them.

The Road Back:

With the Major Ordeal behind them, the Road Back prepares your protagonist to face the finale of your story.

They’re now driving the plot, seeking out your antagonist or otherwise planning their defeat, and likely beginning the trek to wherever their final showdown will take place. Here your pacing will speed up as well. You’re preparing for a climactic showdown, and both your cast and your readers are ready to see this journey come to its conclusion.

This creates the perfect opportunity to remind your protagonist of the stakes.

In the afterglow of the Major Ordeal, you need to show them why their journey isn’t over yet. Reveal the cracks still left by their flaw, and remind them that no matter how much they try to cover them up, they must deal with them soon. The conflict is far from over, and there’s still danger ahead.

Mastering the Journey:

With your story coming to its close, its time for your protagonist to prove they’ve mastered their journey—and as you can probably guess, this overlaps with the Climax and the Climactic moment from the Three Act Structure. Here they’ll do battle against your antagonist and face their final test, hopefully overcoming their inner struggle in the process.

As a result, everything in your story needs to come together here.

All of your themes, subplots, characters, symbols, motifs—it’s called the Climax for a reason! Of course, this is also the culmination of your protagonist’s arc. Here they’ll face the most difficult test of their flaws, and will have to use all of the knowledge, skills, and alliances they’ve gained to survive.

Ultimately, without the journey they just went on, they would never be able to succeed.

Returning with the Elixir:

With your story’s conflict resolved, it’s now time for your protagonist to recover. To Return with the Elixir references the end of many myths where the hero brings the rewards of their journey back to their home village, healing the lives of everyone around them—not just their own. In terms of the traditional Three Act Structure, this mirrors your Resolution.

Essentially, your goal in these final scenes is to complete the circle of your story.

At the end of many adventures the protagonist returns home to their Ordinary World, experiencing echoes from the start of their journey. Yet everything feels different, and they quickly realize how their quest has changed them. Others don’t make a physical return, but instead see similar situations to those they struggled with or felt uncomfortable in at the start, this time unfazed by what seemed so intimidating before.

Either way, these final moments will be bittersweet, joyful, and maybe even a bit sad.

Most importantly, they’ll provide an important sense of catharsis for your readers, a release of the emotional tension your story created. So—to use this ending to its full effect—make sure you give your readers a moment to relax with your cast before they close the back cover.

Understanding the Monomyth

At the end of the day, the Hero’s Journey embodies patterns seen in almost all human storytelling, and it’s also a great tool for writers wanting to more deeply understand their own stories. While it’s not without it’s flaws, it can still serve as a great starting point for telling your own epic adventures!

Of course, the Hero’s Journey isn’t the only form of story structure out there. If you’re interested in exploring everything else story structure has to offer, I hope you’ll take a moment to check out The Complete Story Structure Series , a collection of articles on The Novel Smithy dedicated to everything structure.

How does the Hero’s Journey impact your stories? Let me know in the comments!

Thoughts on the 9 stages of the hero’s journey and how to use them.

Hi, I have four books out and a new one almost ready. This may be the best explanation of the Journey I’ve read. And, I’ve read a lot, including Hero with a Thousand Faces and the Writer’s Journey. I especially like your take on Crossing the Threshold and the Major Ordeal. Those two entries helped clear a lot of fog on the subject for me.

Thanks. Charles Hampton

Glad to hear it Charles! 🙂

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The Hero’s Journey: A Classic Story Structure

Writing a compelling story, especially if you’re new at this, can be grueling.  

Conflicting advice online can overwhelm you, making you want to quit before you’ve written a word.

But you know more than you think.

Stories saturate our lives. We talk, think, and communicate with story in music, on television, in video games, in books, and in movies.

Every story, regardless of genre or plot , features a main character who begins some adventure or quest, overcomes obstacles, and is transformed.

This is generically referred to as The Hero’s Journey, a broad story template popularized by Joseph Campbell in his The Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949).

In essence, every story ever told includes at least some of the seventeen stages he outlined .

In 1985, screenwriter Christopher Vogler wrote a memo for Disney titled The Practical Guide to Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces that condensed the seventeen steps to twelve.

The Hero’s Journey template has influenced storytellers worldwide, most notably George Lucas (creator of Star Wars and Indiana Jones ).

