Story Tips #10 - Hero's Journey, Act III

By Jax Hunter

Welcome to the next installment of Story Tips From the Big Screen. This monthly column (to be posted the second Monday of each month) explores screen writing techniques that will help fiction writers tell a better story. 

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Thank goodness we’re almost done with this topic. If I’d known when I started this Hero’s Journey series how long four months really were... Well, anyway, we’re to the end.

Act III: We’ll get your trusty hero out of that tree now - the Vogler way - with the final three steps.

Step Ten - The Road Back

In this step the story engine, which has been idling for a while, gets revved up again. Our hero must be forced from the plateau upon which he rests. You got it - our hero has stirred up a hornets nest and now must deal with the consequences of the Supreme Ordeal. Now’s his chance to show whether he’s really learned the lessons he’s picked up along the way. 

On his way back to Ordinary, our hero will be subjected to the final temptations and tests which may actually cause a change in the story goal.

In Star Wars, this step has Luke and Leia chased by Darth Vader as they flee the Death Star. 

Dorothy is ready to go home - the balloon is prepared and the goodbyes said. Then Toto (remember his role as Dorothy’s intuition?) takes off after a pesky cat and the balloon leaves without her.  Dorothy is stranded in the Special World with no way home.

Step Eleven - Resurrection (the Dark Moment)

This step is something of a cleansing process, sealing in the good and burning away the bad. Often, we have a death scene followed by a new birth. This death can be literal (in which case it’s likely a near death scene - we really don’t want to actually kill our hero) or it may be figurative (as in the death of the relationship in a romance.) Either way, hope is dead.

The Supreme Ordeal was the Mid-term. The Resurrection is the Final Exam. To learn is one thing - to be able to bring that knowledge home a bit more difficult. It’s one final shot from the enemy. This is the last chance for the hero to pass the test. Often in the Supreme Ordeal, he either just scraped by or he actually failed the test. Here’s the last chance for redemption, the final test of faith.

In each of the original Star Wars movies, Luke is “killed” and miraculously reborn. Each time he’s reborn increases within him the power of the Force. Han Solo is also reborn in the first movie as he turns his back on the battle but shows up at the last minute to face the enemy beside his comrades. 

In the Wizard of Oz, the Wizard has floated away. There’s no hope of ever getting back to Kansas. Then, Voila! The good witch shows up and tells Dorothy that she always had it within her to get home. We have that great moment when Dorothy is asked what she’s learned and she replies that her “heart’s desire” is “in her own back yard.” What a great movie!

Step Twelve - Return with the Elixir

It’s not enough to just get home in one piece; our hero must return to Ordinary with a treasure. A cure. A lesson learned. The key to the enemy defeat. The power to heal the wounded land. Or, in a romance, a committed relationship. 

Luke defeats Darth Vader and restores peace and order.

Dorothy’s perceptions of Kansas have changed. She admits that the Special World was beautiful, but also had some horrible elements. “There’s no place like home.” 

The circle is complete. The story is satisfying to the reader because you have taken the hero through the full cycle. All is right with the world. And they live happily ever after. Cliches all. I won’t mention here that this full circle concept is very American and that things aren’t always so neatly wrapped up in stories around the world. 

Now I have to get back to my WIP (work in progress) and I don’t know what we’ll be doing next month.  Consider it a surprise. I am :) 

Until next month, BICHOK (Butt in Chair, Hands on Keyboard)

Jax (www.jaxmhunter@gmail.com)

(This series first ran in the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers newsletter in 2004.)

About the Author: Jax Hunter is a published romance writer and freelance copywriter. She wears many hats including EMT, CPR instructor, and Grammy. She is currently working on a contemporary romance series set in ranching country Colorado and a historical romance set in 1775 Massachusetts. She lives in Colorado Springs, belongs to PPW, RMFW and is a member of the Professional Writer's Alliance.

Story Tips #9 - Hero's Journey, Act II

By Jax Hunter

Welcome to the next installment of Story Tips From the Big Screen.  This monthly column (to be posted the second Monday of each month) explores screen writing techniques that will help fiction writers tell a better story. 

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Last month, we covered the first five steps of the Hero’s Journey; those that take place in Act I. That left us crossing the threshold into Act II, with the steps that make up the middle half of the book.

Step Six -  Tests, Allies and Enemies (oh, my.) 

This is the special world of the adventure/quest, where our intrepid hero finds new challenges, makes new friends and learns the rules of the world and the battle he entered.   

