#the hero's journey

[blorbocedes]

yuki tsunoda's formula one career so far // the hero’s journey (myth and the movies, by stuart voytilla)

[the960writers]

The Heroine's Journey

Hello writers, I want to introduce you all to The Heroine’s Journey.

I've pulled this together from an old series of posts I've written for a project at @the-wip-project. There will be homework!

Through general media consumption most of us know about or have at least unknowingly absorbed The Hero’s Journey. I spare you the details, they’re easy to look up, but in the most general sense, lots of very successful stories are set up like this:

The Ordinary World

The Call of Adventure

Refusal of the Call

Meeting the Mentor

Starting the Quest

Tests, Allies, Enemies

Approach the Underworld

The Ordeal

Reward

The Road Back

Recognition

Glory, Reward, and Isolation

If you look at that and think “Star Wars: A New Hope” you got it exactly right. A lot of successful stories are written with these steps in mind. It usually follows a hero, who has to overcome internal and external conflicts to reach their goal.

The lesser known Heroine’s Journey is the equivalent to this but with a focus on connections and relationships. Where the Hero’s Journey is about a lone hero, the Heroine’s Journey is about finding community.

The concept of the Heroine’s Journey is not new but there wasn’t a lot of easy to read literature written about it. But recently, Gail Carriger has written a delightful and educational non-fiction book for writers and readers, called, not surprisingly, The Heroine’s Journey.

The terms Hero and Heroine are gender neutral, for instance the movie Wonder Woman is a Hero’s Journey while a buddy comedy like Man In Black is a Heroine’s Journey (generalizing here).

I like to think about it in terms of found family and friends. These stories are Heroine's journeys, they tell of community building and how we are stronger together. If you think about your WIP and how it can be applied to it, it might just blow your mind. Let me just says those tropes, “found family”, “the gang gets together”, “me and my friends gonna kick your ass” that we all love? Those are all elements of The Heroine’s Journey 😘. Doesn't that sound great?

Just to compare it to the list I made at the beginning of the post, The Heroine's Journey has the following points:

A broken familial network

Heroine's pleas are ignored

Abdication of power

Family offers aid

Subversion and disguise

Find surrogate family

Visit the Underworld, search aided by companions

Information gathering, delegation, networking

Negotiation for reunification

Revenge and Glory are irrelevant

Network established or rebuilt

Let me just put in a graphic here that Gail Carriger provided on her website.

Homework: The Heroine’s Journey begins with the protagonist having broken with their familial network, their pleas being ignored, turning away / being pushed out from their position, and finding help from family/friends. Think how this beginning could apply to your WIP.

I'm pretty sure, a few of you had the kind of “omg why did I not see that?” epiphany with The Heroine’s Journey 😀. Same thing happened to me and I realized why one story just wasn’t working. It couldn’t work because I was trying to cram a Heroine story into a Hero’s Journey. If you want to hear the author Sasha Black have that kind of epiphany live on air (so to speak), listen to this [podcast], where she interviews Gail Carriger about The Heroine’s Journey. Just be warned, that epiphany involves a lot of swearing 😜.

We talked about the beginning of the Heroine’s Journey. In this first part, the Heroine is involuntarily kicked out of their familial network. This is one of the main differences to the Hero’s Journey, where the Hero refuses and turns away voluntarily. The first part of the Heroine’s Journey is about involuntary isolation.

The Hero refuses the quest, for whatever reason, the Heroine is getting kicked into the quest.

The next part is the Search.

The Heroine’s Journey follows a pattern of connections, reunification, finding family. Mentally, physically, or emotionally. A successful journey ends with new connections, new community.

The Heroine searches for new connections, new companions, to solve the problem the story gives them. Often they employ disguise/subversion and alter their identity in this part. They form a new network, a found family. With the network, they go on a quest into “the Underworld” to gather information and build more connections.

Homework: Applying the Heroine’s Journey to your WIP, what connection does your protagonist make? What kind of community do they form? And if you have a problem with your WIP, maybe try giving your protagonist more friends?

As humans, we easily think in binary concepts, things are either this way or that way. But in reality, things overlap, mix and match, and the same can be said for the Heroine’s Journey and the Hero’s Journey.

Stories can have a Hero and a Heroine working together. Think about your basic buddy comedy, the one stoic character who wants to work alone and the fun character, who has many friends and connections. That’s a Hero with a Heroine in the same story and one possible arc could be that the Hero changes into a Heroine.

In romance, you often have the bad boy, a rogue character, who wants to stay on a Hero’s Journey, but the love of the one good person in their life changes them and pulls them into their Heroine’s Journey.

Stories with multiple characters may have each character on a different journey, with different focal points on what is important for their journey.

I also think that fanfiction often has a way of turning a Hero’s Journey into a Heroine’s Journey. When the source material says “and they won the fight but now they’re all alone”, fanfic takes a stick and whacks that on the head with “but what if they had friends /whack/”, “and they all lived together in a house /whack/”, “and they raised tomatoes, kids, and chickens together /whack whack whack/”.

Homework: Think of your favorite characters (from your WIP or from an interesting source material) and identify who leans more towards Hero and who leans more towards Heroine. Sketch out how they influence each other and what direction their stories could go.

This has been a short overview of the Heroine’s Journey, if you’re interested in this structure, I very much recommend the book [https://gailcarriger.com/books/the-heroines-journey-for-authors-book/]. It’s really a fun read, Gail Carriger did not switch to some weird academic tone for this book. She has lots of popular examples in the book, to illustrate how these concepts apply to stories we know and love.

