Christopher Vogler wrote in his book, The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, that one of the most influential books of the 20th century may turn out to be Joseph Campbell’s The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Writers are using the “ageless patterns which Campbell identifies.” The most persistent theme is the myth of the hero/heroine. “Stories built on the model of the Hero’s Journey. . . well up from a universal source in the shared unconscious and reflect universal concerns. Writers can use the model to diagnose any plot problem they encounter.
Vogler states “I’m retelling the hero myth in my own way, and you should feel free to do the same. Every storyteller bends the mythic pattern to his or her own purpose or the needs of a particular culture. That’s why the hero has a thousand faces.”
Vogler includes in his book, a table to compare The Writer’s Journey and The Hero with a Thousand Faces.
After I wrote yesterday’s post about Hada’s Fog being a Cain and Abel story, I thought about Norman in the Painting. I’m a pantser, not a plotter so I didn’t plan a theme or myth, but Jill is on a heroine’s journey. I have an idea of how it will end, but remembering Vogler’s wheel makes my ending clearer and makes the writing easier.
Have you used the Hero’s/Heroine’s Journey?
The third edition of The Writer’s Journey is available on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Writers-Journey-Mythic-Structure-3rd/dp/
