9), Sam only gets past the police officer because he knows Tom.

*****Newer Self*****

A further incremental change occurs here [past the Road of Trials] and some symbol of the Newer Self presents itself.

New Clothes. In An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), Zach is wearing the white officers uniform. In Romancing the Stone (1984), some clothes are torn off Joan.

New Behaviour. In Romancing the Stone (1984), Joan drinks and smokes, somethin

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...

*****Hero’s Journey: First Threshold Guardians*****

The detective hero arrives at the scene of the crime and must pass low ranking police officers, who are unaware of his status. However, he is familiar with higher-ranking detectives and they facilitate his entry. In The Maltese Falcon (1939), Sam only gets past the police officer because he knows Tom.

*****Newer Self*****

A further incremental change occurs here [past the Road of Trials] and some symbol of the Newer Self presents itself.

New Clothes. In An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), Zach is wearing the white officers uniform. In Romancing the Stone (1984), some clothes are torn off Joan.

New Behaviour. In Romancing the Stone (1984), Joan drinks and smokes, something

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...

*****Hero’s Journey: First Threshold Guardians*****

The detective hero arrives at the scene of the crime and must pass low ranking police officers, who are unaware of his status. However, he is familiar with higher-ranking detectives and they facilitate his entry. In The Maltese Falcon (1939), Sam only gets past the police officer because he knows Tom.

*****Newer Self*****

A further incremental change occurs here [past the Road of Trials] and some symbol of the Newer Self presents itself.

New Clothes. In An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), Zach is wearing the white officers uniform. In Romancing the Stone (1984), some clothes are torn off Joan.

New Behaviour. In Romancing the Stone (1984), Joan drinks and smokes, somethin

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...

*****Hero’s Journey: First Threshold Guardians*****

The detective hero arrives at the scene of the crime and must pass low ranking police officers, who are unaware of his status. However, he is familiar with higher-ranking detectives and they facilitate his entry. In The Maltese Falcon (1939), Sam only gets past the police officer because he knows Tom.

*****Newer Self*****

A further incremental change occurs here [past the Road of Trials] and some symbol of the Newer Self presents itself.

New Clothes. In An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), Zach is wearing the white officers uniform. In Romancing the Stone (1984), some clothes are torn off Joan.

New Behaviour. In Romancing the Stone (1984), Joan drinks and smokes, somethin

any 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...

*****Hero’s Journey: First Threshold Guardians*****

The detective hero arrives at the scene of the crime and must pass low ranking police officers, who are unaware of his status. However, he is familiar with higher-ranking detectives and they facilitate his entry. In The Maltese Falcon (1939), Sam only gets past the police officer because he knows Tom.

*****Newer Self*****

A further incremental change occurs here [past the Road of Trials] and some symbol of the Newer Self presents itself.

New Clothes. In An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), Zach is wearing the white officers uniform. In Romancing the Stone (1984), some clothes are torn off Joan.

New Behaviour. In Romancing the Stone (1984), Joan drinks and smokes, somethin

9), Sam only gets past the police officer because he knows Tom.

*****Newer Self*****

A further incremental change occurs here [past the Road of Trials] and some symbol of the Newer Self presents itself.

New Clothes. In An Officer and a Gentleman (1982), Zach is wearing the white officers uniform. In Romancing the Stone (1984), some clothes are torn off Joan.

New Behaviour. In Romancing the Stone (1984), Joan drinks and smokes, something she wouldn't normally do.

***Outer Cave***

The Hero et al arrive in the outer part of the Cave. Again, certain characteristics are common.

New World. Just as the First Threshold is a New World, so the Cave is itself a distinct World within the First Threshold. In Superman (1978), Clarke's school is a sub-domain of Kansas.

New Creatures and Behaviours. Just as the Hero et al encounter unfamiliar creatures and behaviours in the First Threshold, so they encounter even odder ones in the Outer Cave.

*****Descent into the Cave*****

The Hero et al descend into a Cave. The Cave is a metaphor for a sub-domain within the First Threshold. In When Harry met Sally (1989), Harry meets Sally in the airport (a sub-domain of New York City).

Descent can be interpreted in many ways - the Hero can physically and mentally descend, he can go deeper in the sense of involvement or familiarisation. In Dances with Wolves (1990), Fort Hayes is initially unwelcoming and alien. But John Dunbar makes it his home.

Certain characteristics are noticeable:

Dark and Unknown. The descent is often dark and the Hero et al seem as if they are travelling into the unknown or unexpected. Anything could happen here.

Pull Down. The Hero et al have no choice but to descend; something forces them there. In The Matrix (1999), Neo literarily falls form the pod.

Resistance. There may be resistances.

Foreboding. Phrases like "I don't like the look of this" are common.

Warnings. Phrases like "don't go there" are common.

*****Master Plot*****

There is a theory that there are a finite number of Plots (Tragedy, Rags to Riches, Rebirth. Man vs Machine, Man vs Environemnent etc). If you deconstruct these, you will find that they all reduce to the Hero's Journey, which is the Master Plot.