[all-0f-the-above]

the superhero's parallel to the hero's journey is one of an almost unbreakable curse: someone is harmed or killed while you are unable to stop it. you spend the next part of your life learning how to stop exactly that, promising yourself it won't happen again. you think to yourself, "if only I had been more prepared the first time, then I could have stopped it."

except defusing bombs isn't the issue. the person planting them is.

betrayal can't be anticipated: that's what makes it a betrayal.

and it's impossible to predict every single time someone will need life saving medical care.

still, you fantasize, "if I had the knowledge I have now, things would be different." and you save others from the same situation. time and time again. but still you ache. you didn't do it all those years ago. it haunts your every triumph.

it's not until you look in from the outside. the exact same thing happens to someone else this time, and you weren't able to stop it.

as you're beating yourself up for it and desperately trying to control the damage that's been done, you see someone sitting off to the side. they are alone and wrapped in a blanket. when you talk to them, you are shocked to hear that they blame themselves.

"What?!" you exclaim, "it wasn't your responsibility to stop this- you couldn't have known! it's on the shoulders of the perpetrators and people like me, who couldn't make it in time."

they are inconsolable. "from now on," they say, "I won't be so naive, and I will do everything I can to stop this from happening again."

you know when a battle is lost, so all you can do is nod and step away. back to your own business.

but it makes you terribly sad for someone to lose their innocence in such a way. to blame themselves for the consequences of someone else's evil. to never again see the world as a hopeful place: just a mosaic of fulfilled and missed opportunities.

and your story, the hero's story, will be tragic as long as you continue without looking inward.

it is only by considering your own beliefs that you are free of the vicious cycle:

sometimes, there is no happy ending, no clever way out. sometimes, awful things happen and there is nothing we can do about it. all we can do is pick ourselves off the ground, movement by excruciating movement, and hold our heads high. we continue. because it is worth it. not because you can "fix" things now. not because you will do things "right" this time. but because you deserve a good life. a life after the bad things. a joyful life.

this is when when you, the hero, finally realize that you're living a triumph. that even after something tragic happens, your life is not a tragedy.

[wistfulnightingale]

Purged by Fire (or, Crowley as The Romantic Hero of Good Omens)

Mini-Meta #6 (Based on my Meta Analysis "Somewhat Heroes")

Does this scene make your heart flutter just a bit, like mine does? Crowley arrives, Bentley blazing, Queen music blaring. He blithely hops out of the flaming car with the sensual swagger of a lover meeting his partner for a romantic picnic on a windswept hill. Crowley greets Aziraphale as if no one else exists! Despite Shadwell's "trigger finger" in the foreground, we get a sunset shot of the young lovers. Like an old cinema movie, they are silhouetted and dappled with light.

Crowley leans in towards his Beloved. Their hair barely brushes Crowley's face. The Lover is so close that he breathes in the familiar fragrance. ("I know what you smell like!"). His Beloved was in Distress, but He's here now! Crowley's voice is deep and gentle as he murmurs, "Leave it to me." The Romantic Hero will rescue his Beloved once again, here at the climax of all the adventures they've ever had!

Crowley languidly strolls to the armed soldier. Everything's under control now, Crowley is here... "Army Human, my Friend and I have come a long way..." They arrived separately, after conflict and tragedy -- but none of that matters, they're together again. Here. Now. They will get through this, and they will finally have their Happily Ever After...

Suddenly, the scene shatters. A bike bell jingles, the Them ride through the gates, the soldier runs after the kids, and the Bentley explodes. We're thrown into a different old movie -- a tragic love story where the Hero is silhouetted against the sunset Grieving His Beloved! :D

Part of the joy of Good Omens is that it has so many serious things to say, without ever taking itself toooo seriously. This moment is one of them! But we love Crowley. We're supposed to. And he's so darn lovably human!

That's the point, though, isn't it? A Romantic Hero of Classic Cinema is often someone so glorious that they don't belong in Real Life. Unattainable. Maybe even aloof, above the fray. Despite his pretense and shields, Crowley is anything but aloof, and he struggles with the fray as much as any of us who are "Human Incarnate."

Crowley loves to play the Romantic Hero, and Aziraphale loves to set up dramatic situations for him, to let himself be rescued. It's a sweet and romantic game they play. (Full confession -- I should have put in the shot with Azi in the foreground, looking at Crowley. But Ooooh, this photo looks So Good!)

In Season 1, however, Crowley never quite gets to fulfill that role in a Classic way. Even when we examine the Classic Steps of a Hero's Journey, he doesn't meet those criteria either (nor does Aziraphale). But it's because he's not meant to be a Classic Hero above the rest of us. He (and Azi) are just like us -- they fumble along. They make bad choices and heroic choices and say stupid things sometimes and say noble things occasionally, just like we do.

The Heroic Journey that Crowley does travel, however, leads our demon to discover his greatest fear, and to overcome it. He had believed that his greatest fear was Punishment by Hell. It had happened enough before, and it was horrible. (See my Mini-Metas #1 and #4 for more on this.). After Hell kidnapped him from Edinburgh, he was punished so terribly that his corporeal body was stiff and straight, and he'd needed a cane (#4).

Crowley's fear of Hell kept him from recognizing what his Truly Greatest Fear was -- the fear of losing Aziraphale, and of facing eternity without him.

When Crowley loses Aziraphale, the optimistic demon loses all hope. He gets drunk, gets swallowed up by his most painful memories (The Fall), and waits for Armageddon. When Aziraphale returns to him, he is restored, renewed, and faces every obstacle with no visible fear. He has been purged by fire. Crowley finally recognizes himself for who he truly is, not defined by his demon identity. Neither the threats of Hell nor his own fears of being "Unforgivable" stand in his way anymore. Their Happy Ending is possible, but he will have to fight for it. And he's ready this time...