Vogler says of Campbell’s writings: “The ideas are older than the pyramids, older than Stonehenge, older than the earliest cave painting.”

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins is a prime example of The Hero’s Journey, so I use “she” inclusively to represent both genders.

• The 3 Hero’s Journey Stages

1. The Departure (Separation)

The hero is compelled to leave her ordinary world.

She may have misgivings about this compulsion, and this is where a mentor may come to encourage and guide her.

Example: Katniss Everdeen is a devoted sister, daughter, and friend. She’s an avid hunter, well acquainted with the forbidden forest outside District 12, where she and her friend Gale hunt to keep their families from starving. The Hunger Games, wherein only one winner survives,  loom, and she fears she or one of her friends will be chosen. 

2. Initiation

The hero crosses into the other world, where she faces obstacles.

Sometimes she’s alone, sometimes she’s joined by a companion. Maybe a few.

Here she must use the tools she’s been given in her ordinary life to overcome each obstacle. She’ll be rewarded, sometimes tangibly.

Eventually she must return to the ordinary world with her reward.

Example: District 12’s Representative and Stylist Effie Trinket arrives to choose the Tributes who will compete in The Hunger Games. 

Katniss and her family attend, and she breathlessly wills Effie not to draw her name. She gets her wish, but to her horror, her little sister Primrose is chosen. 

Peacekeepers shove Prim toward the stage before Katniss volunteers to take her place. She’s joined by the male tribute, the baker’s son Peeta. They are soon whisked away for training and then the competition. 

The hero crosses the threshold back into her ordinary world, which looks different now. She brings with her the rewards and uses them for good.

Example: Unexpectedly, Katniss and Peeta are told there can be two victors instead of one. But Katniss and Peeta, to the dismay of the Capitol, decide they’ll die together or emerge as victors together. They emerge not only as victors, but also as celebrities. They have changed in unimaginable ways. 

• The 12 Hero’s Journey Steps (and How to Use Them)

1 — Ordinary  World

Before your hero is transported to another world, we want to see her in her ordinary world—who is she when no one is watching? What drives her?

This sets the stage for the rest of your story , so show her human side. Make her real and knowable.

But don’t wait long to plunge her into terrible trouble. Once you give your readers a reason to care, give them more to keep them turning the pages.

Example: Katniss Everdeen is introduced as a teenager for whom life isn’t easy. Her father is dead, her mother depressed, and Katniss will do anything to provide for her family and protect her little sister. 

2 — The Call to Adventure

This is the point at which your hero’s world can never be the same. A problem, a challenge, or an adventure arises—is she up to the challenge?

Example: The Reaping, where Katniss volunteers to take Prim’s place. 

3 — Refusal of the Call

Occasionally, a hero screeches to a halt before the adventure begins. When faced with adversity, she hesitates, unsure of herself.

She must face her greatest fears and forge ahead.

Example: There is no refusal of the call in The Hunger Games. Katniss eagerly steps forward. 

4 — Meeting With the Mentor

The mentor may be an older individual who offers wisdom, a friend, or even an object, like a letter or map.

Whatever the form, the mentor gives your hero the tools she needs for the journey—either by inspiring her, or pushing her in the direction she needs to go.

Example: Katniss is introduced to Haymitch the minute she reaches the stage to accept the challenge. He’s the only person from District 12 to have ever won The Hunger Games. She’s not initially impressed, but he eventually becomes her biggest ally. 

5 — Crossing the First Threshold

In the final step of the departure phase, your hero musters the courage to forge ahead, and the real adventure begins.

There’s no turning back.

By now, you’ve introduced your hero and given your readers a reason to care what happens to her. You should have also introduced the underlying theme of your story .

Why is it important for your hero to accomplish this task?

What are the stakes?

What drives her?

Example: Katniss is transported via train to the Capitol to begin training for The Hunger Games. She’s promised Prim she’ll do everything in her power to return home.

Your hero is laser focused, but this is the point at which she faces her first obstacle. She will meet her enemies and be forced to build alliances. She will be tested and challenged.

Can she do it?

What does she learn in this initiation phase?

Example: Katniss meets her competitors for the first time during training and is able to watch them to get a sense of what challenges lie ahead.  

6 — Tests, Allies, and Enemies

Things have shifted in the new world. Danger lies ahead. Alliances are formed, chaos ensues.

