The Hero's Journey
I know the Hero's Journey isn't popular these days and often considered outdated and overused, but I've always had a soft spot for this and think it could be pretty fun to write a story based on this guide, so I wanted to share it. I'm more familiar with the Christopher Vogler version than the Joseph Campbell version, so this is the Vogler version
Act 1: Departure-The Hero leaves the Ordinary World behind
The Ordinary World: The hero is introduced and their everyday life is shown.
The Call To Adventure: Something happens that calls the Hero away from the life they knew and into the unknown.
Refusal of the Call: For whatever reason, the Hero is reluctant to leave the world they know and considers not accepting the adventure.
Meeting the Mentor: The Hero meets a character that gives them advice, training, and/or equipment they need to have the confidence to leave the Ordinary World.
Act 2: Initiation-The Hero ventures into the unknown (The Special World) and overcomes trials and challenges.
Crossing the Threshold: The Hero commits to leaving the Ordinary World and takes the first steps to the Special World.
Tests, Allies, and Enemies: The hero is tested and learns who to trust and who not to trust.
Approach the Inner Most Cave: The Hero and their new allies prepare for a major trial or challenge in the Special World.
The Ordeal: The Hero faces a great challenge, pushing them to their limits close to death, but are ultimately changed by it.
The Reward: The Hero gains a treasure after winning the ordeal, such as a valuable item or knowledge.
Act 3: Return-The Hero returns to the Ordinary World transformed by their adventure.
The Road Back: The Hero prepares to return to the Ordinary World with their reward.
The Resurrection: The Hero is challenge once more as they near home and perform one final sacrifice to complete their transformation.
Return with the Elixir: The Hero returns to the Ordinary World a transformed person and/or with something that will allow them to change their Ordinary World with them.
This is not applied for ALL stories, I see this more as a writing template for some stories and it has been implied that you can mix these stages up to make a story interesting if done properly.
