The Hero’s Journey Structure
We are all heroes on a journey
For the next twelve blog writings, I will challenge the writer in me to apply the twelve steps of the hero’s journey (Joseph Campbell) to the structure of the flash fiction story. I invite you to share this journey.
The hero’s journey structure is taken from life. Each of us walks, runs or skips through each life step. Sometimes I feel that I am walking a straight line and other times I’m circling around and back, like the proverbial snake that swallows its tale. These steps apply to the writer’s journey as well.
I am currently experimenting on whether or not the hero’s journey structure can work with the very short story.
Is it too cumbersome and lengthy to adapt such a structure into the small story?
Flash fiction offers a thousand words or fewer, compression of fictional elements and a “wrapped around” story that satisfies the reader.
Today, we begin with step one.
1. Orient and ground the reader to his “ordinary world,” whatever that might be.
Here’s the first line of a flash I wrote yesterday.
“My father had his fifth heart attack one hour before I boarded the Qantas flight from LA to Sydney.”
Do you think it grounds the reader? You decide.
I invite your feedback.
Prompt for today:
Write the first sentence of a story and ground your reader in the main character’s ordinary world.
The 12 steps of the hero’s journey
- Ordinary world
- Call to adventure
- Refusal of the call
- Meeting the Mentor
- Crossing the First Threshold
- Tests, Allies, Enemies
- Approach to the Inmost Cave
- Ordeal
- Reward
- The Road Back
- Resurrection
- Return with the Elixir
(resource: Joseph Campbell http://www.jcf.org/new/index.php )
4 Comments on “Flash fiction and the Hero’s Journey: an invitation”
Hi Kaye,
This sounds intriguing. And difficult after looking at the steps. You have “nailed” me with your first line!
Connie
Yes Connie. It does appear difficult. However, that’s what creates the “challenge.” kaye
Did you continue this? I am a high school English teacher, and we are having our Honors 9 kids write Hero’s Journeys after reading The Alchemist. I love how you started this!
Hi Mary Lynne, I just found your message on my website. Thank you for the message about the hero’s journey. If you look at my novels and most of my short stories they are based on that archetype. We are all, as humans, on a hero’s journey. Please email me whenever you want. I am happy to answer questions. Take a look at Prasanga as the hero in my two novels. He is responsible to save his underground tribe but must journey to the surface world of earth and has no idea whether it still exists. best from Kaye kayelinden@gmail.com subject line of any email is your name or Prasanga.