Your hero may fail tests she’s confronted with at first, but her transformation begins. She has the ability and knowledge to accomplish her tasks, but will she succeed?

Example: The Hunger Games begin. Tributes die. Katniss fights without water or a weapon. Her allies are Peeta and young Rue (the 12-year-old Tribute from District 11). The strongest players have illegally spent their young lives training for The Hunger Games and loom as her enemies from the start. 

7 — Approach to the Inmost Cave

Your hero approaches danger—often hidden, sometimes more mental than physical. She must face her greatest fears time again and may even be tempted to give up. She has to dig deep to find courage.

Example: Katniss is in the arena, the games underway. There’s no escape. She’s seen death, fears she may be next, and must find water and a weapon to survive. 

8 — The Ordeal

Your hero’s darkest moment and greatest challenge so far, in a fight for her life, she must find a way to endure to the end.

This may or may not be the climax of your story, but it is the climax of the initiation stage.

During this terrible ordeal, the steepest part of her character arc takes place.

Example: Katniss faces dying of thirst (if she’s not killed by another Tribute first) and faces every obstacle imaginable, including the death of Rue, before she finally wins the battle. 

9 — Reward (Seizing the Sword)

Against all odds, your hero survives. She’s defeated her enemies , slain her dragons—she has overcome and won the reward.

Whether her reward is tangible depends on the story. Regardless, your hero has undergone a total inward and outward transformation.

Example: Peeta and Katniss stand alone in the arena, told that because they are from the same district they can both claim the victory—or can they?

10 — The Road Back

As she begins to cross the threshold back into the ordinary world, she learns the battle isn’t finished.

She must face the consequences for her actions during the initiation stage.

She’s about to face her final obstacle.

Example: The Capitol reverses and announces that only one winner will be allowed. 

11 — The Resurrection

During this climax of your story, your hero faces her final, most threatening challenge.

She may even face death one more time.

Example: Katniss and Peeta decide that if they can’t win together, there will be no winner. They decide to call the Capitol’s bluff and threaten to die together. As they are about to eat poison berries, the Capitol is forced to allow two winners. 

12 — Return With the Elixir

Your hero finally crosses the threshold back into her ordinary life, triumphant. Only things aren’t so ordinary anymore.

She’s been changed by her adventure. She brings with her rewards, sometimes tangible items she can share, sometimes insight or wisdom. Regardless, this all impacts her life in ways she never imagined.

Example: Katniss and Peeta return home celebrities. They’re given new homes, plenty of food to share, and assistants who tend to their needs. Katniss learns that her defiance of the Capitol has sparked a revolution in the hearts of residents all across Panem. 

• Hero’s Journey Examples

You may recognize The Hero’s Journey in many famous stories, including Greek Mythology and even the Bible. Other examples:

• Sleeping Beauty
• Lord of the Rings
• Indiana Jones
• Sherlock Holmes
• Pilgrim’s Progress
• The Wizard of Oz
• Should You Use The Hero’s Journey Story Structure?

Structure is necessary to a story , regardless which you choose. Because the Hero’s Journey serves as a template under which all story structures fall, each bears some variation of it.

For fiction or nonfiction, your story structure determines how effectively you employ drama, intrigue, and tension to grab readers from the start and keep them to the end.

For more on story structure, visit my blog post 7 Story Structures Any Writer Can Use .

Faith-Based Words and Phrases

What You and I Can Learn From Patricia Raybon

A Guest Blog from Stephen King—Yes, that Stephen King

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Hero’s Journey Themes: 5 Essential Themes That Will Thrill Your Readers

by David Safford | 0 comments

They say opposites attract. That holds true, even in a Hero's Journey story. But what are some Heroes' Themes that your readers might like in your story? How can you apply them?

While you may craft opposing characters who find themselves attracted to one another, you would be wise to study these universal relationships—also known as themes—that great stories have utilized for generations to the benefit of their readers.

In this article, you'll learn five essential Hero's Journey themes that will thrill your readers and transform your stories into best sellers!

What Is a Hero's Journey Theme?

As we get started, let's define just what kind of “relationship” we're talking about here.

In a Hero's Journey, a symbolic relationship is a Situational Archetype that tends to recur throughout storytelling history. It is a situation in which two different characters or forces are symbolically set in opposition to one another, mirroring the way opposing forces tend to collide, harmonize, and balance over time in the real world.