Once Crowley realizes his own worth, no obstacle seems insurmountable. He will fight for his Beloved, and he will not let their chances slip away. Crowley faces Hastur in the Bentley without fear. He survives the Hellfire of the M-25 by sheer willpower and "Imagination". Even when the unvanquishable Satan approaches, for the sake of Aziraphale, he does not give in. If Satan wins, it will not be Aziraphale's choice to "never speak to [Crowley] again." They would be eternally parted, and likely one or both would no longer exist. In a heroic act, Crowley stops time, and Our Ineffable Somewhat Heroes give Adam the knowledge he needs to overcome Satan himself.

And that night, after it's all over, in that brief interlude before they'll face their enemies again, the romantic moment of fulfillment happens. Quietly. Gently. No musical crescendo, no sweeping panoramas or even a clear view of the stars. Just a very gentle and loving demon on a bus stop bench with the angel he loves. He offers. The angel considers, uncertain. Crowley is tender, patient, accepting. The bus arrives. The angel is still thinking.

And when they get on the bus, as Aziraphale reaches the seat where Crowley waits, the demon takes his hand down from the railing. He is subtle, he rests his hand low. I imagine a small gesture, an extension of the fingers, an invitation.

As Aziraphale sits down, he takes Crowley's hand. (It's canon.)

It's a Promise. A vow. It's the moment they've waited 6000 years for. And now they are ready to fulfill it.

[superfan44]

Why Sora Should be Treated the Same as Superman (An Opinion Piece)

As I get older, I'm able to look at various fictional characters more closely, understanding more about why they're so iconic. A few years ago, I gained a renewed interest in the Kingdom Hearts franchise, seeing why so many people love its story, characters, and of course, its crossover element with Disney and Final Fantasy. I want to take a little look at the franchise's main protagonist, Sora, shed a light on him if you will. I feel you could draw some similarities between him and the DC Comics hero Superman (aka Kal-El, aka Clark Kent).

Now, I know this may seem like an odd comparison to some of you, but personally, I think it does kind of make sense when you think about it. Obviously these two have very different personalities, backstories, powers, and motivations that drive them. However, both are kindhearted, optimistic heroes from humble beginnings, with a strong sense of justice and morality. Not to mention a desire to help others and do the right thing.

Their respective actions certainly speak for themselves on that front, as they each go about it in their own unique way. In the comic book All-Star Superman, one issue sees him fighting a group of lizard men invading from the Earth's core. Then, in another issue, we see him stop a depressed teenage girl from stepping off a building, giving her comfort and support. Yes, he's got super strength and godlike powers, but he's also considerate, compassionate, and gentle enough to offer a helping hand whenever needed. Superman is a hero who inspires the best in all of us. He is, as filmmaker James Gunn once put it, kindness in a world that sees kindness as old fashioned. Even though he lives on a planet he wasn't born on, he still aspires to bring hope to that planet, providing them a light to show the way. Krypton made him the man of steel, but Earth made him human.

There are moments in the Kingdom Hearts series where we see a bit of that kindness mirrored in Sora as well. One minute he would be cutting down Heartless with his keyblade, the next he'll be enjoying good times with his friends, old and new. Whether it's dancing around with Rapunzel in the Kingdom of Corona, visiting Winnie the Pooh and his pals in the 100 Acre Wood, or helping to make Boo laugh in Monstropolis. He protects the world order and fights against the forces of evil, but he's also having fun along the way. There's a playfulness to Sora, a big smile on his face that warms people up inside. He's a brave young man who can easily form connections with anyone he comes across. There are still hardships to face, but he perseveres through it, showing that deep down, there is a light that never goes out. Even when it seems like he's on the verge of giving up, his friends are there to inspire him and lift him back up, just as he had done for them. He follows his heart, which is, and has always been, his guiding key.

You could say that these similarities are due to the fact that Sora and Superman are very much archetypal heroes. Joseph Cambel's hero's journey cycle (which also heavily influenced Star Wars) can be seen in both of their respective journeys. Individuals from humble beginnings who venture out into the wide world ahead of them, encountering various allies, enemies, and obstacles along the way. The journey ultimately leads to the heroes gaining greater powers and becoming more than who they were before.

It's also worth noting that another thing Superman and Sora have in common is that sometimes they are both willing to take great risks in order to save the people that they love. In Superman: The Movie, the man of steel himself flies around the Earth at great speed, turning back time to save Lois Lane from an earthquake. In Kingdom Hearts 3, Sora uses the power of waking to bring back Kairi after her body was destroyed by Xehanort, sacrificing his own life in the process.

So, why do I bring all of this up? Because I believe that this is something that writers should keep in mind when tackling Sora, whether it's for fan fiction, comics, novels, etc. I've noticed this trend on the internet of people deconstructing the psychology of Sora and delving into the negative effects that his adventures have had on him. A few of them have even declared his optimism and playful smile as a form of "toxic positivity". While it does seem like an interesting idea, I feel like it's causing people to forget about why they love him in the first place. In some cases, there are those who end up going too far with that notion.

Not long ago, I stumbled upon a Kingdom Hearts fan fiction story titled Keys to the Kingdom. Basically, it reads as an alternate universe reimagining of the events of Kingdom Hearts 3. Even though it was well written, this version of the story gets extremely dark, depressing, and cynical. Not only that, but it also mistreats Sora in a somewhat disturbing way, portraying him as a tortured and tormented soul. While his arc in this does prove to be compelling at times, it was still very jarring, making for an overall unpleasant experience. The fic seemed to be so focused on beating this character down, so intent on having him suffer throughout, that it ends up losing sight of what makes him so endearing and likable. Or, to borrow a quote from the young keyblade wielder himself:

"You're so caught up in finding the shadows, you forgot about the light that cast them."

