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The 188 stage 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 188 STAGE 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) Tells you what to write. For example, at a certain stage of the story, the focus should be on the Call to Adventure and the micro elements within.

ABRIDGED TIPS, EXCERPTS AND EXAMPLES (188+ stages of the Hero's Journey (Monomyth) you need to know about...):

(simply go to www.clickok.co.uk for full details)

*****Characters and Archetypes*****

The vast majority of successful screenplays use off-the shelf character functions called Archetypes. For example, Tessio (The Godfather, 1972) and Han Solo (Star Wars, 1977) are both Shape Shifters. You can find a complete list of archetypes from http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html

Apart from the Hero, it is these arcgetypes' challenges that provide the basis for subplot.

*****Impossible Dilemma*****

Before facing the Antagonist (past the Crossing of the Return Threshold), the Hero will have to overcome an impossible dilemma. In Spiderman (2002), Peter Parker has to save the people in the lift or Mary Jane - he cannot do both simultaneously. In Gladiator (2000), Maximus defeats his opponents even though he has been stabbed and is dying.

Failed Hero. An alternative Hero may attempt to tackle the Antagonist (or the Impossible Dilemma) and be mowed down, enhancing the magnitude of the challenge.

Time Pressure becomes acute for some reason. In Goldfinger (1964), the nuke goes off in less that 3 minutes.