The beauty of these Situational Relationships is that they function like the utilities of a well-constructed building: They're invisible. Only a reader with a trained eye will be able to detect your intentions.

Another benefit of using these Situational Relationships is that they resonate with readers of all ages and backgrounds. They are simple and easy to understand.

They're also commonly known as themes , driving concepts underpinning stories from start to finish.

Yet they are inherently ripe with opportunity for deep exploration and clever innovation. That's why, after explaining each of these key themes, I'll provide some “Tips for Innovation” so you can hit the ground running with these essential archetypes!

5 Hero's Journey Themes Readers Love

Ready for the five Hero's Journey themes? Let's get started!

1. Good vs. Evil

Perhaps the most obvious Situational Archetype is the classic dichotomy between the forces of Good and the forces of Evil. This trope has been successfully used by storytellers like George Lucas and classic Western authors to great success.

In this theme, your protagonist and their companions are on the side of Good. They defend values such as Freedom, Compassion, Justice, and Mercy.

What they ultimately represent, though, is Selflessness. These are the kind of people who would sacrifice their desires, and even their own lives, for the sake of others. That is what we have come to define as “Good.”

“Evil,” therefore, stands opposite to this. Evil embraces control, pain, injustice, and cruelty, all for the sake of acquiring as much land, power, or wealth as possible. Evil is ultimately self-serving. This is why we tend to raise our children to be selfless, or “Good,” rather than destructively selfish, or “Bad.”

By aligning your protagonists with virtues of “Good” and your Shadow, Threshold Guardians, and Devil Figure with sins of “Evil,” you lay a moral foundation for your story that will make innate sense to your reader. Everyone knows, to an extent, what kind of behavior is “good” and “bad.” By connecting your characters to various virtues and vices, you can build your story's world by using age-old assumptions about right and wrong.

An easily identifiable example here is Luke Skywalker in Star Wars,  who represents a positive, selfless use of the almighty Force. This is contrasted against Darth Vader and the Emporer, both of whom use the Force for control, power, and destruction.

How to Innovate

While coordinating your characters' morality along the lines of Good and Evil is a fine starting point, you'd be wise to complicate things just a little. If you're familiar with older television shows that had to conform to strict content guidelines, you know that stories with clearly defined morals of Good and Evil can come off as inauthentic or even cheesy.

That's why it's wise to complicate your characters with some moral “gray area.”

In practice, this “gray area” means blending Good traits with Evil ones. For example, your heroic, selfless Hero may struggle with some amount of selfishness (like fear or an instinct for self-preservation). This struggle is believable and easily related to by your reader.

Similarly, complicate your villains with some “Good” traits. It is often these enduring traits, like kindness or loyalty, that make readers fall in love with despicable characters, like Darth Vader and Hannibal Lecter.

Then there are characters whose moral compass is wildly uncertain. Known as the Shapeshifter, this character will often swing back and forth between Good and Evil traits, ultimately choosing between selflessness and selfishness.

Several beloved characters of this variety are Captain Jack Sparrow in Pirates of the Caribbean,  and Bucky “Winter Soldier” Barnes in Marvel's Captain America: Civil War.  Some of the best anti-heroes explore all sides of the good-evil dichotomy, creating wildly intriguing conversations about morality.

2. Haven vs. Wilderness

It isn't just characters that should find themselves sorted between two opposing forces. Settings should, too.

The ultimate purpose of your story's setting is to provide textured resistance to your Hero's pursuit of the goal. While it may often be beautiful, it should always be dangerous. And while your settings may include pockets of safety and security, those pockets must be under threat or limited to a deadline.

Put simply, locations in your world exist on a spectrum stretching between Haven and Wilderness.

A Haven is a place of safety and restoration. Not only will your Hero needs moments to pause and restore their supplies and spirit, but your reader needs these locations as well. Haven settings function as waypoints. They are often locations the Hero travels to in order to find a clue or tool that helps on the journey.

And while a Haven may be a place of relative safety, it must always  be under threat from within or without. The enemy is not far behind. A spy lurks within. Or a ticking clock forces the Hero to quickly move on.

