"I can't write fiction."
That's what I always said. In fact, I said it so much, I began to believe it.
Then 3 years ago I took my 3rd trip to Thailand -- this time to work on a children's book for The B2F Project to stop child trafficking. And the book had to have a plot.
What to do?
The first thing was to stop telling myself I couldn't write fiction!
The second was remembering a writing tool that my friend and fellow writer Cindy MacDonald told me about--called the "Hero's Journey."
This is a classic story structure popularized by Joseph Campbell in his book The Hero With a Thousand Faces and later by Christopher Vogel in The Writer's Journey.
You can find some variation of the Hero's Journey in just about any adventure book or film--Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Wizard of Oz, Star Wars, Chronicles of Narnia, Charlotte's Web, and more.
When I started applying the 12 steps of the Hero's Journey to my own picture book, within an hour I had the rough outline of my plot.
If you're faced with (and panicked by) writing fiction, the Hero's Journey might help you, too. Here briefly are the 12 steps; below I'll give you links where you can find more information:
1. The Ordinary World: The hero's normal world before the story begins. It's what he's familiar with--his life up til now.
2. Call to Adventure: The hero is presented with a problem or challenge, an event that forces him out, the call.
3. Refusal of the Call: The hero refuses the challenge or journey; he's scared, full of doubts, etc.
4. Meeting with the Mentor: The hero meets a mentor to gain advice, encouragement, wisdom, and direction for the adventure.
5. Crossing the First Threshold: The hero leaves the Ordinary World and goes into the Special World; he takes the first step.
6. Tests, Allies, and Enemies: The hero faces tests, meets allies, encounters enemies, and learns the rules of the Special World. This step shows him who his enemies and friends are.
7. Approach: The hero has hit setbacks during the tests, and may need to adjust his approach.
8. Ordeal: He faces the biggest life or death crisis.
9. Seizing the Reward: The hero has survived death, overcome his fears, and now reaches the goal.
10. The Road Back: The hero must return to the Ordinary World to tell others.
11. Resurrection Hero: Another test, the final threshold, where the hero faces death on the road back. He must use everything he's learned to survive this final battle. There is a transformation in him.
12. Return with the Elixir: The hero returns to the Ordinary World from the journey with the lessons learned, and uses them to help everyone in the Ordinary World. He is able to go back and help his people with what he's learned.
Want more information?
The Hero's Journey
A worksheet to help you spot the Hero's Journey in various movies
Let me know how the Hero's Journey has helped you craft a plot. You can post a comment on this blog by clicking the link below.
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