This Special World stands in sharp contrast to the world of Ordinary left behind. After the long, lonely time crossing the first threshold, our hero gets to rest and recuperate for a little while, often in a seedy bar or saloon. Remember the cantina in Star Wars, where the alliance is made with Han Solo (who is the true hero of the movie - at least for me. . . I could go on and on comparing the dashing Han with the wimpy Luke, but I won’t.) In these scenes, Luke and Obi Wan begin to gather a team together to go after the prize.

In Oz, this phase begins with the question to Dorothy “Are you a good witch or a bad witch?” Dorothy, too, gathers her allies in this section and earns their loyalty. She has opportunities, as well, to learn about the enemy. 

This is a good time to begin exerting pressure on your characters to see what they’re made of.

Step Seven  - Approaching the inmost cave

In the approach phase, our hero and his stalwart companions draw near to the edge of danger where the prize awaits. Here, they’ll strategize and gather their weapons for the coming battle. This phase covers all the preparations for entering the Inmost Cave. It is a great place for romance and humor as the hero looks ahead to a time of conflict.

In Star Wars, Luke and his friends are sucked into the Death Star where they meet Darth Vader. 

Dorothy and her friends leave the woods and catch sight of the Emerald City. They happily skip on toward that goal, unaware of further obstacles and challenges in their way. They are seduced by illusion in the field of poppies and find Threshold Guardians blocking their way (the rude sentry at the doors of the Emerald City.) 

Often the tools gathered so far on the journey will be keys to getting past these guardians, as we see when Dorothy shows that she has the ruby slippers. Within the Emerald City, Dorothy and her team are prepared for their meeting with the Wiz. But when trouble rears her pointy head, any friends they thought they had back away, leaving them alone and vulnerable. 

The approach phase can be laden with setbacks like flying monkeys which disarm and discourage the hero as he gets close. This is a time of raising the stakes. At last, the final obstacles to reaching the prize are overcome so that the Supreme Ordeal may begin.

Step Eight - The Ordeal

This is the phase of the big crisis - death and rebirth - when fortunes are down and fears are up. Goals are in jeopardy. The most common pattern for the timing of this phase is the middle of Act II, though it can also be found frequently toward the end of the act. 

We see R2D2 and C3PO listening as Luke and his team are nearly crushed to death by the trash compactor. Then Luke is pulled under the mucky water and the bubbles stop. All evidence points to his death, but he manages to emerge alive. 

Other patterns found in the Ordeal involve the hero witnessing death (Luke sees Obi Wan die), the hero causing death, a battle with the Shadow and a battle inside the hero himself. Sometimes the villain is killed in this phase (Dorothy killing the witch.)

After all this, our hero has faced death and lived. He’s ready to seize the prize.

Step Nine - Reward

We can now quit throwing rocks at our hero and let him get down from the tree. We’re at the second turning point, headed into Act III. Now we celebrate as the hero takes possession of that which he sought. Luke rescues Leia and captures the plans for the death star. He also settles up with Darth Vader.

Dorothy seizes the broomstick and the foursome return to the wizard to claim their rewards. Of course, the Wiz balks. Toto then fulfills his purpose by revealing the man behind the curtain and the wizard bestows the prizes: a diploma to Scarecrow, a medal of valor to Lion and a wind up heart to Tinman. Sadly, there is nothing there to help Dorothy get home. 

At the end of this segment, things can look pretty bleak. The hero can think that all is lost. The fates (and the author) are not through with him yet. We’re headed back to Kansas, but there will be one final obstacle.

Next month, we’ll take our hero home at last. The way won’t be smooth, but we’ll get him there. 

Until next month, BICHOK (Butt in Chair, Hands on Keyboard)

Jax (www.jaxmhunter@gmail.com)

(This series first ran in the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers newsletter in 2004.)

About the Author: Jax Hunter is a published romance writer and freelance copywriter. She wears many hats including EMT, CPR instructor, and Grammy. She is currently working on a contemporary romance series set in ranching country Colorado and a historical romance set in 1775 Massachusetts. She lives in Colorado Springs, belongs to PPW, RMFW and is a member of the Professional Writer's Alliance.

Story Tips #8 - Hero's Journey, Act I

By Jax Hunter

Welcome to the next installment of Story Tips From the Big Screen.  This monthly column (to be posted the second Monday of each month) explores screen writing techniques that will help fiction writers tell a better story. 

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Last month, I gave you an overview of the Hero’s Journey. This month, we’ll look at the first section of that mythic structure. For the most part, the steps we’ll work with this month are those that make up Act I in our story.

Review: Do you remember the pattern - get your hero up a tree, throw rocks at him, get him out of the tree? Ready to get that hero or heroine up that three? Then let’s begin.