This doesn't feel too out of place with the "evil Superman" trend that was around for a period of time. The video game Injustice is a prime example of this, as it depicts Superman as a merciless dictator of a fascist regime, who rules with an iron fist and shows no compassion towards crime or his enemies. Even other creations like Homelander from The Boys and Omni-Man from Invincible are representations of this idea since they are basically evil Superman-types. Admittedly, I do give those two a little more leeway since they were made specifically for the stories they came from. They are not directly related to Superman other than having similar powers. Although this concept can be fun to tackle with an original character, I don't think it feels right to try to do it with the genuine article himself. That's not really who he is.

When making the first Superman movie back in 1978, director Richard Donner took it upon himself to do the big blue boy scout justice. He didn’t want the material to be treated with disrespect, nor to be seen as a joke. There's a word he used to emphasize this as a top priority: "verisimilitude". For those unfamiliar, the basic definition of it is the appearance of being true and real. Not only was that word hung up on the wall above Donner's office (which it was), but it also established the mission statement that many of the great superhero movies made in the years since then have followed:

Be truthful, honor the source material, believe in it, take it seriously.

This is the type of mindset that should be adopted by anyone who adapts any kind of preexisting work, especially when it comes to something like Kingdom Hearts. If you want a good example of how to write Sora in a way that showcases how great he is while also being faithful to who he is, there's another fan fiction story titled Starbound, created by my friend @skygent. An anthology with an overarching narrative mixed in, it uses the setup of Sora's disappearance at the end of Kingdom Hearts 3 as a way to examine the impact that he's had on all of his friends and allies. In a deeper, meta sense, it offers an analysis of the connection that fans of the franchise itself have formed with him.

The stuff that has been written so far for this fic is absolutely amazing. In fact, it's what led to my renewed interest in Kingdom Hearts in the first place. It has pretty much what you would want in a story like this one. Balancing a sense of scale, mystery, and adventure, but also quiet reflection. Offering some fun little twists, but still retaining the core essence of what the source material is all about. Through this story, we see various characters (including some not featured in the games) learning of and reacting to Sora's disappearance, remembering their encounters with him in the past. Some of them are even inspired to try and figure out where he is, willing to doing whatever it takes to help find him and bring him back home. Here, they demonstrate just how much he means to them, just as they all do to him.

To be clear, I'm not saying that Sora should stay exactly the same. In a series like Kingdom Hearts, we want to see those characters grow and evolve. With the things that Sora has experienced throughout the series, and with where we will find him at in Kingdom Hearts 4, it'll be interesting to see where he goes next. At the same time though, we also should remind ourselves that people love this character for a reason. As this young hero embarks on his newest adventure, he shouldn't lose what makes him who he is as a person. Instead of pulling him apart, I think Sora is someone who deserves to be celebrated. To be treated with dignity and respect, just as Donner did for the last son of Krypton. In the same way we've celebrated Superman over the years for what he stands for and represents, Sora should also be recognized in an equally similar way. Their respective core values and good morals, all the stuff that makes them heroes. It's these things that turned them into pop culture icons who remain with us to this day. It's why they will continue to be icons in the foreseeable future.

Two beacons, shining bright in the darkness. Never forget that.

[rebuke-me]

be more chill : hero, heroine, both or neither

or, jupes cares way too much about the journeys of media and audience reception

to start, am I allowed to flex my (near) college degrees? I'm going to. I'm doing college level research into the heroines journey, writing, and how audiences respond to it, and I have a fascination with fandom experiences. this is going to be mostly intellectual, but also be an attempt to be accessible for non-obsessed nerds like me. but this will assume you have at least a passing knowledge of the plot of the musical be more chill, a semi-awareness of the heros journey, and care about storytelling/writing.

now that that's out of the way, there's one more thing I want to get out of the way: my critiques of this show and it's writing is not reflective on the fans that enjoy it. I am a fan of it. I also like media analysis and criticism of things I love. if you are the type of person to take media criticism personally, this post may not be for you. 

on with the actual crux of my post! 

most (fictional) media falls into one of two categories: the hero's journey or the heroines journey. if you've dabbled in media criticism or storytelling, you've probably heard of the hero's journey. if you haven't, maybe you've heard terms like the Call to Adventure or The Death of the Mentor. if you still have no idea what I'm talking about, it's okay, I'll explain beat for beat later.

the heroines journey is more complicated. most writers aren't taught it, it's swept under the rug. which sucks, because it's a very popular storytelling medium, arguably more so than the heros journey. it's just frowned upon and ignored because it's mostly used in genre fiction, like romance novels. I don't have time to unpack misogyny right now. just know that the reason you probably haven't heard of this is because of misogyny.

also, to clarify: a hero does not have to be male, and a heroine doesn't have to be female, at least in the context of journeys. male characters can go on a heroines journey, and vice versa. stories also don't have to hit every single plot beat of a journey to be considered one- it's more of a guideline than a checklist. 

onto the actual topic of be more chill.  I saw a post that sent me on a rabbit hole, that mentioned bmc in the context of a heros journey. and I was like, hold on, no, it's a heroines journey. sure, it has some plot beats of the heros journey, but it's a heroine. right? 

kind of. 

but also kind of not. 

see, be more chill is an interesting media, because it follows, at its core, both journeys at the exact same time. 

we'll start with the heros journey first. it's more familiar to people, and therefore easier to explain. 

