The Hero’s Journey

Jun 4

By Brandon Ross

Near the summer of 1995, a woman decided to go on a hike. After the loss of her mother, a battle with addiction, and an end to a long-term relationship, she needed to get back to herself; to go on a journey. This woman is Cheryl Strayed, and her journey through the Pacific Crest Trail, a hiking trail spanning from Mexico to Canada, has transformed into a worldwide known story through Cheryl’s memoir Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail.

Encompassing the very idea of journey, a story like Wild became so popular because it uses a real life experience that is attainable for an audience. Setting off to go on a hike somewhere is not a completely impossible pursuit for most people. In that regard, Cheryl Strayed’s Wild acts as a modern-day hero’s journey that offers an experience people can take in their own lives to deal with any personal turmoil.

But wait a minute, what is a hero’s journey? Surely it must be based solely on epic tales of hiking? Well, not exactly…

Photo by Artem Podrez from Pexels — Photo by **Artem Podrez** from **Pexels**

The hero’s journey is a narrative arc that involves a hero (the protagonist) going on an adventure that ultimately transforms the internal aspects of the hero and the external world around them. While the hero’s journey was first fully identified as a narrative structure by Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero With A Thousand Faces, elements of the hero’s journey have existed in tales across history from ancient myths, 20th century comparative mythology teachings from Carl Jung and C.S. Lewis, and the many powerful myths of medieval folklore that still play a role in modern stories today (Campbell dives deeper into historical hero’s journeys in his book). Many bestselling books of the modern day use hero’s journey arcs; The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, and The Hunger Games to name a few.

Within Joseph Campbell's hero’s journey template, there are three primary stages: Departure, Initiation, and Return. Departure deals with the hero leaving the ordinary world through a “call to adventure” that leads them into the special world; Initiation places the hero through various tasks to overcome the primary obstacle/enemy in the special world; Return shows the hero integrating back into the ordinary world with a sense of transformation for the journey they have embarked on. In a more detailed manner, the hero’s journey structure can be fleshed out in these key stages:

1. Ordinary World

This may be the most important step of the entire journey. Not for the sake of the hero, but for the reader. This stage establishes the everyday lifestyle of the hero, their outlook on life, and the world they live within. Conveying the entire mood of both the hero and their environment in a compelling way will make or break the rest of the journey. Since Joseph Campbell notes this is the one part of the hero's journey that takes place before the “journey” begins, the hero is most likely oblivious to the adventure to come. For that reason, focusing directly on the hero and certain aspects of their origin story that creeps into their daily routine can help the reader identify who this person is and why they should care for the hero.

For Cheryl, the Ordinary World stage is placed in an interesting way. There are two Ordinary World stages; one that exists at the beginning of the story and one occurs throughout the story in the form of flashbacks to her ordinary life prior to her decision to walk the PCT. The one at the start of the book describes her arriving the night before she begins hiking the PCT, while the ongoing flashbacks of her life throughout the story showcase her reasons for needing to hike the trail in the first place.

Questions to ask yourself when constructing your Ordinary World section:

Does my story have a strong opening paragraph that will draw readers into learning more about the hero?
Am I showing and not simply telling readers about the hero’s everyday life?
Have I drawn in the general mood of both the hero and their environment?
What is the hero’s journey of life prior to the initial? What aspects of their origin story are important to the present story?
What is the hero’s outlook on life? What are their capabilities?
Why should a reader care about this hero?

2. Call to Adventure

The hero’s journey truly begins with a call to adventure. In this stage, a certain unfamiliar call to action appears in the hero’s present life. The calling could be a threat, a secret, an urgent mission, a hike, and even a single look from another person. In Wild, the call to adventure is Cheryl's own challenge to herself to "walk 1,000 miles to become the person my mother always thought I was." Whatever the call to adventure may be, it brings the story forward and releases the hero from their day to day routine. At this point, the hero may not even realize that they have begun their journey; but it is surely going to build into something.

Questions to ask yourself when constructing your Call to Adventure section:

Have I constructed my call to adventure in a way that does not sound forced or cliche?
How is the call to adventure related to the hero? Is there anything within the hero that will make them want to accept/reject the call?

3. Rejection of the Call

For whatever reason, the hero is hesitant to accept the call to action. In this stage, the hero refuses the call to action due to a specific internal or external issue that drives their doubt in accepting the call. In Wild, the rejection of the call was Cheryl realizing just how physically exhausting the trip would be. Within a few hours, she is nearly ready to quit her trail. This makes the rejection of the call stage a good period of the story to learn more about what's at stake for the hero in their personal life, and what fears they have about the world or themselves. By presenting the hero’s fears, readers may empathize and understand the hero more. Since having a hero who is perfect at everything may just be a little boring (and not relatable to human life and experience).

Questions to ask yourself when constructing your Rejection of the Call section:

What issue is stopping the hero from accepting the call?
What are the hero’s inner fears? What are their fears about the external world?
How does the hero’s internal or external issues correlate with their hesitation in accepting the call?