Then the Hero resumes their journey into the Wild. And the Wilderness can be both a physical one (desert, tundra, the vacuum of space, a swamp, the depths of an uncharted forest) and a spiritual one (loneliness, being a foreigner, exile, guilt).

Ideally your story takes the Hero into and through both kinds of locations with the intensity (and resistance to the journey) increasing with every foray into the Wilderness.

One can easily spot the difference between Haven and Wilderness in The Hunger Games,  as Katniss Everdeen is cast out of the cozy Capitol into the wild to survive a horrific act of bloodsport. A fun inversion here, however, is that while the Arena is far more dangerous than the Capitol, Katniss is somewhat more at home there, given her survival instincts gleaned from years of scrapping out a living in District 12. Sometimes these apparent contradictions can play to your advantage as a storyteller!

Readers like to be surprised within the safe context of the familiar. Consider ways that traditional “Havens” might be wild and dangerous (especially for introverted or outdoorsy types) and the “Wild” might be a comfortable Haven.

Many storytellers have found ways to explore the ways that humanity and its creations (machines, the city) can be alienating and deadening. Whenever you flip these locations on their heads, you aim to give the reader a fresh experience.

Just make sure that your Wilderness always resists the Hero's pursuit of the goal. That is what distinguishes Haven from Wilderness. A Haven restores, while the Wild resists.

3. Nature vs. Machine

This Hero's Journey trope is incredibly popular and widely used. Have you ever noticed that the good guys are often outgunned? And have you ever noticed that the good guys, to overcome these incredible odds, will rely on clever uses of nature to win?

Many stories do this, from Indiana Jones  to Avatar  to The Lord of the Rings .

These stories use this theme because it works. There's something cathartic about the Ents overthrowing Isengard or Indiana Jones taking down a German tank with nothing but a whip, a rock, and his grit.

In the world of your story, Nature is usually represented by trees and animals. Machine, meanwhile, is usually some mechanized weapon, like a tank, helicopter, plane, or some other unnatural creation of man.

This theme represents a harsh truth that many readers know: Man is painfully effective at destroying nature. Through deforestation, pollution, rising ocean temperatures, mass extinctions, and more, mankind is leaving a deathly footprint on the earth.

Yet even as we all consciously or unconsciously contribute to various natural disasters, we innately want earth to win. Nature, after all, is beautiful. Trees and mountains and horses and sunsets are beautiful. Tanks, while “cool,” are not beautiful.

The obvious way to implement this theme is through battle.

But there are more subtle ways to bring the reality of this dichotomy into your story.

One way this happens is through spirituality. When a character acts in faith, rather than reliance on technology, the effect is immediate: Audiences love it. Think of the end of Star Wars  when Luke uses the Force to destroy the Death Star, rather than his targeting computer. It's awesome.

You can also layer this conflict in your story's world through setting description. What kind of violence or destruction against nature is occuring? How is this affecting the characters as they pursue their own goals?

Or, possibly consider writing a story where mankind's attempts to control nature (through machines, of course) fail and go horribly wrong? This especially works when the characters are mindful of this theme and the havoc it wreaks. That's why Jurassic Park  is so beloved over its woeful sequels. It actually dares to ask the tough questions about man, his love of mechanical control, and the wild power of nature to defy anything that would control it.

Finally, try to structure your characters as occupants of opposite cultures or time periods.

This is one of the ways Pixar's Toy Story  cleverly sets Woody and Buzz against each other. Woody represents a classic, beloved time of American history when westward expansion represented optimism and discovery; the films of the 1950s crystallized this sentiment into the persona of John Wayne.

Yet in the 1970s, science fiction stories and their heroes began to supplant the Western as the genre of choice, and soon space toys were all the rage while cowboys bit the dust. Such is the inherent conflict when Woody sees Buzz Lightyear, a flashy space toy, literally take his place on Andy's bed, and later in Andy's heart.

4. Parent vs. Child

I don't care how great your father or mother is. There is probably something about them that drives you crazy.

That's the heart of this crucial relationship. Since fathers and sons (and mothers and daughters) are cut from the same genetic cloth, there will always be reason for conflict and reconciliation.

In a Hero's Journey, this can appear in two ways:

• Your hero is the child
• Your hero is the parent

For examples of the Hero being the child, think of Star Wars , Indiana Jones , or Pixar's Brave .

For examples of the Hero being the parent, think of The Odyssey , Freaky Friday , or (one of my absolute favorites) Arrival .

