Foreshadow of this Journey. In Straw Dogs (1971), Norman shows Charlie Amy's knickers.

*****Opposing Mentor*****

Following the Sacred Meeting with the Supernatural Aid, the Hero still does not commit to the Journey, noting the earlier Refusals and Interdictions.

Further, an Opposing or Testing Mentor may appear. In Casablanca (1942), Ferrari offers Rick the chance to sell his bar and escape using the Letters of Transit. He also offers Sam a pay

The Hero's Journey (Monomyth) is the template upon which the vast majority of successful stories and Hollywood blockbusters are based upon. In fact, ALL of the hundreds of Hollywood movies we have deconstructed (see URL below) are based on this 188+ stage template.

Understanding this template is a priority for story or screenwriters. This is the template you must master if you are to succeed in the craft.

[The terminology is most often metaphoric and applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE HERO'S JOURNEY:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Gives you a universal structural template upon which you can superimpose your situational story. This is why stories such as Alien (1979), Gladiator (2000), Midnight Cowboy (1969), American Beauty (1999), The Graduate (1967) and many others (all deconstructed at the URL below) appear to be different but are all constructed, almost sequence by sequence, in the same way.

and more...

ABRIDGED TIPS AND EXAMPLES:

(goto www.clickok.co.uk for complete details and sets of examples)

*****Foreshadow of the Sword*****

The Sword is a tangible representation of the Expansion of Consciousness (an intangible). The Hero must attain the tangible to attain the intangible. There is often a Foreshadow of this Journey. In Straw Dogs (1971), Norman shows Charlie Amy's knickers.

*****Opposing Mentor*****

Following the Sacred Meeting with the Supernatural Aid, the Hero still does not commit to the Journey, noting the earlier Refusals and Interdictions.

Further, an Opposing or Testing Mentor may appear. In Casablanca (1942), Ferrari offers Rick the chance to sell his bar and escape using the Letters of Transit. He also offers Sam a pay

applies to all successful stories and screenplays, from The Godfather (1972) to Brokeback Mountain (2006) to Annie Hall (1977) to Lord of the Rings (2003) to Drugstore Cowboy (1989) to Thelma and Louise (1991) to Apocaplyse Now (1979)].

THERE IS ONLY ONE STORY

THE HERO'S JOURNEY:

a) Attempts to tap into unconscious expectations the audience has regarding what a story is and how it should be told.

b) Gives the writer more structural elements than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Gives you a universal structural template upon which you can superimpose your situational story. This is why stories such as Alien (1979), Gladiator (2000), Midnight Cowboy (1969), American Beauty (1999), The Graduate (1967) and many others (all deconstructed at the URL below) appear to be different but are all constructed, almost sequence by sequence, in the same way.

and more...

ABRIDGED TIPS AND EXAMPLES:

(goto www.clickok.co.uk for complete details and sets of examples)

*****Foreshadow of the Sword*****

The Sword is a tangible representation of the Expansion of Consciousness (an intangible). The Hero must attain the tangible to attain the intangible. There is often a Foreshadow of this Journey. In Straw Dogs (1971), Norman shows Charlie Amy's knickers.

*****Opposing Mentor*****

Following the Sacred Meeting with the Supernatural Aid, the Hero still does not commit to the Journey, noting the earlier Refusals and Interdictions.

Further, an Opposing or Testing Mentor may appear. In Casablanca (1942), Ferrari offers Rick the chance to sell his bar and escape using the Letters of Transit. He also offers Sam a pay

s than simply three or four acts, plot points, mid point and so on.

c) Gives you a tangible process for building and releasing dissonance (establishing and achieving catharses, of which there are usually four).

d) Gives you a universal structural template upon which you can superimpose your situational story. This is why stories such as Alien (1979), Gladiator (2000), Midnight Cowboy (1969), American Beauty (1999), The Graduate (1967) and many others (all deconstructed at the URL below) appear to be different but are all constructed, almost sequence by sequence, in the same way.

and more...

ABRIDGED TIPS AND EXAMPLES:

(goto www.clickok.co.uk for complete details and sets of examples)

*****Foreshadow of the Sword*****

The Sword is a tangible representation of the Expansion of Consciousness (an intangible). The Hero must attain the tangible to attain the intangible. There is often a Foreshadow of this Journey. In Straw Dogs (1971), Norman shows Charlie Amy's knickers.

*****Opposing Mentor*****

Following the Sacred Meeting with the Supernatural Aid, the Hero still does not commit to the Journey, noting the earlier Refusals and Interdictions.

Further, an Opposing or Testing Mentor may appear. In Casablanca (1942), Ferrari offers Rick the chance to sell his bar and escape using the Letters of Transit. He also offers Sam a pay

all deconstructed at the URL below) appear to be different but are all constructed, almost sequence by sequence, in the same way.

and more...

ABRIDGED TIPS AND EXAMPLES:

(goto www.clickok.co.uk for complete details and sets of examples)

*****Foreshadow of the Sword*****

The Sword is a tangible representation of the Expansion of Consciousness (an intangible). The Hero must attain the tangible to attain the intangible. There is often a Foreshadow of this Journey. In Straw Dogs (1971), Norman shows Charlie Amy's knickers.

*****Opposing Mentor*****

Following the Sacred Meeting with the Supernatural Aid, the Hero still does not commit to the Journey, noting the earlier Refusals and Interdictions.

Further, an Opposing or Testing Mentor may appear. In Casablanca (1942), Ferrari offers Rick the chance to sell his bar and escape using the Letters of Transit. He also offers Sam a pay

Foreshadow of this Journey. In Straw Dogs (1971), Norman shows Charlie Amy's knickers.

*****Opposing Mentor*****

Following the Sacred Meeting with the Supernatural Aid, the Hero still does not commit to the Journey, noting the earlier Refusals and Interdictions.

Further, an Opposing or Testing Mentor may appear. In Casablanca (1942), Ferrari offers Rick the chance to sell his bar and escape using the Letters of Transit. He also offers Sam a pay rise that is refused.

*****Mentor's Inner Challenge*****

Most successful stories contain a number of Challenges that need resolving (often at least four - Inner, Outer, Romantic and Greater Antagonism). These Challenges can be spread across archetypes, for example In Bonnie and Clyde (1967), it is Clyde (the Mentor and Romantic Challenge) that isn’t much of a lover boy.

*****New World of the First Threshold*****

Entry. Upon entry into the First Threshold, some marked characteristics are noticeable.

Polar Opposite. The New World of the First Threshold is markedly different from the Hero's Ordinary World; it is usually the Polar Opposite of the Ordinary World. In The Matrix (1999), the world of the machines is nowhere like Neo's normal World. In Goodfellas (1990), the World of the gangsters is the polar opposite of both Henry's and Karen's parent's World. In Dances with Wolves (1990), Fort Hayes is quiet and uninhabited. John Dunbar has just come from fighting in the civil war.

Unfamiliar Creatures and Behaviours. The New World is full of unfamiliar creatures, people, behaviours, colours etc. In The Matrix (1999), Neo breaks free from his pod to find humans in pods and machines farming them. In The Last King of Scotland (2006), Uganda and Ugandans are totally new to Nicholas.