Step One - the Ordinary World. 

This part of the book is the opening, in which we get to know the protagonist, see his values, his character, and maybe even his flaws. It shows the reader the hero’s comfort zone. It is given so that the reader will have a baseline to measure the hero’s growth. Ideally, it will be as different as possible from the Special World into which the hero will soon be forced.

The ordinary world may be rather ho-hum, or it may be a world of excitement. For example, a military hero may be very comfortable dodging bullets, jumping out of perfectly good airplanes or hanging from the side of a mountain. (Can you tell I’m writing military romance at the moment?) Take a man like this and put him into a situation where he has none of his tools, none of that excitement, and you have a man up a tree.

In the Wizard of Oz, the Ordinary World is represented in black and white, the Special World in technicolor. It’s the boring world of a Kansas farm where a young girl dreams of no more problems. In Wizard, this world foreshadows the Special World Dorothy will soon be blown into. Your hero’s Ordinary World may do the same. For Luke Skywalker, it’s another farm in a galaxy far, far, away. His problems, though, are fairly similar to Dorothy’s. 

Step Two - The Call to Adventure - also known as the Inciting Incident.

This is the part of the book, ideally as soon as possible, in which the problem, challenge or adventure shows up. This Call throws off the balance of the Ordinary World. It establishes the game and the goal becomes clearer. It may be as simple as the hero running out of options. 

For Dorothy, she’s faced with an angry Miss Gulch who wants to take Toto away. Auntie Em, Dorothy’s sanctuary, is unsympathetic to her plight. The only answer is to run away.

For Luke Skywalker, the Call takes the form of a hologram of Princess Leia, begging for the help of Obi Wan. “Help me Obi Wan, you’re my only hope.” Sorry, couldn’t help myself.

Heroes hardly ever respond to the call with a hearty heave-ho. Like us, they tend to cling to their comfort zone and to the status quo. Which brings us to the next step:

Step Three - Refusal of the Call.

During this part of Act I, the author has the opportunity to point out the clear and present dangers inherent in the hero taking on the challenge. This is a time of fear and waffling for our hero. 

Sometimes, in this part of the book, we see a Threshold Guardian that blocks the way for our hero. In Wizard of Oz, Dorothy runs into Professor Marvel who convinces her that she needs to go home. She’s an example of a hero that willingly leaves her comfort zone - because she doesn’t see the comfort there. 

In other stories, we meet the mentor briefly at this point. In Star Wars, Luke runs into Obi Wan, but ends up turning away from the Call and going home. Refusing the Call often leads to tragedy, as we see when Luke arrives home to find his family dead and the homestead in ruins. In this case, the refusal didn’t RESULT in the tragedy, but many times it does.

Step Four - Meet the mentor.

This step can be separate, or it may be hidden within the other steps. Sometimes, there really is no mentor. A Mentor, though, does not have to be a person.  It can be a map, a book, or even the hero’s strong code of honor. The Mentor stage is defined by a time of preparation for our hero, where he is given advice, training, guidance and, sometimes, magical equipment with which to enter the fray. 

Be careful, in this stage, to avoid the typical mentor who has become a bit cliched: the wise old woman or man, the fairy godmother or wizard. If you do use these characters, make sure you twist them a bit.

Dorothy has many mentors in her journey. The most obvious may be Glenda, but she only shows up three times, when Dorothy can go no further without intervention. Nowadays, readers may prefer heroes who don’t rely on intervention. However, Dorothy has mentors, of sorts, in the Scarecrow, the Tinman and the Cowardly Lion. The Wizard, himself, becomes a mentor. And we can’t forget Toto, who is with her every step of the way and in whom resides Dorothy’s intuition.

Luke, of course, has Obi Wan, who trains him to trust the force and who gives him his father’s light sabre. 

In some stories, the mentor is simply a sounding board for the hero, someone who listens to and encourages him along the way.

Step Five - At the end of Act I, we come to Crossing the Threshold.  

This is the turning point at the end of Act I that propels us into Act II. The hero finally commits to the journey, sometimes after a swift kick in the pants from the mentor, sometimes because he has no choice. Often, we see a Threshold Guardian here, an obstacle that stands between the hero and actually getting into the Special World. The hero may need to engage this Guardian, kill him and absorb his power. Or, it may be a matter of just pushing through the obstacle, or simply acknowledging it. 

At this point, we’re definitely not in Kansas anymore.

Next month, we’ll look at Act II steps in the hero’s journey.

