How to put the Hero at the heart of your story (and your life)
.
An eight-part course on the most effective story template ever developed
Jan wanted to tell the story of his own heroic quest to recover the family silver, buried eighty years before in a remote corner of what was then Poland as his family prepared to flee the invading Russian army. He signed up for our inaugural Hero’s Journey® Course. This helped him hammer out a sturdy and workable structure for his tale of derring-do and adventure.
“The course,” says Jan, “helped unravel a set of jumbled thoughts and systemise them into a cohesive and gripping real life story.”
Hero’s Journey® Writing Course
-
Campbell’s Hero’s Journey® template gives you greater insights into story structure and character than you’ve ever enjoyed before
-
The course helps you erect the “tentpoles” of your story
How The Hero’s Journey® Writing Course works
When:
Start any Monday that suits you (from 12 February)
Course duration:
- Eight modules over three months with three Writers’ Circle sessions
- Eight modules over eight months with eight Writers’ Circle sessions.
- Take up to one year to complete the course
Where:
- Online via email and Zoom
- You’ll work with the facilitators one-on-one via email.
- The modules will be sent to you via email on Mondays.
- You’ll submit your assignments within a week and you’ll receive personal written feedback via email.
- The live Writer’s Circle sessions are held monthly via Zoom.
How will you benefit?
You will learn techniques to make your stories more dramatic and more appealing to readers.
You will learn to motivate your character’s crucial choices and decisions.
You will learn to recognise when a crucial element of your story is missing.
You will learn how to mislead your readers, how to build to the sort of climax that pays off dramatically and psychologically.
You will learn to write better stories.
Our Hero’s Journey® Writing Course outline
We explore the stages of the Hero’s Journey® template over eight modules.
The Ordinary World
We see the hero’s normal life at the start of the story before the adventure begins.
The Call to Adventure
The hero is faced with an event, conflict, problem, or challenge that prompts or invites them to begin their adventure.
The Refusal of The Call
The hero initially refuses the adventure because of hesitation, fears, insecurity, or one of any number of other issues.
Meeting the Mentor
The hero encounters a mentor that can give them wisdom that prepares them for the journey ahead.
Crossing the Threshold
The hero leaves their ordinary world for the first time and crosses the threshold into adventure.
Tests, Allies, Enemies
The hero learns the rules of the new world and endures tests, meets friends, and comes face-to-face with enemies.
Approach to The Inmost Cave
The initial plan to take on the central conflict begins, but setbacks occur that cause the hero to try a new approach or adopt new ideas.
The Ordeal
Things go wrong and added conflict is introduced. The hero experiences more difficult hurdles and obstacles, some of which may lead to a life crisis.
The Reward (Seizing the Sword)
After surviving The Ordeal, the hero seizes the sword — a reward that they’ve earned that allows them to take on the biggest conflict.
The Road Back
The hero sees the light at the end of the tunnel, but they are about to face even more tests and challenges.
Resurrection
The climax. The hero faces a final test, using everything they have learned to take on the conflict once and for all.
Return with The Elixir
The hero brings their knowledge or the ‘elixir’ back to the ordinary world.
Who are your course designers and facilitators?
Michéle Rowe is a scriptwriter who has worked primarily as a head writer and story originator for television and film. Projects Michéle has originated, written or directed have been nominated for or won various awards, including an Oscar documentary and an International Emmy nomination. At present she works as a script editor, teaches screenwriting and is completing her third novel for Penguin. She has a Master’s Degree in Creative Writing from the University of Cape Town.
Richard Beynon is a story consultant and an award-winning film and television scriptwriter with a long and accomplished career in the industry. He has written for – or headed the storytelling teams of – many of country’s most popular soaps, dramas and comedies. These include S’gudi snaysi, Going Up, Soul City, Isidingo, Scandal, Rhythm City and Isibaya. A former journalist for the Rand Daily Mail, he has conceived, shaped and written scores of documentaries. He has lectured on writing for film and television at Wits.
With Michéle and Richard’s many decades of professional writing, film industry and teaching experience you’ll be in very capable hands.
Money back guarantee
We’ve seen our students get results time and time again so we’re proud to stand behind our courses. But your satisfaction is important to us, which is why we offer a full refund. To be eligible for a refund, you must complete the first two modules of the course.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are you serious that the Hero's Journey® template is the most useful paradigm for stories? What about all the other models?
The Hero’s Journey® is the result of the most painstaking research conducted by Joseph Campbell over decades. It is not a theoretical or prescriptive model – but a descriptive one. It lies, in one form or other, at the heart of all story structure. It fits into the familiar notion of story’s three-act structure, elaborating on the links between acts, and the creation of tension and suspense.
Will we be given full feedback on every assignment we do?
You’ll receive personal written feedback on eight assignments.
Can the Hero's Journey® model be learned?
Absolutely it can be learned. It is a supple and practical measure of story, and our course takes you through its steps in an incremental way that is guaranteed to help it stick. We guarantee that, once learned, you’ll start spotting the Hero’s Journey® stages in everything you read – and, indeed, in your own life passages!
Will I be able to apply the lessons I’ve learned to my own writing?
Absolutely you will. This is not a theoretical or academic exercise. It’s a practical guide designed to help you solve the problems of story and character in your writing project.
Put the Hero back in your writing
At the heart of every story is the Hero
(You, too, are the Hero of your own life!)
All About Writing’s Hero’s Journey® Course puts the Hero back where he or she belongs
So start today on a Journey that’ll transform your writing
The Hero’s Journey® and any copyrighted material authored by Joseph Campbell are used under license from the Joseph Campbell Foundation (www.jcf.org)