4. Meeting the Mentor

While the period of rejection to the call may last a certain amount of time, the story will need to progress if it’s going to encounter the following steps of the hero’s journey. In this stage, the hero encounters a mentor who gives the hero something that will move the hero’s journey forward. This can be through training, an acquiring of knowledge, and even an encouraging speech that will boost the hero’s self-confidence.

A mentor is most often an external person within the story (like how Haymitch mentors Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games); though the hero can also act as their own mentor by examining their own actions and choosing to push forward (like how Cheryl Strayed decides herself to keep moving forward on the hike regardless of her own doubts). This stage of the story will bring out some of the courage within the hero as they acquire a newfound possession from the mentor; which will make the reader root for the hero if done correctly.

Questions to ask yourself when constructing your Meeting the Mentor section:

Who is the mentor? Why should the hero and reader trust the mentor?
Have I written the interaction between the mentor and the hero in a way that might seem forced or cliche?
Should the mentor be within the hero or an external person in the story?
What is the mentor giving to the hero? Why is this important to the story?

5. Crossing the Threshold

At this point in the story, only one thing is certain; the hero has accepted this journey. In this stage, the hero is leaving their ordinary world with their newfound possession from the mentor and beginning their adventure.This is the moment when Cheryl decides to push forward, regardless of her doubts, and journey into the depths of the PCT. While each story has their own set of crossings, the main aspect of this stage is a departure from what the hero has always known into the unknown of the journey ahead. In romance, this can be the moment the protagonist decides to pursue a relationship with the lover. In horror, this may be the moment the protagonist decides to open that creepy box in their attic. Whatever crossing is taken, this moment solidifies the hero’s commitment to the journey in some form.

Questions to ask yourself when constructing your Crossing the Threshold section:

Have I ensured to keep up the dynamic of the hero’s inner fears while crossing the threshold to raise the stakes of the story?
What is my hero crossing into? How will the reader know the hero is crossing into this unknown world?
At this point, how is my hero feeling? Am I ensuring that their character, dialogue, and voice is cohesive throughout the story so far?

6. Tests, Allies, Enemies

There is one word to describe this stage of the story; tension. In this stage, the hero encounters obstacles, allies, and enemies while moving forward to reach the hero’s ultimate goal. The obstacles will often include both internal and external issues the hero must face. Along the way, the hero will form alliances to help alleviate some of these obstacles, and meet enemies who will try and sway the hero off their journey. This may be the longest stage of the journey; considering the time needed to develop the obstacles, allies, and enemies the hero may encounter.

Even in the most isolated hero’s journeys like Wild (Cheryl hiking all alone), Cheryl still encounters other hikers on the trail (allies), dangerous animals and hillbillies (enemies), and the numerous environmental hurdles along the Pacific Crest Trail (obstacles). There is a deeper, more evident enemy Cheryl is also facing on the trail; herself. This balance between the internal conflict of the hero and the external hurdles around them will help build tension throughout the middle section of a hero’s journey if done correctly.

Questions to ask yourself when constructing your Tests, Allies, Enemies section:

Who are their enemies? What are their motivations?
Who are their allies? What common ground do the allies share with the hero?
What are the internal and external obstacles the hero will face?
Have I given enough time for these obstacles, allies, and enemies to develop in a way that does not feel forced or cliche?

7. Approach to the Inmost Cave

After building tension through obstacles, allies, and enemies, the hero is now drawing close to reaching their goal. Though, they have not yet encountered the worst to come; the thing they fear the most. In this stage, the hero is nearing a danger or inner conflict up until now they have not had to face. Since this will be their greatest obstacle so far, the hero may begin to doubt themselves or become slightly overwhelmed with fear. This will lead the character to reflect on their journey so far, as well as their own fears; helping the reader identify with and root for the hero. For Cheryl, this stage shows her nearing uncharted territory in the PCT, as the memories of her past become more intense and visceral throughout the trail; consuming her with both fear and a determination to push forward.

Questions to ask yourself when constructing your Approach to the Inmost Cave section:

What is my hero’s greatest fear? Both externally and internally? Has that fear played into the character’s actions, dialogue, and thoughts?
Am I showing and not simply telling these fears within the story?

8. Ordeal

Alas, after encountering allies, obstacles, enemies, and a venture into their own fears; the true test has come. In this stage, the hero must face a supreme ordeal that may be an internal inner crisis or an external dangerous physical test (or somewhere in between) which defines whether or not the hero survives or the world they live in continues for better if they win, or worse if they lose. Using all of the skills the hero has learnt so far, they will face this ordeal that can range anywhere from a great internal fear to a mortal enemy. For Cheryl, her major Ordeal was encountering a deadly terrain that offered little to no water, leaving her to ration the small amounts of water she had left; as she continues to face her past and focus on how it has affected her.

In this moment, it is only through some form of “death” that the hero can beat this obstacle. They must shed a part of their past from themselves if they wish to continue on into the future. In some regards, the Ordeal stage may be associated with the All Is Lost Moment often used in screenplay writing. This is the moment when the character seems close enough to failure, when the audience can think of no other way the character could get out of this rut because it’s just so irreversible. It’s in this moment when the character loses their old self, and becomes anew.

