The Hero’s Journey Toolbox

When Stephen King introduced the idea of a writer’s toolbox, he said:

“I want to suggest that to write to your best abilities, it behooves you to construct your own toolbox and then build up enough muscle so you can carry it with you. Then, instead of looking at a hard job and getting discouraged, you will perhaps seize the correct tool and get immediately to work.” – On Writing, 114

King’s toolbox was general purpose, focusing mostly on vocabulary and grammar – the hammers and nails of the trade. This toolbox is slightly different. It’s meant for a specific job, so perhaps it’s more accurate to call it a specialist’s kit. Either way, the goal is the same: to prepare the tools needed for crafting a story and put them all together in the same place so that when we read them, they’re ready at hand.

I put this kit together using the work of Joseph Campbell and Christopher Vogler, as well as four great examples of the Hero’s Journey: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, The Matrix, Star Wars: A New Hope, and The Hobbit. The toolkit is very much a work in progress, so as I learn more about the Hero’s Journey I’ll come back to make edits and refine the model. If there’s anything you think it lacks, send me a message in the Contact page.

 

The Model:

Setting the stage

Ordinary world

Call to adventure

*Refusal of the call* – (optional)

Supernatural aid

Crossing the first threshold

Tests, allies and enemies

Approach to the inmost cave

The ordeal

Reward

*The road back* – (optional)

Showdown with the villain – (tentative)

The resurrection

Return with the elixir

 

  • Setting the Stage:

    • It’s much more common for a hero to restore something which has been lost than build something new. Luke Skywalker seeks the return of the Jedi and the Republic, not to establish his own order and government. If this is the case in our story, we need to make sure the audience understands and believes in what the hero is trying to revive.
    • The hero usually has some sort of inborn advantage over ordinary people. This might be a birthright, hidden power, or simply great talent in a given field. This is not to say that self-made heroes don’t exist, just that they’re far less common than heroes that were born a little better than everyone else.
    • A classic pattern is for the infant hero to be exiled from their home, then triumphantly return to vanquish the villain. Depending on the story, this theme can be implemented with greater or lesser literality.
    • Related to the point above, the villain is often well-established in the corrupt world the hero seeks to overturn. The hero, by contrast, comes from obscurity to disrupt the status quo.

 

 

  • Ordinary World

    • When starting a hero’s journey, we need to establish what the hero’s life was like before they set off on their adventure. This ordinary world must suffer from some sort of deficiency. It might be as small as the hero wanting a toy they can’t afford, or as large as surviving in a post-apocalyptic wasteland. But it’s always there.
    • If the story mentions the hero’s childhood, there are two general paths it can take. First, the hero can grow up separated from their family and kin. This is almost universally unpleasant, with the hero forced to live in a menial or degrading position, such as a servant, squire, or in the cupboard under the stairs. The second path is that the hero may grow up happily among their people, but something happens to brutally sever them from their home. (The cheap and easy – and therefore somewhat cliched – way to do this is to have the villain or his minions massacre everyone the hero’s ever known). The moment of separation is often the Call to Adventure.
    • The hero may have some small adventures while still in their Ordinary World. These provide tantalizing glimpses of the hero’s potential and set the stage for the coming Call to Adventure.
    • If the hero has special powers or a noble lineage, the Ordinary World will usually end when these are recognized. This does not mean that everything which makes the hero special is revealed to the audience, just that it’s no longer possible for the hero to pretend to be normal like everyone else.

 

  • Call to Adventure

    • The Call to Adventure is often delivered by a Herald – a character who first calls the hero’s attention to the existence of a world of adventure. This should not be confused with the Mentor, who guides the hero in their adventure (though one character could potentially fill both roles.) Contrast R2-D2, the Herald who delivered Princess Leia’s call to adventure, with Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke’s Mentor.
    • While in modern stories the Herald is often benign or even an ally, in older tales they could be downright sinister. Good, neutral or evil heralds are all appropriate, so long as they pull the hero into the world of adventure.
    • As an alternative to the Herald, the Call to Adventure may be an accident whereby the hero stumbles unintentionally into the world of adventure. Truly random accidents will likely feel false or forced to the reader, so if possible the ‘accident’ should be in some way karmic, ironic, or reflect the hero’s unacknowledged desires.
    • The Hero might not respond to the Call to Adventure immediately (see the next possible step on the hero’s journey), but once the call has been delivered their ‘spiritual center of gravity’ will shift to the new world. If they return to their normal life, it will feel empty and devoid of meaning.
    • The world of adventure must be more interesting than the hero’s ordinary world. The people are more vivid, the situations more extreme, the highs higher, and the lows lower.

