From our deconstructions of more than 100 Hollywood Blockbusters:

Hero's Journey

The Hero's Journey is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters.

The Hero's Journey:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Interpreted metaphorically, laterally and symbolically, allows an infinite number of varied stories to be created.

The Trials

Once the Hero is in the First Threshold, he [in effect] undergoes a series of trials. These are separate and distinct from the trials in the Transformation stage.

The trials in this [and the Transformation stage] follow a number of patterns. One of them is this: Often, the first is passive. The second is proactive. And the third is dramatic.

For example, in A Beautiful Mind (Academy Award Winner,2001):

Trial 1: (passive) Nash just sits in the library for two days: "…you've been in here for two days…""…Martin's already published a paper and I can't even find a topic for my doctorate…"

Trial 2: (proactive) Nash hits on the girl in the bar: "…essentially we're talking about fluid exchange,

Trial 3: (dramatic) Nash and Charles have a fight and throw the desk out of the window: "…that Isaac Newton fellow was right…"

Learn more…

The Complete 188 stage Hero's Journey and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.clickok.co.uk/

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Kal Bishop, MBA

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