the Hero usually has a magical or fantastical birth. strike one against bmc- Jeremy, at his core, is just some guy. he's not special or magic. he's some teenager. 

however, he does get the Call to Adventure- rich, offering him a squip in the bathroom. Jeremy is promised everything he'd ever want. popularity, girls, respect. and still he Refuses the Call at first. he hesitates, then goes and seeks answers on his own, bringing him to the payless, where he buys his squip. 

the squip acts as the Supernatural Aid/Mentor figure. usually, these are male parental figures, or wizened old men. the squip guides Jeremy through his new life and prospects, giving him help that's almost magical. it is the reason he does a lot of things in the plot. this is jeremy’s Withdrawal/Quest- he wants to get popular, get the girl, so he Abandons his Community (his dad and michael) to do so. he metaphorically leaves his home, and it’s all self-motivated. he chooses to leave. 

the next part of the journey is encountering obstacles which is, in fact, the rest of the show. between brooke and chloe, christine liking jake, the halloween party, etc. if there’s a part between jeremy taking the squip and him getting rid of it thats hindering his goals, it falls into this category. 

then there’s the Visit to the Underworld. this is, in most modern media, purely metaphorical. it’s a place where there’s intense pain, death, the main character is at rock bottom. for our purposes (both here, and in the heroine’s journey) this is the play. its entire thing is zombies/zombified people, which is a big thing in metaphorical and literal underworld areas. 

this is where the hero’s journey falls apart. usually, the hero has to face the villain one-on-one, drawing strength from his isolation. he deals the killing blow, he takes down the whole thing, either in a noble sacrifice or with his own wit/skill. 

but jeremy, notably, doesn’t do that. michael brings the mountain dew red, jake attempts to help michael save him, and even in the end, christine is the one to drink it, shutting down the entire web of synced squips. jeremy, as a whole, doesn’t really save himself. potentially, you could argue that him giving the last of the red to christine is him giving a noble sacrifice, but he still had no intent to defeat the squip for himself, get revenge, or get glory, which are the hero’s main motivations and pillars of success. so strike two against the bmc hero’s journey. 

the ending of the journeys are arguably most important. it determines whether or not the media sticks the landing, if its satisfying for the reader. so how does the hero’s journey end? with the hero returning home, fundamentally changed, unable to fit into his previous role. he’s acknowledged for success, rewarded and honored, and receives glory, but also has to leave, isolating himself, but receiving a boon. 

jeremy receives a boon, sure, in the form of christine. (sorry, christine, i wish you weren’t reduced to being a prize to be won, but i can’t pretend that isn’t what you are, from a hero’s journey lens.) but he’s not isolated, he has no reason to leave his community. he gets the best of both worlds. he gets the girl, new friends, new self-confidence, and he keeps his old friends. if this is a hero’s journey, then it’s a terrible ending- jeremy seems to have gone through all of that for nothing. it lands poorly. so, if be more chill is a hero’s journey, it sets it up pretty well, but fails to commit to the ending.

but what about a heroine’s journey, i hear you asking (if you’re still here, that is.)

this is where it gets really interesting. because the heroine’s journey, at its core, is the inverse of the hero’s. it all focuses on community, networking, making connections. there’s a reason a lot of romance novels fall into this journey. It falls into three main arcs- the descent, the search, and the ascent. 

interestingly, if bmc is a heroine’s journey, the Descent starts before the musical does. the first step of the heroine’s journey is the breaking of a familial network. jeremy’s mother has left, leaving just him and his father, who do not get along, and michael, who doesn’t understand, not entirely. jeremy Withdraws. usually, in heroine’s journeys, the heroine withdraws involuntarily, but jeremy chooses to do it. he pulls back from his support network, because of a main factor in the heroine’s journey- Family Offers Aid but No Solution. 

if that doesn’t describe michael’s role in bmc, i have no idea what does. michael’s the one aiding jeremy on his journey, at the beginning. but his aid is “just stick it out,” but that’s a further down the line answer, not a solution to jeremy’s problems now. so he has to pull back from the support system he had, because its not working for him. 

this leads him to Isolation and Danger. because he meets with rich in the bathroom alone. he takes michael to the payless, but he makes the decision alone. and when the squip activates, he’s left by michael, surrounded by people he doesn’t know. he’s isolated, maybe not on the stage itself, but metaphorically. 

this starts jeremy on his Search– he forces himself to withdraw, all to search for unity. he breaks all ties to his previous life, just to look for the one thing he wants. 

in the heroine’s journey, there are two main throughlines– Loss of Family and Disguise. jeremy loses his first family, disguises himself, and attempts to create a surrogate family network. he tries to rebuild his community, shaping himself into something different, trying to find something that he can be or do to be worth it. each of his obstacles is an appeal to a new community, and each one is rejected. 

and then comes the play, which, again, is the underworld. death imagery, loss of control, the literal rock bottom for the characters. jeremy is at his lowest point, everything he’s done is falling apart. and what happens?

his family and friends render aid. as previously mentioned, the hero’s journey focuses on isolation, strength in loneliness, the value of doing things for you and only by you. but the heroine’s journey focuses on strength in numbers, in relying on others for help, in the importance of being saved, sometimes. jeremy’s dad reaches out to michael, who knows how to help, and christine is the one to drink the mountain dew red in the end. jeremy, as a whole, is nothing and would get nowhere without his friends. 

with the defeat of the squip, the Ascent can start. and this is where we, again, ask the question of if be more chill sticks the landing. sure, maybe it didn’t succeed with the hero’s journey ending, but if it sticks the landing for the heroine’s, then its fine, right? it successfully completed one journey, at least!