 

  • Refusal of the Call – (optional)

    • Ignoring or trying to hide from the Call to Adventure is a very human reaction, and we can use this to make our hero more realistic. Think back on the opportunities that have come your way, such as moving, starting a new job, going on a date or heading off to college. Any excitement or anticipation was likely met by equally forceful doubts, a swarm what-if’s that could – or in some cases, maybe did – convince you not to go. A hero facing possible death if they answer the Call to Adventure should have misgivings at least this severe.
    • With that said, there will also be some characters that skip this step entirely. Their current living situation may be so horrible they will accept any chance to escape it, or they may be the kind of brash and headstrong hero that leaps before they look. If the hero accepts the Call to Adventure without reservation, we should make sure that their personality or the setting has foreshadowed this decision.
    • More prudent characters will likely be less willing to leap, and may have to be enticed, cajoled, or forced into starting their adventure.
    • Ultimately, failing to answer the call is not an option. (Not if you want a worthwhile story, anyway). One way or the other, the character is leaving their Ordinary World.

 

  • Supernatural Aid

    • Once the hero commits to their journey, they nearly always receive some kind of assistance to help them on the way. There are three common types of this.
    • The first, and the most common in modern stories, is a general-use item. By this I mean an item that is useful in a great number of situations and may even become iconic for the character. Luke Skywalker is given his father’s lightsaber, and Harry Potter is mysteriously bequeathed the invisibility cloak.
    • The second form of supernatural aid is something that resolves a highly specific but otherwise insurmountable problem. This might be a talisman, heirloom or enchanted ring, but can also be the simple and mundane string given to Theseus to help him navigate the labyrinth. The cord was had no other use in Theseus’s adventure, but without it he would certainly have died in the maze’s depths.
    • Third, the Supernatural Aid may take the form of training or abilities. In The Matrix, Neo is never offered a special weapon or talisman, but receives special indoctrination that allows him to warp the reality of the Matrix. (“I know Kung Fu.”)

 

  • Crossing the First Threshold

    • The ordinary world and the world of adventure are nearly always separated by some sort of barrier. Before the hero can start their adventure they must find a way to break through. This barrier can take the form of traps, obstructions, and other ‘natural’ obstacles, or the opposition of antagonists called Threshold Guardians
    • A common theme for Crossing the First Threshold is that the hero must have the resolve to do so. The threshold can test the hero in other ways (for example, a character how seeks to master a particular skill might have to prove their ability with that skill), but when in doubt, it’s tough to go wrong with forcing the hero to prove they’re brave enough to commit to their adventure.
    • There are countless options for natural obstacles, from a literal magic wall around a village to a bus ticket the hero can’t afford. The major difference between an obstacle and Threshold Guardian is agency. Unlike a passive barrier, the Threshold Guardian actively tries to keep the hero from leaving.
    • The Threshold Guardians often represent the status quo. The hero is the maverick, renegade, or rebel trying to cause change, while the Threshold Guardians are defenders of the way things are. To normal people the police or tribal elders might represent peace and security, but to the budding hero they’re a stultifying obstacle that must be overcome.
    • The Threshold Guardians can be related to the main villain (or even be the main villain – see Agent Smith from The Matrix, who fills both roles), but are often completely separate. In either case, they’re an opportunity to throw a different type of challenge at the hero than what they’ll face in the climax of the story. If the story ends with a climactic battle, it may be wise to have the Threshold Guardians test the hero’s cleverness, stoicism, or moral virtue rather than their battle prowess.
    • Joseph Campbell argues that after crossing the first threshold the hero undergoes a death and rebirth. The hero’s old, often pathetic self dies, and the budding hero takes their place. I agree that this symbolism is probably worth including in most hero’s journeys, but rather than pulling it out as a separate event I think it’s simply the conclusion of Crossing the First Threshold.

 

 