Questions to ask yourself when constructing your Ordeal section:

What is this great ordeal? Should it be internal or external (or both)?
Where is the hero’s All Is Lost Moment within the story?
What does the hero “lose” in order to become anew and beat the ordeal?
Have I constructed this character thoroughly enough to make sure that the action they choose in the ordeal is actually something they would do and not just to follow a structure? Are their previous actions, dialogues, and thoughts progressing cohesively to make this moment seem authentic?

9. Reward

Following defeating the Ordeal, and overcoming their greatest fear/inner challenge, the hero is resurrected into a changed person. In this stage, the changed hero gains a reward of some kind. This can be a great treasure, another person, but more often, a newfound perspective of some kind. This newfound perspective offers redemption, forgiveness, and acceptance. After receiving this reward, the hero must return back to their Ordinary World with their newfound-selves. For Cheryl, the reward came after surviving the deadly terrain and reaching Ashton; rewarding herself with food, a new set of clothes, and a sum of cash for the remainder of her hike which she had mailed to herself prior to the trip.

Questions to ask yourself when constructing your Reward section:

What is my hero’s reward? Is it internal or external?
How does my reward relate to the story itself? What is the best kind of reward for the character in this particular story?
How has this character changed? How will their actions, thoughts, or dialogue be different in the remaining stages of the journey?

10. Road Back

Though the hero has conquered their greatest fear, that does not mean the journey is over. In this stage, the hero enters the return threshold towards the Ordinary World to overcome any remaining obstacles with their newfound reward. The fear of a certain danger the hero once felt is now exchanged with a certain assurance that they can conquer any remaining obstacles; leading them on a pathway to bliss. In fact, their original goal may have even switched while gaining a new perspective for their “changed selves”. At this point, the hero may contemplate between an original goal and that of a newer, better goal that they found through their own transformation.

For Cheryl, the Road Back occurs after she leaves Ashton with her newfound sense of strength for the trail. Drawing closer to civilization and an ordinary life in society, she is both excited and scared. Desperate to get home, to be immersed in society, but also terrified to leave the trail behind and all that it has taught her. With this new strength, there is another wound that begins to open; the one from her mother's passing. As well, the wounds that came collectively from her life; wounds that still need to be healed as she nears the end of the trail.

Questions to ask yourself when constructing your Road Back section:

Is there a newfound goal the hero has now that they have “transformed’ in some way? Has the hero found a newfound goal for the better (or worse if it turns into an anti-hero storyline)?
How will this transformed character act? And how can I keep this character familiar enough for the readers to relate to?

11. Resurrection

On the way back to the Ordinary World, the hero reaches the climax of the journey. In this stage, the hero must face their final and most dangerous encounter with death (or a form of inner death of their past selves to move forward). Considering a climax is known as the most intense, exciting, or important point of the story, it must link everything your hero (and the reader) has endured to get to this point. Each stage leads to this point, so the climax must embody the entire concept and theme of the story to truly connect the storyline together.

Ultimately, the hero faces their last great challenge and emerges with another newfound reward from their accomplishment. As Cheryl nears the end of the trail, she is met once again with that overwhelming feeling that came from her mother's death. Sorting through the loss, she finally finds herself again somewhere at the ending points of the trail. She knows now that she is ready to move on, if not move on, move both in and out of the woman she once was, to the woman she can now become.

Questions to ask yourself when constructing your Resurrection section:

Does my climax embody the concept and theme of the story? Does it pronounce something greater than the story and the character?
What is the hero facing? What are they confronting so that they can return into the Ordinary World?
Have I ensured that the climax does not seem too forced or cliche? Does it truly work with the story and not just for the structure?

12. Return with the Elixir

In the final stage, the hero returns back to the Ordinary World, an ultimately changed person. With this change, they achieve a final award known as an Elixir. The Elixir can be a treasure, a romantic connection, a victory in battle, and especially a newfound perspective. As Cheryl Strayed took her last steps off the Pacific Crest Trail and asked herself “what if I forgave myself?” that was a form of an Elixir; a newfound sense of wisdom. The hero and reader may now rest, knowing the world is both entirely the same and completely different to how it was before the journey began.

This timeless approach to storytelling leaves the reader, in their final moments between the last few pages, recognizing that their life too is both entirely the same and now completely different with this newfound perspective they captured while reading the story.

Questions to ask yourself when constructing your Return with the Elixir section:

What has my hero gained and lost throughout the story? How can this be presented in the Elixir?
Have I given enough time for the falling action to take place after the climax?
What is the feeling I want to capture in my final paragraph? How does that feeling relate to the general theme of my story?

A hero is nothing without a journey. A journey is nothing without a hero. Whatever hero you choose to write or read, enjoy their journey. Across all of our lives, we have nothing more than a constant journey of life; filled with other intricate heroic journeys in different stages of our lives. These journeys change with our shifting perspectives, and become stories someone may want to tell one day. At We Write Stories, transforming these real life journeys into books is just one of the ways we encourage storytelling.

Storytelling may not solve all of humanity's problems, nor will it keep us all safe. But it will encourage something, something great; to be heroic, to strive for something, to reach beyond our own lives. Maybe that is brave, and transformative, and on some days even enough. So, what is your journey?

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