The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers explained

The Writer's Journey
Author:	Christopher Vogler
Country:	United States
Language:	English
Genre:	Non-fiction
Publisher:	Michael Wiese Productions
Release Date:	2007
Media Type:	Paperback
Pages:	407
Isbn:	978-1-932907-36-0
Dewey:	808.2/3 22
Congress:	PN1996 .V64 2007
Oclc:	154677482

The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure For Writers is a popular writing textbook by writer Christopher Vogler, focusing on the theory that most stories can be boiled down to a series of narrative structures and character archetypes, described through mythological allegory.^[1]

The book was very well received upon its release, and is often featured in recommended reading lists for student screenwriters.^[2] ^[3] ^[4]

History

The book stems from a seven-page studio memo, "A Practical Guide to The Hero with a Thousand Faces".^[5]

An earlier edition, The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Storytellers and Screenwriters, was published in 1992. Vogler revised the book for the second release in 1998 and changed the title to The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers. The third edition, published in 2007, included a new introduction, new artwork, and analysis of recent, popular motion pictures. In July 2020, the 25th Anniversary Edition was published, which includes new sections and topics.^[6]

Summary of content

The archetypes

The first part of the book describes eight major character archetypes in detail.^[7] Those are:

Hero: someone who is willing to sacrifice his own needs on behalf of others
Mentor: all the characters who teach and protect heroes and give them gifts
Threshold Guardian: a menacing face to the hero, but if understood, they can be overcome
Herald: a force that brings a new challenge to the hero
Shapeshifter: characters who change constantly from the hero's point of view
Shadow: character who represents the energy of the dark side
Ally: someone who travels with the hero through the journey, serving variety of functions
Trickster: embodies the energies of mischief and desire for change

Stages of the Journey

The second part describes the twelve stages of the Hero's Journey. The stages are:

The Ordinary World: the hero is seen in their everyday life
The Call to Adventure: the initiating incident of the story
Refusal of the Call: the hero experiences some hesitation to answer the call
Meeting with the Mentor: the hero gains the supplies, knowledge, and confidence needed to commence the adventure
Crossing the First Threshold: the hero commits wholeheartedly to the adventure
Tests, Allies, and Enemies: the hero explores the special world, faces trial, and makes friends and enemies
Approach to the Innermost Cave: the hero nears the center of the story and the special world
The Ordeal: the hero faces the greatest challenge yet and experiences death and rebirth
Reward: the hero experiences the consequences of surviving death
The Road Back: the hero returns to the ordinary world or continues to an ultimate destination
The Resurrection: the hero experiences a final moment of death and rebirth so they are pure when they reenter the ordinary world
Return with the Elixir: the hero returns with something to improve the ordinary world

Notes and References

Web site: Christopher Vogler's screenwriting workshop . dead . BBC Writers Room . 2007-08-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070818162749/http://www.bbc.co.uk/writersroom/insight/insight_vogler.shtml . August 18, 2007.
Web site: Recommended Reading . Exposure.co.uk . 2007-08-06.
Web site: Recommended Reading . Demontfort University Official Website (Humanities) . 2007-08-06.
Web site: Books about Writing . OgleMoore staff . 2007-08-06.
Web site: Vogler . Christopher . A Practical Guide to The Hero with a Thousand Faces . An online copy of the memo.
Web site: The Writer's Journey – 25th Anniversary Edition: Mythic Structure for Writers . MWP.com . 2020-06-04.
The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, Third Edition, Vogler, Christopher, 2007.