not really, actually. 

there’s parts where it does land. jeremy’s new network (the popular kids) is established, meaning he has more friends, more opportunities and advice handed to him. his previous network (michael and his dad) is re-established in an altered form. his dad is going to attempt to be better, more involved, and michael is more understanding of where jeremy is at. jeremy also establishes his connection with christine. the defeat of the squip is, as a whole, kind of irrelevant, from a “villain defeat” perspective. there’s no revenge or glory in it. it’s not even entirely gone, but the defeat is more metaphorical. 

so why doesn’t this work? i just told you that it mostly succeeds, that it fits almost all of the criteria. but there’s one fundamental issue with the ending of be more chill as a heroine’s journey. 

see, the heroine has to make a sacrifice, to make negotiations, to give a compromise. otherwise, it feels too easy to the reader. so what sacrifice does jeremy make? he keeps his previous friendship with no issues. he makes new friends who don’t question his decisions. he gets the girl. he gets (mostly) rid of the voice in his head, or gains the ability to ignore it. he gets a happy ending, and it doesn’t feel earned.

so, is jeremy a hero? a heroine? did i just draw you into reading this to leave you with a wishy-washy answer of “he’s whichever you think he is!” maybe a little bit. 

the hero’s journey doesn’t land because there’s no isolation, no sacrifice that jeremy makes to his own connections. he doesn’t draw away and stay there. the bad is defeated, and he doesn’t have to make sacrifices. the heroine’s journey doesn’t land for the same reason, because he doesn’t make a compromise. there’s nothing to prove that something’s changed, that he’s grown, because he’s given everything he wants in the end. 

this is why the story of be more chill, as a whole, doesn’t land for most people, even subconsciously. critics, especially those who love the hero’s journey, are upset that there’s not a satisfying ending to the hero’s journey, that it feels too childish. the happy go lucky “everyone is friends at the end” moment falls flat for those looking at the journey from a hero’s journey perspective. the bones are all there. the plot beats make sense, for the most part, with some minor flaws, right up until the end, where it trips and falls flat on its face. 

but what about the heroine’s journey lovers? well, if you’re in this fandom (or any fandom, for that matter) it’s probably you. (its also me, hi, im calling myself out here, too. i wouldn’t be writing this if i wasn’t so into this.)

the heroine’s journey is particularly attractive to those who are active in fandom. there’s a reason there’s a lot of fanfiction focused on relationships, connection, group dynamics, and not so many on the characters put in a vacuum where they have to defeat the big bad alone. not to say that there aren’t any, but fewer. so how do people who love the heroine’s journey cope with the lack of a satisfying ending? 

fanfiction, mostly. fanart. alternate universes. seeing potential in the bones of the thing, the messages it offers, and making it our own. and there isn’t anything wrong with that. i do it, if you’re reading this, you probably do it, or like when others do it. 

personally, i am more intrigued by be more chill as a heroine’s journey. clearly. i’m biased, i know. because, while it doesn’t stick the landing entirely, it has the messages of a heroine’s journey. that your strength is with other people. that you are not alone. that you should ask for help, you should be kind, you should find the people who care about you. your friends matter, old and new. isolation and disguising yourself as someone you aren’t is never going to help you achieve your goals. and that’s an important factor. 

maybe you see jeremy as a hero. maybe you see him as a heroine. maybe you think that both of these journeys suck and you don’t think it matters which one it follows, or if it follows one at all. but clearly, there’s something to love, to latch onto. there’s flaws, which give us something to analyze, to pull apart and make art and creative works and essays about. it’s not perfect, and that’s why we love it. 

[ because im a library science student, i’m going to give brief sources. i drew my knowledge of the plot of be more chill from my own brain, if i missed anything, its because of that. feel free to point out if i said something wrong, if i did. the hero’s journey is the one by john campbell, and i used the heroine’s journey structure from gail carriger’s book. some other heroine’s journey sources may not fit this as well. if you’re interested in any part of this concept, read The Heroine’s Journey by Gail Carriger, its a fascinating read, and its pretty tongue-in-cheek, and goes way more in depth with a lot of the stuff i touched on. ]

[ also, this should not be used in any actual classes, this is a 20 year old college student with autism and a hyperfixation, i did not do in depth research, i have not graduated yet, i am simply a bitch with a weird brain. do your own research babes <3. with that, thank you for reading this, if you got to this point, feel free to reblog this or like it or leave a comment or whatever. ]

[ananke-xiii]

Here are the stages of grief for belated Destiel fans (I've lived them, I'm still in recover).

1. The downplay: here people acknowledge the existence of Destiel but also think old-time fans exaggerate it. Bear in mind: usually these people have never watched Supernatural before so this can also be called "The blissful ignorance" stage.

2. The curiosity; Usually on Tiktok and usually around Nov 5th, said people get bombared by Destiel-related content. The lingering angst of the fans start to tingle the blissful ignorant's curiosity.

3. The warning: Wise and longstanding fans warn said people against watching SPN. They really do their best, in hindsight one can say that they really cared about newcomers. They scream ZONT ZONT ZO IT at the top of their lungs.

4. The arrogance: said people ignore the wise fans' warnings and proceed to watch SPN thinking they're stronger than anybody and they indeed will AND can ZO IT.

5. The suspect: season 1 starts before said people's eyes and they soon realize Dean is bi-coded and "omg it's so obvious". People start to suspect fans were ALWAYS right.

6. The shock: few episodes in season 4 and now said people are the ones who are screaming. They can't believe their eyes, they repent, they apologize, they BELIEVE.