  • Tests, Allies and Enemies

    • This is the heart of an adventure – the place where the hero learns about friendship, experiences loss, overcomes enemies, and ultimately masters the vocation of the Hero. Because so much character development happens here it’s often the longest single section in a story. When deciding what challenges to toss at a hero (and there will almost certainly be several), remember that the majority should hit the hero directly in their weaknesses. It’s only by overcoming these flaws that the hero becomes worthy of being called such.
    • There are innumerable tests a hero can face during their journey, so I’m starting a list of the most common challenges that I can drawn on for inspiration. If you think of a challenge that’s not yet on the list, feel free to send it to me with the Contact page.
      • The Rival: The hero is challenged by an opponent from within their social group who is not exactly evil, but still seeks the hero’s defeat and humiliation. Rivals are often the mirror image of the hero, and can later turn into allies of the circumstances are right.
      • The Friend in Need: One of the hero’s friends or allies has gotten in trouble, and it’s up to the hero to get them out. See Hagrid’s dragon Norbert.
      • The Competition: The hero is challenged to a competition, often by their Rival. Such competitions are almost never as simple as they seem, so the hero will likely have to overcome additional problems such as cheating or defective equipment before the challenge is over.
      • The Maze: The hero gets lost – usually separated from their allies. This is a good place for them to meet new characters or find important items. See Bilbo Baggins getting lost in the goblin caves.
      • Recruiting the Expert: There’s something the hero wants to do, but they can’t do it themselves. To succeed they must find an expert in the problematic task. This can be a pilot, scholar, hacker, or any other person with skills the hero lacks.
      • Poisoned!: The hero has been fatally poisoned and must find the antidote before it’s too late. This also works for an illness.
      • Bankrupt: The hero has run out of money (or any other important resource) and must earn or, more likely, scheme their way back into solvency.
      • Framed: Someone has committed a dastardly deed, but the hero takes the blame for it and must prove their innocence.
      • Hot Potato!: The hero has been given something (or someone) that they need to get rid of, but can’t just throw on the side of the road.

 

  • Approach to the Inmost Cave

    • The hero reaches the location of the Reward they seek, only to find their goal is heavily defended. This is the high-security building holding Morpheus, the traps and tests that surrounded the Philosopher’s stone, and the quintessential example: the Death Star.
    • The Inmost Cave will usually contain several distinct challenges, so we shouldn’t rush into the climactic Ordeal. These challenges may test the hero’s skill, willpower, cleverness, honor, or any number of other traits. Most of these traits will have been developed during the Tests, Allies and Enemies part of the story, so the Inmost Cave is a great place to show how much the hero has matured during their journey.

 

  • The Ordeal

    • The hero faces an ultimate challenge that pushes them to their absolute limits.
    • Though it may seem counter-intuitive at first glance, the Ordeal is almost never where the hero confronts the villain. Luke Skywalker does not face Darth Vader on the first Death Star, and Neo does not battle Agent Smith during the rescue of Morpheus.  Like everything in this toolkit there may be a few exceptions, but in the overwhelming majority of stories the Ordeal and the Showdown with the Villain are separate events.

 

  • Reward

    • The Reward the hero receives may be a tangible benefit – such as the stolen money in a heist film – but whenever possible it should be more valuable to the character emotionally than materially. While it’s an extreme cliche, there’s a reason that, ‘the real treasure was the friendships you made along the way!’ is such an enduring trope. Audiences are more satisfied by a character’s emotional growth than their enrichment.
    • The Reward may also be a person, a la the princess in eternal need of rescue. The modern zeitgeist seems to look down on this, so although I think the archetype runs too deep to ever disappear, cliched or blatant usage of it will most likely face backlash.

 

 

  • The Road Rack – (optional)

    • After achieving their goal the hero must flee from the Inmost Cave. This event is not required – depending on how the Ordeal went there may not be any enemies left to pursue the hero – but if there are still antagonists about they will come after the hero with a vengeance.
    • A classic way to trigger this event is through a small but very human failing from the hero or one of his companions. Despite being told to, say, not eat food from the king’s table, the hero proceeds to do exactly that and has to run like hell when discovered.

 

  • Showdown with the Villain – (tentative)

    • Sometime just before the end of the story, the hero will have a final, climactic conflict with the main antagonist. I’m not certain exactly where to put this event, and it’s possible that it floats anywhere from after the Ordeal to before the Return with the Elixir.
    • The villain is almost never defeated through sheer force of arms. There may be a great deal of entertaining battle before the fight is decided, but what ultimately ends the conflict will be a sudden change in the situation, such as a last second trick, or intervention from a friend. For example, when Luke Skywalker faced down the Emperor he only won when Darth Vader turned on his master. All his lightsaber skills and training with the force would have been for nothing if not for his father’s change of heart.

 

  • The Resurrection

    • Heroes die a lot in stories. Or at least, they seem to. This is partly to increase dramatic tension – towards the end of the Showdown with the Villain, or just after the villain falls, the hero will often appear to meet their demise. Perhaps their wounds overcame them, or the villain unleashed a final attack that surely no one could have survived. Of course the hero manages to pull through and – the other reason for the apparent death – is transformed by the experience. After Agent Smith murders Neo in the hallway, Trinity’s love pulls the hero back from the brink of death and for the first time he understands that he truly is The One.
    • Even if the hero doesn’t literally appear to die, there will be a moment where they undergo a dramatic personality change. (This is almost always an improvement). Their old personality falls away and a new, ennobled version of themselves comes to the fore. This is Luke Skywalker realizing he is a Jedi, like his father before him.

 

  • Return with the Elixir

    • After achieving the Reward and defeating the villain, the hero brings the benefits of their adventure back to the ordinary world they left behind.