The key is that usually both the Hero and their parent (or child) are both Good. Yet they differ in traits that are Good, and also differ in complicating Evil traits as well. These differing values create the difference that result in the conflict that we all know so well from our own lives.

The best way to innovate within this theme is to be willing to explore multiple points of view. This is why Freaky Friday  is a beloved coming-of-age comedy.

Another crucial method of innovation is to avoid age-specific stereotypes. This will reduce your Parent vs. Child relationship to mere name-calling that never penetrates the surface of your characters.

Age, and the experiences that go with it, are entirely relative to each and every individual who has ever lived. No son or daughter feels  ignorant, emotional, immature, or unbalanced. In their mind, everything makes complete sense.

And similarly, no father or mother feels strict, cranky, unfair, or uncool (well, maybe some do), but not in the way they might be labeled as such by their frustrated children.

In a nutshell, everyone is trapped in their own experience and merits empathy.  Everyone has unique motivators that make complete sense in their own heads. That's why you, as the storyteller, need to consider how to give each point of view its own valid weight. Otherwise your story might devolve into stereotypes and assumptions about whatever age group you feel is in the wrong.

5. Sibling vs. Sibling

Whether by birth by adoption, siblinghood is the perfect dynamic for conflict.

Guardians of the Galaxy and The  Avengers  benefited from sibling angst, as the conflict between Nebula and Gamora anchors the plots of multiple films. Shakespeare centered the conflict of King Lear  around warring sisters and brothers.

Just as parents and their children share enough traits to call themselves “family” but enough differences to become enemies, siblings experience the same conflict but with an added twist: Competition.

Rarely do parents and children compete for the same prizes. While parents are busy trying to make money, their kids are trying to win sports competitions, love, or God-knows-what. But two siblings can easily compete for the same pretty girl's or guy's affections. Both can easily go to war over the same stockpile of scholarships.

That's why we've all heard of sibling rivalry.

And it begins young. Several years ago, my daughter had to learn to share time, food, toys, and her parents' affections with her baby brother. It took the little guy quite a while to learn how to say “Please” and “Thank you.” She had to do all the heavy (sacrificial) lifting in their relationship. It's by God's grace alone that she didn't try to sell him on Ebay!

Centering your story's conflict around two feuding siblings taps into age-old tension that your readers will understand quite well. It's also something you can use for side characters (like Nebula and Gamora in Guardians of the Galaxy ), villainous henchmen, or the primary antagonist of the story (Thor's sister in Ragnarock ).

Perhaps the most overused version of this relationship pits brother against brother as enemies. This dates back to myths of Oedipus's children, when his sons kill each other in civil war.

And while the siblings-as-protagonist-and-antagonist form can still be relevant, it may be far more interesting to your reader to put both siblings on the same side and force them to work together. How will they overcome their individual ambitions to achieve a common goal? How will they maneuver the challenges and conflicts of varying traits (some of which are self-serving, or “Evil”) in order to stay united?

This duel-protagonist structure can work with brothers, sisters, or both. Avengers: Age of Ultron  had it both ways, as Scarlet Witch and Quicksilver are twins recruited to fight the Avengers, only to be recruited to the side of “Good” before the story's end.

Bonus Theme: Bravery vs. Cowardice

There are an infinite number of thematic relationships your stories can explore, and I can't possibly cover them all here. But perhaps one very noteable one comes from acclaimed author Robert Cormier in his young adult novel Heroes. 

Considered Cormier's darkest novel, Heroes  asks questions about the nature of heroism and cowardice, two opposing forces that regularly clash in the human heart. Protagonist Francis Cassavant experiences both traits, namely when he tries to kill himself during World War II by falling on a grenade; however, the explosion doesn't kill him, only severly deforming his face. Yet the cowardly act ended up saving the lives of his fellow soldiers, and for this Francis is awarded a silver star.

More moments of stark contrast between bravery and dereliction of duty occur in flashbacks to Francis' childhood in Frenchtown, Massachussetts. When a friend of Francis's, Larry LaSalle, sexually assaults a love interest at the neighborhood hangout called the “Wreck Centre,” Francis fails to intervene and put a stop to the horrific situation. The moment sets him on the path toward revenge that concludes in ways the reader can't possibly predict, forcing Francis and Larry to take responsibility for their actions.