7.  The rage:  they get angry at the show for gasliting people for 15 years while still watching it because they need MORE.

8. The doubt: people start looking for old online metas because maybe they're getting crazy so they need proofs, receipts, timestamps etc.

9. The certainty: people are now certain even though the show never gave them any certainty. But now they know that "when you know, you know".

10. The consolation: the only thing left to do is watching edits, gifs, other people' comments. Usually these people are never left alone and will be in good company while recovering from the TRAUMA.

TELL ME I DIDN'T SPEAK THE WORD OF GOD NOW!

[escapedaudios]

Long ass post incoming: I'm fascinated by the idea of a victorious villain's narrative. It's an exceedingly rare thing. Ostensibly villainous narratives usually either dilute the evil by twisting themselves into knots to make the villain protagonist justified or empathetic. I never liked the idea that stories are meant to have morals. Ever since I was a child, I always thought the theme was enough. I found fascination in the idea that the wicked have their own untold stories that people are too afraid to write. There's so little material detailing the victory of evil characters that there is no template. There's no inverted monomyth, no long-standing pattern of The Villain's Journey, and that fascinates me. It's wide open for creative exploration. What would it look like?

A good villain must be formidable against the hero. The dark lord in his tower. But what was the climb to the top of that tower like? Why did they do it? What did they feel? Was there pride? Ambition? Fear, and the courage to overcome it? I think there are blind spots in telling this kind of story, because writers erroneously try to justify the motives of a character unconcerned with justice. They don't have to bother with that. Liberated from this, you can tell something much more raw and unconstrained.

Morality is much more malleable than most people are comfortable admitting. What is considered righteous is usually bound to a changing (and often politically influenced) service to whatever social order keeps people feeling safe. The lines we draw are more arbitrary than we want to think. Shifting perspective can move the line between a cruel invader and a brave explorer, a selfish usurper and a righteous rebel, a dangerous outcast and a fascinating renegade, a ruthless savage and an admirable survivor.

I think a good villain story doesn't come from trying to blur or move that line, but to just look away from it. To not care, to not worry if the audience is going to hate or romanticize the character and instead just tell the story and let it be what it is.

I feel like I intended a stronger point, I might revisit this later. Anyway I've been cooking up a villain story for a while. I want to write a character that openly hates, who regrets their acts of kindness and generosity, who stops caring about good and only sees their goal. Their antagonist will not be another, worse villain. Their antagonist will be a righteous person from the point of view of everyone except our evil protagonist. There won't be a downfall where they are punished, only a dark tower and the steep climb into its throne.

[pinkeoni]

Explaining WillEl's Narrative Duality— With Charts!

Today I want to talk about the duality of Will and El's storylines and how paralleled the two are, and to help explain I've drawn little diagrams! (or, me forcing everyone try and read my handwriting)

This will probably be a multi-part post, but I'm going to start with season one since it is the easiest to explain, but also looking at just season one gives a good incite into where their individual arcs are heading.

First, let's start with the narrative backbone— Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey

The Hero's Journey is literary cycle that Joseph Campbell proposed all stories follow. Now whether or not all stories follow it is debatable, but ST actually follows it to a T.

I've simplified it for the sake of this post, but the general gist of it is that the hero starts off in the Known World, or the "Normal World," and then "crosses the threshold" into the Unknown World, or the "Realm of Monsters" as I'm calling it on my little chart. The hero then ends the cycle when they make the return journey back to the Known World with the knowledge they have gained.

Pre-season one, El and Will are sitting on opposite ends of the chart, Will lives in the Known World and El lives in the Unknown World. This will make more sense as I continue explaining.

I guess it's important to note that parts of the Hero's Journey is meant to be transformative based on the work and character that it is applied to. The Unknown World here is the known world to El, but from an audiences perspective her world is the unknown one, thus why I've placed her on that side of the chart. Will and El both follow the same steps of the chart in the same order, but whether they are in the Normal World or Realm of Monsters is different.

Once season one begins and we have our inciting incident, both characters cross the threshold onto the other side of the chart. They basically switch sides. El escapes the lab entering the Normal World and Will is taken to the Upside Down, or the "Realm of Monsters"

We see a lot more of El's story then we do with Will's, but for most of the season Will and El are basically living out opposite arcs. I think if you consider Will having powers, this is especially true.

El is a girl with powers who is learning how to navigate the conventions of the normal world.

Will is a normal boy who is learning how to navigate his powers in the unknown world.

If El is going to survive in this new environment, she has to learn how to dress and act like a normal girl. She has to learn what normal girls wear and what a friend is and how to make promises, all things that kids in the Known World, like Will, are already familiar with. On the other side of this chart, if Will is going to survive his new environment he has to learn how to use his powers. He has to learn how to control the lights so that he can communicate with his mom, something that kids in the Known World would not know, but that kids from the Unknown World, like El, would know.

The climax of season one is when their respective "monsters" are closing in on them. The Demogorgon (Vecna) gets closer to Will and Brenner gets closer to finding El.

Will and El then end the season on opposite ends of the chart once again, having both made their return journey.

(Of course, the story doesn't end there, but this is the resolution that is offered for the first season)

Like I suggested towards the beginning of this post, I feel like examining their respective storylines in this way could help predict the projection of their arcs in season 5, and what the core of their arcs are actually about.

An important aspect of The Hero's Journey that I didn't illustrate on my little chart is "Master of Both Worlds" or the step toward the end where the hero is a master of both the Known World and the Unknown World. This is a step that we haven't quite seen yet with neither Will nor El.

