188 Stage Heros Journey (monomyth) - Celebrating The Physical Crossing, Dissatisfaction
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Kal Bishop’s 188 stage Hero’s Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188+ stage template. Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.
[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].
THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY
PLOT POINTS, MID POINT and ACTS
Conventionally, a plot point (or twist) occurs at around page 30 and page 90. Thus Act I is approximately pages 0-30, Act II is approximately pages 30 ? 90 and Act III is approximately pages 90-120. With the inclusion of a Midpoint at approximately page 60, we have Four Act Structure.
However, Three or Four Act Structure in this form is little use in writing a screenplay.
A more useful Four Act Structure is:
a) The Hero is encountered in and pushed or pulled out of the Ordinary World (and Ordinary Self).
b) The Hero becomes a New Self.
c) The Hero recognises an incompatibility between the Ordinary and New Selves. A lack of Wholeness.
d) The Hero confronts the Old and New Selves (represented by a Greater Antagonism) and Masters the Two Worlds and Selves to remove incompatibilities and attain Completeness.
(For the Complete 188+ stage Hero’s Journey simply go to http://www.heros-journey.info/ )
ABRIDGED TIPS, EXCERPTS AND EXAMPLES:
*****Celebrating the Physical Crossing*****
A celebration marks the Crossing into the World of the Transformation. In Bonnie and Clyde (1967), Bonnie isn?t worried that they’ve shot someone, she?s happy about it [in the cinema].
*****Dissatisfaction*****
Part of the Period of Desolation. Before the Hero commits to the Journey and Transformation or is forced to by an Unbearable Antagonism, dissatisfaction and frustration sets in. In Brokeback Mountain (2005), Enis asks “…why didn?t we get the powdered milk…”
Learn more…
WRITE THAT SCREENPLAY!
The Complete 188 stage Hero?s Journey and other story structure templates can be found at http://www.heros-journey.info/
188 stages of the Hero’s Journey can also be reached from http://www.story-structure.org/
You can also receive a free sample file by entering your email address at this site.
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Kal Bishop, MBA