Like Cormier's Heroes,  your writing needs to explore the dual nature of life's starkest contrasts. But perhaps what is so essential, and so challenging, is harnessing the English language to depict how these contradictions often coexist within our hearts at the same precise moment.

Love and Hate. Joy and Sadness. Amazement and Horror.

These polar opposites are always coming together in the most intense moments of life. Just as Cormier utilized his Heroes  themes to ask near-impossible questions about Heroism and Cowardice, you can assemble thematic situations to ask your own questions.

Opposites Are Attractive to Your Readers

Each of these themes takes two similar things and shows the contrast between their two extremes:

• Morality: Good and Evil
• Human Inhabitability: Haven and Wilderness
• Naturalism: Nature and Machines
• Reproduction and Age: Father/Mother and Son/Daughter
• Children in the Same Family: Siblings
• Approaches to Conflict: Bravery and Cowardice

When you craft your story in a way that explores these extremes, readers will love it. You reap the benefit of exploring familiar themes, but in new ways that are unique to the world of the story you are telling.

How will you implement these situational, relational archetypes in your next Heroic Journey?

Can you think of examples of any of these Hero's Journey themes? Are there other opposing pairs you find in stories?   Share in the comments below !

Think about the Hero's Journey story you've been planning throughout this series. (Haven't started planning one, or want to start from the beginning? Check out the full Hero's Journey here. )

Which of these relationships could you build into your world? What characters and setting locations would be a great fit?

For fifteen minutes , identify one of the characters or settings in your story that fulfill one of the relationships and write a scene that shows that tension:

• Good vs. Evil
• Haven vs. Wilderness
• Nature vs. Machine
• Parent vs. Child
• Sibling vs. Sibling
• Bravery vs. Cowardice

Post your writing in the Practice box below. Then read another writer's comment and leave them some constructive feedback!

David Safford

You deserve a great book. That's why David Safford writes adventure stories that you won't be able to put down. Read his latest story at his website. David is a Language Arts teacher, novelist, blogger, hiker, Legend of Zelda fanatic, puzzle-doer, husband, and father of two awesome children.

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• Mental Health

Want to Give Your Life More Meaning? Think of It As a ‘Hero’s Journey’

Y ou might not think you have much in common with Luke Skywalker, Harry Potter, or Katniss Everdeen. But imagining yourself as the main character of a heroic adventure could help you achieve a more meaningful life.

Research published earlier this year in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology touts the benefits of reframing your life as a Hero’s Journey—a common story structure popularized by the mythologist Joseph Campbell that provides a template for ancient myths and recent blockbusters. In his 1949 book The Hero with a Thousand Faces , Campbell details the structure of the journey, which he describes as a monomyth. In its most elementary form, a hero goes on an adventure, emerges victorious from a defining crisis, and then returns home changed for the better.

“The idea is that there’s a hero of some sort who experiences a change of setting, which could mean being sent off to a magical realm or entering a new thing they’re not used to,” says study author Benjamin A. Rogers, an assistant professor of management and organization at Boston College. “That sets them off on a quest where they encounter friends and mentors, face challenges, and return home to benefit their community with what they’ve learned.”

According to Rogers’ findings, perceiving your life as a Hero’s Journey is associated with psychological benefits such as enhanced well-being, greater life satisfaction, feeling like you’re flourishing, and reduced depression. “The way that people tell their life story shapes how meaningful their lives feel,” he says. “And you don’t have to live a super heroic life or be a person of adventure—virtually anyone can rewrite their story as a Hero’s Journey.”

More From TIME

The human brain is wired for stories, Rogers notes, and we respond to them in powerful ways. Previous research suggests that by the time we’re in our early 20s, most of us have constructed a narrative identity—an internalized and evolving life story—that explains how we became the person we are, and where our life might go in the future. “This is how we've been communicating and understanding ourselves for thousands of years,” he says. Rogers’ research suggests that if people view their own story as following a Hero’s Journey trajectory, it increases meaning regardless of how they initially perceived their lives; even those who thought their lives had little meaning are able to benefit.

