Have You Heard of the Monomyth?
Dear writer,
This week, I’ve been reminded of how much I love storytelling, and it’s because I truly believe storytelling can change the world. Think about it. What is a fictional book that you would consider changed your life forever? Mine is The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho. Now imagine if every single person in the world read the same book that changed your life, and it had the same impact on them as it did you. Wouldn’t that be incredible for mankind?
What if I told you that the fictional piece had such an impact on you because it followed this one specific story structure?
You’ve probably heard of The Hero’s Journey many times before, also known as the Monomyth. The Monomyth, meaning there is only one story that is told to us repeatedly and since the beginning of storytelling time, and the structure of that story is as so:
Act One: The Departure.
Within this act, our hero’s life is disrupted by a call to adventure or something out of the ordinary they have never encountered before. Usually, due to an aspect of their ego, the hero will refuse this call until they have no choice but to accept it. It is from this moment that their life has been forever changed.
Act Two: The Initiation.
Our hero now enters new territory, where they encounter a series of obstacles that take them to their lowest point. While at their lowest, they learn the utmost valuable lesson, which gives them the strength to move forward. Throughout this act, our hero’s ego is being tested until the end when they have no other choice but to face who they really are. Doing so allows them to drop their ego and discover a deeper truth about themself.
Act Three: The Return.
Our hero will now face off with their greatest adversary or their greatest fear, and because of the lesson they learnt at the end of the previous act, the hero will win and can now enter a new phase of their life.
The structure may sound very sci-fi/fantasy-based, but did you know that The Hero’s Journey doesn’t only relate to these genres? It is only more obvious with them. The truth is, this structure is applied to all romance, historical fiction, thriller, etc., stories because all of the stages are psychological. It is deciding to change, grappling with the ego and then overcoming it. And when this is explored in a novel, that will allow the readers to explore the concept also. Remember, they learn the same lesson as the protagonist because they psychologically related to the events that took place.
You see, my favourite thing about the Monomyth is that it also applies to our own lives. And I don’t mean that our lives are one big heroic journey, but every circumstance, every doubt, and every phase of life that needs to be overcome is one.
Often, writers will write a story and make a few emotional reactions unrealistic because they’re seeing their story as a story rather than seeing their characters undergoing real issues. Even though they’re made up, your characters in their own world are real people. So despite having a superpower, for example, they will still have the same emotional and psychological reactions as we do.
The Hero’s Journey focuses on the inner conflict, and the outer conflict is just a manifestation of that. Understanding these basic principles of the story structure will allow you to transform your own work into something that I believe can truly change the world for the better.
In the upcoming weeks, I will be writing more about the stages of the Monomyth and how you can use it in your story. In the meantime, consider what journey you will put your characters through and maybe reflect on what stage of the journey you may currently be on in your own life.
Much love,
Elena