Until next month, BICHOK (Butt in Chair, Hands on Keyboard)

Jax (www.jaxmhunter@gmail.com)

(This series first ran in the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers newsletter in 2004.)

About the Author: Jax Hunter is a published romance writer and freelance copywriter. She wears many hats including EMT, CPR instructor, and Grammy. She is currently working on a contemporary romance series set in ranching country Colorado and a historical romance set in 1775 Massachusetts. She lives in Colorado Springs, belongs to PPW, RMFW and is a member of the Professional Writer's Alliance.

Story Tips #7 - Mythic Structure, Introduction

By Jax Hunter


Welcome to the next installment of Story Tips From the Big Screen.  This monthly column (to be posted the second Monday of each month) explores screen writing techniques that will help fiction writers tell a better story. 

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This month, and for the next few months, we’re going to take a look at structural variations of stories. Of course, these variations are not the sole property of the screenwriting world any more than three act structure is. However, many of the screenwriting sources talk about these variations, and I hope they’re helpful to all of us.

The first structure we’ll be looking at is that of myth throughout the ages, the Hero’s Journey. It fits nicely into our three act structure. Therefore, after an overview and review of the big picture this month, we’ll look at each act within this structure over the next few months.

The Hero’s Journey, a term coined, as close as I can tell, by Christopher Vogler, is a series of twelve stages seen throughout the centuries in classic stories. Vogler borrows from Joseph Campbell’s Hero With a Thousand Faces to come up with his stages.   

In this classic pattern, the mythic hero journeys through all the stages of death and rebirth to come out the other end transformed. Lajos Egri in The Art of Dramatic Writing calls this “growing from pole to pole.” A lost and lonely Dorothy finds home and family. A stupid scarecrow finds his brain. A fraidy-cat lion finds his courage. And an empty tin man finds his heart.

The basic premise of this hero’s journey is this: The hero travels from his ordinary world into the mythological woods for varying reasons. While in this other world, he is faced with trials and tribulations, meets friends and foes alike and, when all seems lost, finds what he’s looking for. He then returns to his ordinary world - not always an easy trip - with the prize.

The classic mythic hero - James Bond, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Indiana Jones - is always on the side of good and always fights evil in one form or another. He is usually courageous and clever. He’s often endowed with a special talent or gift and is likely motivated by idealism. He may begin the journey with only self interest (Han Solo) but, by the end, he puts his life or fortune on the line for something bigger than himself.

In the course of the story, the mythic hero never quits. He never resorts to unheroic actions - though a shortcut may present itself that will test his integrity - and he never wins by lucky break.

The hero leaves his every day world and enters a “foreign place,” often because he has no choice - to refuse the call would go against everything he believes in. On the journey, he’ll be tested, learn the rules of this new world and be opposed by evil. He may be helped along the way by new friends and a mentor. He’ll face universal fears, both external (heights, big bugs, monsters, driving snow) and internal (failure, ridicule, loss of love.)

At the end of his journey into the woods, he’ll likely have a confrontation with the Evil One, which he’ll either win or lose. On his return home, he may be again opposed by evil.  He may lose the prize and have to retrieve it, and he will, ultimately, have a death/rebirth experience - even if its metaphorical.

When he returns to the ordinary world he has been transformed. He may find that the glory is stolen or isn’t what it’s cracked up to be. He may learn the true meaning of the journey and may get a call to another. 

Here are the twelve steps - outlined within the three act structure (remember him?)

Act I - get your hero up a tree

1.  Ordinary World

2.  Call to Adventure

3.  Refusal of the Call

4.  Meet the Mentor

5.  Crossing  the Threshold

Act II - throw rocks at him

6.  Tests, Allies and Enemies

7.  Approach the inmost cave

8.  The Ordeal

9.  Reward

Act III - get him out of the tree

10.  Road Back

11.  Resurrection

12.  Return with Elixir

Next month we’ll look more in depth at the Act I stages in the Hero’s Journey. If you would like to investigate the subject more, let me recommend the following books:

The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler

The Key by James N. Frey

Myth and the Movies by Stuart Voytilla

Until next month, BICHOK (Butt in Chair, Hands on Keyboard)

Jax (www.jaxmhunter@gmail.com)

(This series first ran in the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers newsletter in 2004.)

About the Author: Jax Hunter is a published romance writer and freelance copywriter. She wears many hats including EMT, CPR instructor, and Grammy. She is currently working on a contemporary romance series set in ranching country Colorado and a historical romance set in 1775 Massachusetts. She lives in Colorado Springs, belongs to PPW, RMFW and is a member of the Professional Writer's Alliance.