The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers

I find this more useful than the often mentioned 1949 classic The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Cambell’s. Vogler’s contemporary style is more accessible for the modern reader, and his many examples from well-known movies (‘Star Wars’, ‘Titanic’, ‘The Lion King’) really help to demonstrate the Heroic Quest Formula.

  1. Heroes are introduced in the ORDINARY WORLD
  2. they receive the CALL TO ADVENTURE
  3. They are RELUCTANT at first or REFUSE THE CALL, but
  4. are encouraged by a MENTOR to
  5. CROSS THE THRESHOLD and enter the Special World, where
  6. they encounter TESTS, ALLIES, AND ENEMIES.
  7. They APPROACH THE IN-MOST CAVE, cross a second threshold
  8. where they endure the ORDEAL
  9. They take possession of their REWARD and
  10. are pursued on THE ROAD BACK to the Ordinary World.
  11. They cross the third threshold, experience a RESURRECTION, and are transformed by the experience.
  12. They RETURN WITH THE ELIXIR, a boon or treasure to benefit the ORDINARY WORLD.