This goes along with my post here where I speculate the conclusion of Will and El's arcs, which includes El becoming her own person outside of being a superhero and Will becomes the chosen one. Considering that Will started off in the Known World and El started off in the Unknown World, the goal for each character has to be about mastering the opposite realm. Will is likely going to become a master of the Upside Down and his powers, and El is going to come into her own person outside of her superhero identity.

[catandgirlcomic]

So cold and so feet

[lisztomaniac-mp3]

wondering what genre my book is or if there's like a specific thing for it help me please

it's meant to give like the magic tree house or those kinds of fantasy books, but more mature, realistic, if something "went wrong". these 2 teens get stuck in a high fantasy world, there's [queer] romance as an important side plot, there's a lot of tragedy and coming-of-age elements, and i used the hero's journey as a sort of guide, but the main character is almost toeing the villain line y'know

so... a tragic coming-of-age fantasy novel with romantic undertones? idk im pantsing it out here

[monsterblogging]

The more I learn about what kind of person Joseph Campbell was, and what exactly the Hero's Journey was meant to uphold and quasi-spiritualize, the more alarmed I am that his ideas are treated like such a big deal.

Anyway, you know what's better than reading a misogynist Nazi-sympathizer's opinions on mythology and folk stories? Actually reading mythology and folk stories, and putting in some effort to learn the actual worldviews of the cultures they're from.

[kelmcdonald]

Hey all! Wanna read my patreon only comic, You are the Chosen One? It's about 23 kids that get the same prophecy dream. It was on a short break while I finished another job, but I've posted pdfs of the story so far for easy reading. Nows a great time to catch up! It's just a $1 a month.

https://www.patreon.com/posts/you-are-chosen-76274291

[writingtheother]

Webinar: The Heroine's Journey with Gail Carriger

We've all heard about the Hero's Journey, but how often do we hear about the Heroine's Journey, Western culture's other prominent story structure?

In this webinar, New York Times bestselling author @gailcarriger provides a full break down of what aspects of the heroine's journey make for compelling narratives and voracious readers, where these elements originate, why they're successful, and how to write them. She'll help you take control of story structure by delving behind the scenes for hidden messages and gain insight into under-studied narrative conventions and modern publishing markets.

After this webinar you'll have the tools to craft narrative beats, steps to write a compelling journey, and an understanding of why these are appealing based on history and mythology. You'll also gain an understanding of why genre fiction (and romance in particular) is dismissed, vilified, and disregarded, and how to combat this negative stereotyping.

You'll leave with a solid and powerful alternate model to the overused and chronically discussed Hero's Journey that is guaranteed to have you looking at and discussing plot structure in pop culture differently for the rest of your life.

When: June 15th, 2024 | 10AM – 5PM Pacific Time Can't make the live webinar? Register to get the recording after Price: $75 – $100 Scholarships Available | Deadline: May 25

Please visit our website more details on registration options, required texts (if any), technical requirements, our accessibility statement, class audience, and the scholarship application.

👉🏾👉🏾 Details and Registration 👈🏾👈🏾

[nephilimeq]

Scott Was Never the Hero

Incoming Rant: Re-watching the first season of TW I have realised why I never felt that Scott was The Hero of the story even if the writers did not stop hammering the idea that he was pure and perfect and always right. He never sacrifices himself. This is a classic of fiction, the hero will always be the one who makes the greatest sacrifices for the common good and for those they love, renouncing happiness, normality and even their own life.

But Scott never does that. Even in the first season this is very clear. The first few episodes emphasise that playing lacrosse and dating Allison are things he wants, but are dangerous to himself and those around him. The narratively logical thing would be that, after a period of selfish refusal, he would realise that the right thing to do is to give up what he loves until he has better control of himself and his new powers, sacrificing his temporary happiness for the good of others.

Instead, the narrative rewards Scott with control gained through Deux Ex Machina and not hard work, he gets to date Allison and becomes a Lacrosse star without sacrifices and therefore doesn't grow or evolve at all. This keeps up for all 6 seasons. Meanwhile, everyone else around him is constantly sacrificing their safety, sanity and even life for the common good.

And ten years later in the movie nothing has changed. Scott’s still not the one performing the sacrifice, he's still not the hero yet. He gives nothing, but the narrative rewards him with true love. Meanwhile Derek gives his own life to save those he loves he is The Hero.

My reply to all of this?

Pretty much everyone else in Teen Wolf has been a hero in the show, and it has never been Scott.

We have so many other characters sacrifice and give up so much of themselves to Scott’s crusade, and to his illusion of power as a proverbial “True Alpha” (I throw up in the back of my throat just writing it), and we never see any of it acknowledged by anybody, let alone Scott.

As I have rewatched the series, it is glaringly obvious that Stiles is the true main character of the show. He is the one who pushes the narrative the most, he is the one who digs for the information when no one else will. He drove the entire narrative of finding out the truth about Derek’s past, about Malia’s past, about Kira’s past, and even about Theo (god, I hate his character, too).

Scott's actions throughout the years are completely performative and nearly always in his own self-interest. He coerces, guilts, and emotionally manipulates his "friends" throughout the show all in some perverse power play.

Derek, on the other hand, risks his life over and over again for not only his pack, but for Scott, too. Derek was willing to die for his pack, whereas Scott couldn’t even be inconvenienced by them getting kidnapped, assuming that they were already dead and not even wanting to go after them. Derek not only put his life on the line for his pack time and time again, but he also chose each one of them and gave them the option to say no to the bite. He made it appealing, yes...but he still gave them a choice. Scott never did.

Scott has never been the hero.

Ever.

[theblackestofsuns]

"The Hero's Journey"

Human Diastrophism (2007)

Gilbert Hernandez

Fantagraphics Books