Hero's Journey 101 - Definition and Step-By-Step Guide (With Checklist!)

7/30/2019 Hero's Journey 101: Definition and Step-by-Step Guide (With Checklist!
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The Hero's Journey: an Author's Guide to Plotting

Posted in: Perfecting your Craft (https://blog.reedsy.com/category/perfecting-craft/) on July 20, 2018 3 Comm
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7/30/2019 Hero's Journey 101: Definition and Step-by-Step Guide (With Checklist!)
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Ever notice that many stories seem to have a similar pattern? There’s always a protagonist w
home a changed person. In fact, we can sum it up for you in two words: Hero’s Journey.
This story structure is as old as time. From Theseus and the Minotaur to The Lion King, so m
show you how to make this classic plot structure (https://blog.reedsy.com/what-is-plot/) w
cross the barrier.
What is the Hero’s Journey archetype?

The Hero's Journey is a classic story structure that's shared by stories worldwide. Coined by
character ventures out to get what they need, faces con ict, and ultimately triumphs over a
×
Contents
Here are the three stages of the hero’s journey:
The Departure Act: the Hero leaves the Ordinary World.

The Initiation Act: the Hero ventures into unknown territory (the "Special World") and is
The Return Act: the Hero returns in triumph.
In 2007, screenwriter Christopher Vogler re ned Campbell’s original structure in his book, T
make it up. (This is the version that we’ll be dissecting later in this post.)
The Hero's Journey has its ngerprints in everything from The Lion King and horror novels t
You can instead think of it as a map: you can stray from the set path whenever you like. But
(https://blog.reedsy.com/narrative-arc/) guide to suggest what the next milestone should b
What are the 12 stages of the Hero's Journey? #amwriting (https://twitter.com/sha

text=What+are+the+12+stages+of+the+Hero%27s+Journey%3F+%23amwriting&via=
Click To Tweet (https://twitter.com/share?text=What+are+the+12+stages+of+the+Hero%27
The 12 Hero’s Journey Steps

×
The Hero's
FreeJourney isThree-Act
Template: a model Story
for both plot points (https://blog.reedsy.com/plot-point/) an
Structure
traverses the world, they'll undergo inner and outer transformation at each stage of the jour
1 Th O di W ld
1. The Ordinary World
reedsy
2. The (https://reedsy.com)
Call of Adventure
Join us
3. Refusal of the Call

Contents
4. Meeting the Mentor
5. Crossing the First Threshold
6. Tests, Allies, Enemies
7. Approach to the Inmost Cave
8. The Ordeal
9. Reward (Seizing the Sword)
10. The Road Back
11. Resurrection
12. Return with the Elixir
Believe it or not, this story structure also applies across mediums and genres (and also work
can be used outside of your average sword-and-sorcery books, we've adopted the 1976 lm
×
Contents
×
1. Ordinary World
Contents
In which we meet our Hero.
The journey has yet to start. Before our Hero discovers a strange new world, we must rst u
It’s up to this opening leg to set the stage, introducing the Hero to readers. Importantly, it le
begins.
Example of the Ordinary World:

In the opening of Rocky, Rocky Balboa is introduced as a mediocre boxer and loan collector
2. Call to Adventure
In which an adventure starts.
The call to adventure is all about booting the Hero out of their comfort zone. In this stage, th
many forms, as Campbell points out in Hero with a Thousand Faces. The Hero can, for instan
Decide to go forth of their own volition, i.e. Theseus upon arriving in Athens,
Be sent abroad by a benign or malignant agent, i.e. Odysseus setting off on his ship in Th
Stumble upon the adventure as a result of a mere blunder, i.e. Dorothy when she’s swep
Be casually strolling when some passing phenomenon catches the wandering eye and lu
the tool shed.
The stakes of the adventure and the Hero's goals become clear. The only question: will he ris
Example of the Call to Adventure:

Apollo Creed, the undisputed World Heavyweight Champion, decides to make a big ght int
Stallion,” he rings Rocky up.
3. Refusal of the Call
In which the Hero digs in their feet.
Great, so the Hero’s received their summons. Now they’re all set to be whisked off to defeat
×
Not so fast.
FreeThe HeroThree-Act
Template: might rst refuse
Story the call to action. It’s risky and there are perils — like
Structure
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPUe7O3ODHQ). It’s enough to give anyone pause.
f i k k lk i i i ll f j i bi hi i i
In Star Wars, for instance, Luke
7/30/2019 Skywalker
Hero's initially
Journey 101: Definition refusesGuide
and Step-by-Step to (With
joinChecklist!)
Obi-Wan on his mission to
reedsy (https://reedsy.com)
stormtroopers that he changes his mind.
Join us
Example of the Refusal of the Call:

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Rocky says, “Thanks, but no thanks,” to Creed’s invitation. He’s reluctant, given that he has n
Follow Rocky as he traverses the Hero's Journey in this post #amwriting (https://tw
text=Follow+Rocky+as+he+traverses+the+Hero%27s+Journey+in+this+post+%23amw
Click To Tweet (https://twitter.com/share?text=Follow+Rocky+as+he+traverses+the+Hero%27s+Journey
4. Meeting the Mentor
In which the Hero acquires a personal trainer.
The Hero's decided to go on the adventure — but they’re not ready to spread their wings yet
off the cliff.
Enter the mentor: someone who helps the Hero, so that they doesn't make a total fool of the
up the posterior, or something abstract like grit and self-con dence.
Wise old wizards seem to like being mentors. But mentors take many forms, from witches to
trials ahead, like Q in the James Bond series. Or perhaps the mentor is an object, such as a m
Example of Meeting the Mentor:

In steps former boxer Mickey “Mighty Mick” Goldmill, who sees potential in Rocky and start
5. Crossing the First Threshold
In which the Hero enters the other world in earnest.
Now the Hero is ready — and committed — to the journey. This marks the end of the Depart
moment that the balloon goes up, the ship sails, the romance begins, the wagon gets rolling
From this point on, there’s no turning back.
Like our Hero, you should think of this stage as a checkpoint for your story. Pause and re-as
Launched the central con ict? If not, here’s a post on types of con ict (https://blog.reed
×
Established the theme
Free Template: of your
Three-Act book?
Story If not, check out this post that’s all about creating t
Structure
(https://blog.reedsy.com/what-is-a-motif/).
Made headway into your character development? If not, this character pro le template
y y p p p
(https://blog.reedsy.com/character-development-exercises/) may be useful.
Example of Crossing the First Threshold:

Contents
Rocky fully accepts the gauntlet to square up when he crosses the threshold into his love int
6. Tests, Allies, Enemies
In which the Hero faces new challenges and gets a squad.
When we step into the Special World, we notice a de nite shift. The Hero might be discomb
the story, as our protagonist gets to grips with this new world.
This makes a prime hunting ground for the series of tests to pass! Luckily, there are many w
In Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Spencer, Bethany, “Fridge,” and Martha get off to a bad
In his rst few months at Hogwarts, Harry Potter manages to ght a troll, almost fall from
Marlin and Dory encounter three “reformed” sharks, get shocked by jelly sh, and are swa
This stage often expands the cast of characters. Once the protagonist is in the Special World
a new set of rules from them. Saloons and seedy bars are popular places for these transactio
Example of Tests, Allies, Enemies:

Rocky continues to try and win over Adrian while making a dubious friend in Paulie.
7. Approach to the Inmost Cave
In which the Hero gets closer to his goal.
This isn’t a physical cave. Instead, the “inmost cave” refers to the most dangerous spot in the
Star. Almost always, it is where the ultimate goal of the quest is located.
Everything you wanted to know about the Hero's Journey — and more! (https://twit
text=Everything+you+wanted+to+know+about+the+Hero%27s+Journey+%E2%80%9
journey/)
Click To Tweet (https://twitter.com/share?
text=Everything+you+wanted+to+know+about+the+Hero%27s+Journey+%E2%80%94+and+more%21&
×
Note that theTemplate:
Free protagonist hasn’t
Three-Act entered
Story the Inmost Cave just yet. This stage is all about the
Structure
Example of the Approach to the Inmost Cave:

The Inmost Cave in Rocky is Rocky’s
7/30/2019 own
Hero's Journey 101: mind. HeStep-by-Step
Definition and fears that Guide he’ll never amount to anything
(With Checklist!)
8. Ordeal
Contents
In which the Hero faces his biggest test of all thus far.
Of all the tests the Hero has faced, none have made them hit rock bottom — until now. Vogle
indicate some grim news for the Hero.
The protagonist must now confront their greatest fear. If they survive it, they will emerge tr
decision that the Hero makes from this point forward.”
The Ordeal is sometimes not the climax of the story. There’s more to come. But you can thin
“Hero.”
Example of the Ordeal:

The start of the training montage marks the beginning of Rocky’s Ordeal. He pushes through
9. Reward (Seizing the Sword)
In which the Hero sees light at the end of the tunnel.
Our Hero’s been through a lot. However, the fruits of their labor are now at hand — if they c
throughout the entire journey to hold.
Once the protagonist has it in their possession, it generally has greater rami cations for the
Luke rescues Princess Leia and captures the plans of the Death Star — keys to defeating D
Dorothy escapes from the Wicked Witch’s castle with the broomstick and the ruby slippe
Example of the Reward (Seizing the Sword):

Rocky’s reward is the return of his faith in himself. He regains the self-esteem to realize that
10. The Road Back
In which the light at the end of the tunnel might be a little further than the Hero thought.
×
The story's
Freenot over just
Template: yet, asStory
Three-Act thisStructure
phase marks the beginning of Act Three. Now that he's s
(inconveniently) arise on the road back from the Inmost Cave.
M i l h H d l i h h d f h f h i
More
7/30/2019precisely, the Hero must deal
Hero's with
Journey 101:the consequences
Definition and
and Step-by-Step Guide (Withaftermath
Checklist!) of the previous ac
hunt.reedsy (https://reedsy.com) Join us
Or perhaps the opposing army gathers to pursue the Hero across a crowded battle el
Example
Contents of the Road Back:
On New Year’s Day, the ght between Rocky and Creed is held. Rocky realizes the challenge
11. Resurrection
In which the last test is met.
Here is the true climax of the story. Everything that happened prior to this stage culminates
Vogler refers to this as a “ nal exam” for the Hero — they must be “tested once more to see
goes through one more “resurrection.” As a result, this is where you’ll get most of your mirac
start looking forward to a sweet ending.
Example of the Resurrection:

