Love Story by way of The Hero's Journey

Good day, writers,

I promised I'd write a couple stories using The Hero's Journey as the basis for creating a storyline and here is the first installment. Next week I'll post a different type of story based on The Hero's Journey. (Though I have yet to determine what that might be.)

In any case, this exercise is to show how easy it is to write with The Hero's Journey as your model.

Here goes...

The ORDINARY WORLD

Joe and Mindy are in love, married with two children, living in a home in the suburbs of Richmond, VA. The children are Mike, twelve and Mary fourteen. Mike loves baseball and Cindy is just finding out about boys. Joe is a stockbroker and Mindy spends her time raising the children. She’s the president of the PTA and is as happy as she has ever been.

THE CALL TO ADVENTURE

At a PTA meeting Mindy overhears two women talking about Joe. They suddenly quiet when Mindy walks up and act embarrassed at her arrival. They walk away without saying much to her, but the both look back at Mindy over their shoulders and whisper to each other as they depart. Mindy is surprised by their actions but thinks little of it.

REFUSAL OF THE CALL

Joe, usually home around 7 PM, starts to call a few times a week saying he must work late. Some of his excuses sound odd to Mindy but she ignores her intuition which tells her something is wrong.

MENTOR (THE WISE OLD MAN OR WOMAN)

After weeks of his not coming home on time, and another odd encounter with friends, Mindy speaks with her best friend, Margaret, about her concerns. Margaret tells her not to worry until Joe comes home late and the first thing he does in take a shower - a sure sign of infidelity.

CROSSING THE FIRST THRESHOLD

The next night Joe comes home and takes a shower as soon as he enters the house. Mindy now knows the jig is up, (well something is up anyway), and accepts the fact Joe is being unfaithful.

TESTS, ALLIES AND ENEMIES

Mindy and Margaret talk to their friends at the baseball field and PTA but most know nothing. Those who seem to be in the know won’t talk. Mindy hires a detective to follow Joe. He takes photos of Joe’s encounters and passes them to Mindy.

APPROACH TO THE INMOST CAVE

Mindy is distraught but refuses to believe her marriage cannot be saved. She confronts Joe with the photos and he admits everything saying he still loves Mindy and was swayed by a young lady who took advantage of him. He promises never to see the woman again. Though suspicious of his promise, she gives him the benefit of the doubt and they work at patching the holes in their marriage.

THE SUPREME ORDEAL

Things are fine for a time, but soon, Joe is coming home from work late again. A big fight ensues and Mindy kicks Joe out.

REWARD (SEIZING THE SWORD)

Mindy and Joe go through a trying divorce. She gets the children and the house, and the money, and the furniture and he gets the clothes on his back. (They live in Virginia, you know…)

THE ROAD BACK

The divorce is finalized and Mindy realizes she will be able to survive without Joe, physically, emotionally and financially.

RESURRECTION

Mindy finds happiness despite being forced back to work and raising her children on her own. Though things are difficult, she and her children do survive, though without much of their earlier wealth.

RETURN WITH ELIXIR

They live happily ever after.

Everyone except Joe, of course, he remarries a shrew and she sucks every bit of life from him.)

The End

With this outline, you now know how to use The Hero’s Journey to formulate your story. From here you fill in the details and, voila, you’re an author!

Is it time to get to work?

In my next posting, I’ll outline another type of story using The Hero’s Journey. Are there any requests?

Until then, good writing.

Patrick
Author of Born to be Brothers