While Rogers describes a “re-storying intervention” in his research, some psychologists have used the Hero’s Journey structure as part of their practice for years. Lou Ursa, a licensed psychotherapist in California, attended Pacifica Graduate Institute, which is the only doctoral program in the country focused on mythology. The university even, she notes, houses Campbell’s personal library. As a result, mythology was heavily integrated into her psychology grad program. In addition to reflecting on what the Hero’s Journey means to her personally, she often brings it up with clients. “The way I talk about it is almost like an eagle-eye view versus a snake-eye view of our lives,” she says. “So often we’re just seeing what’s in front of us. I think that connecting with a myth or a story, whether it’s the Hero’s Journey or something else, can help us see the whole picture, especially when we’re feeling lost or stuck.”

As Rogers’ research suggests, changing the way you think about the events of your life can help you move toward a more positive attitude. With that in mind, we asked experts how to start reframing your life story as a Hero’s Journey.

Practice reflective journaling

Campbell described more than a dozen key elements of a Hero’s Journey, seven of which Rogers explored in his research: protagonist, shift, quest, allies, challenge, transformation, and legacy. He says reflecting on these aspects of your story—even if it’s just writing a few sentences down—can be an ideal first step to reframe your circumstances. Rogers offers a handful of prompts that relate back to the seven key elements of a Hero’s Journey. To drill in on “protagonist,” for example, ask yourself: What makes you you ? Spend time reflecting on your identity, personality, and core values. When you turn to “shift,” consider: What change or new experience prompted your journey to become who you are today? Then ponder what challenges stand in your way, and which allies can support or help you in your journey. You can also meditate on the legacy your journey might leave.

Ask yourself who would star in the movie of your life

One way to assess your inner voice is to figure out who would star in a movie about your life, says Nancy Irwin, a clinical psychologist in Los Angeles who employs the Hero’s Journey concept personally and professionally. Doing so can help us “sufficiently dissociate and see ourselves objectively rather than subjectively,” she says. Pay attention to what appeals to you about that person: What traits do they embody that you identify with? You might, for example, admire the person’s passion, resilience, or commitment to excellence. “They inspire us because there’s some quality that we identify with,” Irwin says. “Remember, you chose them because you have that quality yourself.” Keeping that in mind can help you begin to see yourself as the hero of your own story.

Go on more heroic adventures—or just try something new

In classic Hero’s Journey stories, the protagonist starts off afraid and refuses a call to adventure before overcoming his fears and committing to the journey. Think of Odysseus being called to fight the Trojans, but refusing the call because he doesn’t want to leave his family. Or consider Rocky Balboa: When he was given the chance to fight the world’s reigning heavyweight champion, he immediately said no—before ultimately, of course, accepting the challenge. The narrative has proven timeless because it “reflects the values of society,” Rogers says. “We like people who have new experiences and grow from their challenges.” 

He suggests asking yourself: “If I want to have a more meaningful life, what are the kinds of things I could do?” One possible avenue is seeking out novelty, whether that’s as simple as driving a new way home from work or as dramatic as finally selling your car entirely and committing to public transportation.

Be open to redirection

The Hero’s Journey typically starts with a mission, which prompts the protagonist to set off on a quest. “But often the road isn’t linear,” says Kristal DeSantis, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Austin. “There are twists, turns, unexpected obstacles, and side quests that get in the way. The lesson is to be open to possibility.”

That perspective can also help you flip the way you see obstacles. Say you’re going through a tough time: You just got laid off, or you were diagnosed with a chronic illness. Instead of dwelling on how unfortunate these hurdles are, consider them opportunities for growth and learning. Think to yourself: What would Harry do? Reframe the challenges you encounter as a chance to develop resilience and perseverance, and to be the hero of your own story.

When you need a boost, map out where you are on your journey

Once you find a narrative hero you can relate to, keep their journey in mind as you face new challenges. “If you feel stuck or lost, you can look to that story and be like, ‘Which part do I feel like I’m in right now?’” Ursa says. Maybe you’re in the midst of a test that feels so awful that you’ve lost perspective on its overall importance—i.e., the fact that it’s only part of your journey. (See: When Katniss was upset about the costume that Snow forced her to wear—before she then had to go fight off a pack of ferocious wolves to save her life.) Referencing a familiar story “can help you have that eagle-eye view of what might be next for you, or what you should be paying attention to,” Ursa says. “Stories become this map that we can always turn to.” Think of them as reassurance that a new chapter almost certainly awaits.

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