"The Writer's
Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers" (3rd ed)
Christopher Vogler
WIBA? Yup
There is a familiar,
if sometimes hidden, pattern in great stories. The main character
begins "normal" and then gets thrust into a strange new
world. Struggle, failure, challenge, success. They return to the
normal world deeply changed. Frodo Baggins, Luke Skywalker, Harry
Potter, Percy Jackson, Hazel and Fiver; the list goes on. Gender,
skin color, even species; these matter not. Attitude. Fortitude.
Their heroism speaks to our own.
In "The
Writer's Journey" Chris distills Joseph Campbell's "Hero
with a Thousand Faces" into a very readable and implementable
format. He does not demand rigid adherence to structure but clearly
shows how good stories can flow. Reading "The Writer's Journey"
with my own books in mind pushes me to delve deeply into my
characters and the universe they live in.
The first draft of
my first book in the "Domici War" series wandered. A lot. I
enjoyed the story becuase I knew the characters but other readers
gave it a more "ho hum" response. Then someone turned me on
to "The Writer's Journey" and I used the structure to write
the second book in the series. Feedback was clear; Book Two was much
better written and had much more appeal than Book One.
Throughout the book Chris pays due homage to Joseph Campbell's "Hero With a Thousand Faces". Of the two books I strongly prefer Chris' work. While "Hero With a Thousand Faces" explains some things "The Writer's Journey" helps me write a much better story.
You can find layouts
of what "The Writer's Journey" covers on the web. When you
have a character in mind, though, I encourage you to walk with them
through the Journey. You, your character, and your readers will be
glad you did.
Would I Buy Again?
Yup
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