I'm just gonna take a moment and thank the team for all these nuggets of inspiration you crank out so frequently. Levi, you are a splendid, charming host. The writing and editing is all so concise and well-paced. I already enjoyed Act 1 of your Hero's Journey series, so I can't wait to see you tackle the later stages in weeks to come. On a personal note, comparing writers to jazz musicians was eerily apropos for me right now. "They recognize the structure around them and play with it... Learn how the fundamentals work, and then you can break the rules in beautiful ways." I always think of jazz music when writing my "guile hero" mentor character, and now I know why it seems thematically appropriate. Neat.
A wild Aletheia appears! ❤ Also thank you for the shoutout! The Hero with a Thousand Faces is definitely thicc. I tried reading it before bed and on the plus side it helped get me to sleep faster but on the other side I kept waking up remembering nothing of what I'd read lol. I'm excited to give the Writer's Journey a try.
I prefer campbell's version even if it did take me multiple reads because yes, it is DENSE, specifically because its not meant for writers. It talks about the tropes but not as much stringing them together so it feels more like accessing the pieces of insight rather than being told the guidelines that people made out of them
This is true. I LOVE the Hero with a Thousand Faces. I only hesitate to recommend it because so far, I haven't been able to get another person to read it! The Power of Myth by Campbell and Bill Moyers is where I often send people if they want to grasp the model's theory. It's MUCH easier to read.
@@AroundTheCampfire 100% I used quarantine time to read it and instantly recognized I would need 2 passes at everything. The insight that stuck with me was the idea of the labyrinth we make to keep us from our minotaur. I do think it's a shame the start leans on Freudian theories as much as it does, but what can you do
The most important thing about the Hero's Journey is that it's an analytical tool used post-factually - that is, to analyze an existing story. It's _not_ an easy template to build a story on. Sure, it can be used as part of a complete story, but it's not the whole deal, even though advice literature likes to peddle it as such.
I found this super helpful and insightful. So thank you! Would you consider also doing a series of videos about the heroine's journey? The Hero's journey can lack some insight into the journey of a female protagonist. Seeing as how Jospeh Campbell himself said, “Women don’t need to make the journey. In the whole mythological journey, the woman is there. All she has to do is realize that she’s the place that people are trying to get to.” Which is a bunch of bollocks, obviously. I really like Victoria Schmidt's take on it. And having both those tools in one's belt should cover almost every story arc. And of course female protagonists can follow a hero's journey and male protagonists can follow the heroine's journey. I think the best way to categorize the difference (though a little too simplistic) would be an external journey (hero) and an internal journey (heroine)
It really applies to almost anything! You can learn a lot about something on a fundamental level by taking a serious look at its "rules," and that fundamental understanding is where true expertise forms.
Good insight. That’s the true question isn’t it - how to bust a trope in a way that makes your audience think it’s interesting and exciting instead of leaving them feeling betrayed.
The interesting thing about Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey it's is for the "hero" not the heroine. When Campbell was approached about this he dismissed it as if not important. I see all of your examples is also for the Hero. Something to be said there about that.
Very true that Campbell had an antiquated view on sexuality, but the Hero's Journey as a writing structure is not exclusive to male characters. For example, Frozen follows the Hero's Journey like most of Disney's movies often do. The "Hero" in the Hero's Journey doesn't mean just a male hero but any protagonist. Sometimes even groups of people!
@@AroundTheCampfire Agreed. And Frozen (and Wicked) are good examples however I have found with my reading buddies (all female) they prefer stories of female bonding/communication (the giver of stars, the island of sea women) rather than an out and back adventure. Just a thought. Thank you for your insight - I like the analogy to Frozen :) (which is about sisterhood and bonding as well as an adventure - makes an appeal to both - probably why so crazy popular)
@@joannemcalpineartworks2140 I'm pretty sure it can apply to females just as easily as it is a VERY broad structure. Rather than seeing it as a physical journey (literal adventure) it might embody more of a spiritual/emotional/intellectual journey. It is just a structure, and as such you can adapt it in whatever way suits your needs. If you think there is a better blueprint for the structure of a heroine's journey that differs significantly that of a male hero I would love to hear more about your ideas. If your only complaint is that you think hero means male centric heroes only and excludes female heros, you might want to check your grammar. Hero is gender neutral. grammarist.com/usage/heroin-heroine/
"Learn how the fundamentals work, and then you can break the rules in beautiful ways." Absolutely love that quote, both humble and bold.
I'm just gonna take a moment and thank the team for all these nuggets of inspiration you crank out so frequently. Levi, you are a splendid, charming host. The writing and editing is all so concise and well-paced. I already enjoyed Act 1 of your Hero's Journey series, so I can't wait to see you tackle the later stages in weeks to come.
On a personal note, comparing writers to jazz musicians was eerily apropos for me right now. "They recognize the structure around them and play with it... Learn how the fundamentals work, and then you can break the rules in beautiful ways." I always think of jazz music when writing my "guile hero" mentor character, and now I know why it seems thematically appropriate. Neat.