Rocky’s knocked down more than a few times as the ght continues. The entire ght winds
12. Return with the Elixir
In which our Hero has a triumphant homecoming.
Finally, the Hero gets to return home. However, they go back a different person than when t
But we’ve got to see them bring home the bacon, right? That’s why the protagonist must ret
and insight gained.
Of course, it’s possible for a story to end on an Elixir-less note — but then the Hero would b
Example of the Return with the Elixir:

Rocky doesn’t win the ght — but he doesn’t care. He’s won back his con dence and beaten
Free Infographic: The Hero’s Journey Template

The following infographic can be used as a hero’s journey template. Follow Bilbo along on ea
the: Ordinary World, Call of Adventure, Refusal of the Call, Meeting the Mentor, Crossing the
Sword), Road Back, Resurrection, and Return with the Elixir!
×
Contents
×
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Looking beyond the Hero’s Journey

It’s important to remember that this story structure was conceived as a way to better under
outline-a-book/) and dissect a plot. For more longstanding theories on the topic, you can g
act-structure/) or here to discover Dan Harmon's Story Circle (https://blog.reedsy.com/da
structure/).
Cool infographic alert! Analyzing the Hero's Journey: As Seen in the Hobbit (https://
text=Cool+infographic+alert%21+Analyzing+the+Hero%27s+Journey%3A+As+Seen+i
journey/)
Click To Tweet (https://twitter.com/share?text=Cool+infographic+alert%21+Analyzing+the+Hero%27s+J
journey/)
×
Remember, rules are made to be broken (https://blog.reedsy.com/plot-twist-ideas-exampl
abbreviated “Resurrection” stage, as J.K. Rowling did in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
understand the basics of this universal story structure, you can use and bend it in ways17/26
https://blog.reedsy.com/heros-journey/ that
y ,y y
Contents
Are you planning on using the Hero's Journey in your book? What's your favorite example
← Story Structure: Three Models for Your Book (https://blog.reedsy.com/story-structure/)

The Dan Harmon Story Circle: What Authors Can Learn from Rick and Morty → (https://blog.reedsy.com/dan
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3  0  0   3
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PJ Reece 
Nice vid, good intro to story structure. Typically, though, the 'hero's journey' misses the all-important point of the Act II
crisis. There, where the hero faces his/her/its existential crisis, they must DIE. The old character is largely destroyed --
which is the absolute pre-condition to 'waking up' to what must be done. It's not more clever thinking; it's not thinking at
all. Its SEEING. So many writing texts miss this point. It's tantamount to a religions experience, and nobody grows up
without it. STORY STRUCTURE TO DIE FOR examines this dramatic necessity.
 0   Reply  1 year ago
Lexi Mize 
Great article. Odd how one can take nearly every story and somewhat plug it into such a pattern.
 0   Reply  1 year ago
Bailey Koch 
This was totally lit fam!!!!
 0   Reply  1 month ago
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7/30/2019 Hero's Journey 101: Definition and Step-by-Step Guide (With Checklist!

The Hero's Journey: an Author's Guide to Plotting

What is the Hero’s Journey archetype?

Here are the three stages of the hero’s journey:

The Departure Act: the Hero leaves the Ordinary World.

What are the 12 stages of the Hero's Journey? #amwriting (https://twitter.com/sha

The 12 Hero’s Journey Steps

3. Refusal of the Call

Example of the Ordinary World:

In which an adventure starts.

Example of the Call to Adventure:

3. Refusal of the Call

In which the Hero digs in their feet.

Example of the Refusal of the Call:

4. Meeting the Mentor

In which the Hero acquires a personal trainer.

Example of Meeting the Mentor:

5. Crossing the First Threshold

In which the Hero enters the other world in earnest.

From this point on, there’s no turning back.

Example of Crossing the First Threshold:

6. Tests, Allies, Enemies

In which the Hero faces new challenges and gets a squad.

Example of Tests, Allies, Enemies:

7. Approach to the Inmost Cave

In which the Hero gets closer to his goal.

Example of the Approach to the Inmost Cave:

Example of the Ordeal:

9. Reward (Seizing the Sword)

In which the Hero sees light at the end of the tunnel.

Example of the Reward (Seizing the Sword):

10. The Road Back

In which the last test is met.

Example of the Resurrection:

12. Return with the Elixir

In which our Hero has a triumphant homecoming.

Example of the Return with the Elixir:

Free Infographic: The Hero’s Journey Template

Looking beyond the Hero’s Journey

← Story Structure: Three Models for Your Book (https://blog.reedsy.com/story-structure/)

How to Plot a Novel Using the 3-Act Story Structure.

Enroll now (https://blog.reedsy.com/lea

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This was totally lit fam!!!!

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