by Laurie Schnebly Campbell
We've
all heard of the Twelve Steps in the Hero's Journey, right? Maybe even written
novels or screenplays using those steps, read Joseph Campbell's book, or taken
a workshop on it.
Confession time:
I've never really GOTTEN the hero's journey. I know there are thousands of
writers who swear by it -- there's clearly some value in those twelve steps.
But
for some reason, they've just never quite worked for me. My heroes don't meet
wise mentors, don't face dark caves, don't return with elixirs. My heroes are
guys who hear advice from equally clueless friends, occasionally get rained on
at the ballgame, and maybe return with a beer.
Same
is true for my heroines. Swell women, all of 'em, but they're sure not out
there staging interplanetary raids and facing down corrupt sheriffs and
rescuing secret formulas.
No,
their journey is more internal. Even if they're taking off from their everyday
life and flying to Cleveland, the challenges they face aren't the kind that'll
have movie-goers crunching popcorn at twice the usual speed.
Their challenges
are more like our own.
"My
husband doesn't understand why I need time to write." "My best friend
left the company and nobody else is as close." "I wish I could make
Mom understand why I didn't choose her way."
And,
like most of our heroines, we occasionally settle for being less than we can
be.
Of
course, by and large, we do a pretty good job of looking out for our loved ones
and ourselves. We speak up eventually when something bothers us. We try
something new every so often; we recognize that even if our dreams aren't
practical they aren't stupid.
But
even so, we don't always live up to our highest self. We're not always the
strongest, healthiest, wisest, best person we can be.
And neither are our
heroines.
That's
where we get to the Heroine's Journey. Just like every action hero goes through
twelve steps, a heroine who hasn't yet achieved the victory of being her true
self needs to go through thirteen steps.
Each
one of those steps takes her from being a person who depends on others for
self-worth to a person who's innately worthy in her own right. She might start
and finish the book as a scullery maid, but along the way she'll make a
difference in her world and become her own person...usually for the first time
in her life.
She'll
go through the steps that Kim Hudson, author of The Virgin's Promise, calls the
Price Of Conformity, Dressing The Part, Caught Shining, and ten intriguing
others. And each one takes her closer to the ultimate triumph.
What's
cool about this is that the heroine, like each of us, is involved with other
people throughout her journey. And these people (often with the best and most
loving intentions in the world) want her to stay where THEY think she belongs,
rather than where she discovers she can truly become her best self.
So that's where we
get the payoff of the lucky thirteenth step -- because once she's
her best self, she doesn't just go off and forget where she came from. She
makes things better for those around her, as well, and that's what makes her a
REAL heroine.
We'll
get into more detail on that next month at my WriterUniv.com class on "The Hero's
Journey, For Heroines," but meanwhile I'd love to hear some real-life
examples. If you've ever managed to go beyond the limits that other people set
for you, could you say what you did? And if you'd rather I DIDN'T use your
comment, please mention that...but somebody who comments will win free
registration to the October class!
Laurie Schnebly Campbell always wondered what was wrong with
her, not really GETTING the Hero's Journey, until she discovered its feminine
counterpart. Then she got excited -- not only by the premise, but also by the
chance to create a brand new class for WriterUniv.com. She can't wait to see who else shares
her enthusiasm for characters making discoveries within themselves, as well as
within the world...no matter what their gender.