Thanks so much for the kind words! I was proud of the jazz analogy 😁
A wild Aletheia appears! ❤ Also thank you for the shoutout! The Hero with a Thousand Faces is definitely thicc. I tried reading it before bed and on the plus side it helped get me to sleep faster but on the other side I kept waking up remembering nothing of what I'd read lol. I'm excited to give the Writer's Journey a try.
The Writer's Journey is great! Much easier to read than Campbell lol
I prefer campbell's version even if it did take me multiple reads because yes, it is DENSE, specifically because its not meant for writers. It talks about the tropes but not as much stringing them together so it feels more like accessing the pieces of insight rather than being told the guidelines that people made out of them
This is true. I LOVE the Hero with a Thousand Faces. I only hesitate to recommend it because so far, I haven't been able to get another person to read it! The Power of Myth by Campbell and Bill Moyers is where I often send people if they want to grasp the model's theory. It's MUCH easier to read.
@@AroundTheCampfire 100% I used quarantine time to read it and instantly recognized I would need 2 passes at everything. The insight that stuck with me was the idea of the labyrinth we make to keep us from our minotaur. I do think it's a shame the start leans on Freudian theories as much as it does, but what can you do
The most important thing about the Hero's Journey is that it's an analytical tool used post-factually - that is, to analyze an existing story. It's _not_ an easy template to build a story on. Sure, it can be used as part of a complete story, but it's not the whole deal, even though advice literature likes to peddle it as such.
Very helpful video thanks. Thinking of adding a hero now to the novel, I am writing
Looking forward to the follow up video(s).
I found this super helpful and insightful. So thank you! Would you consider also doing a series of videos about the heroine's journey? The Hero's journey can lack some insight into the journey of a female protagonist. Seeing as how Jospeh Campbell himself said, “Women don’t need to make the journey. In the whole mythological journey, the woman is there. All she has to do is realize that she’s the place that people are trying to get to.” Which is a bunch of bollocks, obviously. I really like Victoria Schmidt's take on it. And having both those tools in one's belt should cover almost every story arc. And of course female protagonists can follow a hero's journey and male protagonists can follow the heroine's journey. I think the best way to categorize the difference (though a little too simplistic) would be an external journey (hero) and an internal journey (heroine)
I definitely want to do some work on the Heroine's Journey. Someone else also suggested it also, so I'll spend some time doing research!
Great point on the need to understand the rules before you should go nuts. Applies to life too.
It really applies to almost anything! You can learn a lot about something on a fundamental level by taking a serious look at its "rules," and that fundamental understanding is where true expertise forms.
All of these are super informative and really help me remind myself of what's really important in my story. keep it up!
Good insight.
That’s the true question isn’t it - how to bust a trope in a way that makes your audience think it’s interesting and exciting instead of leaving them feeling betrayed.
Can't wait for the next video!!
It's coming on Monday! 🙂
The interesting thing about Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey it's is for the "hero" not the heroine. When Campbell was approached about this he dismissed it as if not important. I see all of your examples is also for the Hero. Something to be said there about that.
Very true that Campbell had an antiquated view on sexuality, but the Hero's Journey as a writing structure is not exclusive to male characters. For example, Frozen follows the Hero's Journey like most of Disney's movies often do. The "Hero" in the Hero's Journey doesn't mean just a male hero but any protagonist. Sometimes even groups of people!
@@AroundTheCampfire Agreed. And Frozen (and Wicked) are good examples however I have found with my reading buddies (all female) they prefer stories of female bonding/communication (the giver of stars, the island of sea women) rather than an out and back adventure. Just a thought. Thank you for your insight - I like the analogy to Frozen :) (which is about sisterhood and bonding as well as an adventure - makes an appeal to both - probably why so crazy popular)
@@joannemcalpineartworks2140 I'm pretty sure it can apply to females just as easily as it is a VERY broad structure. Rather than seeing it as a physical journey (literal adventure) it might embody more of a spiritual/emotional/intellectual journey. It is just a structure, and as such you can adapt it in whatever way suits your needs. If you think there is a better blueprint for the structure of a heroine's journey that differs significantly that of a male hero I would love to hear more about your ideas. If your only complaint is that you think hero means male centric heroes only and excludes female heros, you might want to check your grammar. Hero is gender neutral. grammarist.com/usage/heroin-heroine/
I never thought to research the tropes of the genre you're wanting to write!! I'm gonna add it to my writing to-do list, which is also becoming DENSE
TvTropes.org is a great place to start! They have a wide swath of tropes with examples.
Very informative, polished content. I'm looking forward to seeing you grow! :D
Lol, I was just looking for videos about the hero's journey xD thx
No problem!
Even if you stop working at campfire technology you should still make CZcams videos I'd subscribe
Aw thanks 😊
@@AroundTheCampfire No problem lol 😁
In order to lead someone into the unknown, you first need to gain their trust that you know where you are.
Subscribed. When's the next one??
We release new videos every 2 weeks!