Using Monomyth

Good morning. Today, you’ll be creating a story using the monomyth and archetype structures you’ve been learning in class this week. Do the best you can without guidance and without referring (deferring?) to your neighbors.
Yes, you may use any notes or handouts you have in your journal, but that’s it.
Write everything on paper you can turn in, i.e: looseleaf instead of in your journal.
The timer is to keep you on pace. If you aren’t done with a section and/or don’t feel complete, don’t move on until you are ready – yet try to move on to avoid perfectionism…

Part A (5 minutes) Setting
Come up with a throw-away setting for your story to take place. You will in no way be tied to any part of what you do today, but if you like it, great! Some ideas to get you started: A medieval castle; the starship Titanic; the desert planet of the armadillo-men, the spooky moors of England; Sweet Valley High School…
Part B (5 minutes) Hero
Hero: Create a new hero for an as-yet-unwritten story (not one you are already working on).
What type of hero will it be? The Classic Hero; The Wide-Eyed Innocent Hero; The Reluctant Hero; The Reckless Hero; Hero of Circumstance; Cynical Hero
Pair the heroic type with a heroic archetype. Be more interesting than pairing “The wide-eyed innocent hero” with “the innocent”, I mean, come on.
Finished early? Get a head start on part C:
Part C (10 minutes) Fleshing out the hero
Using your favorite brainstorming technique, get your ideas on paper about this hero’s background and home, about this character’s loves and fears (need ideas? Use your heart chart!), a good task for this character, and a virtue that the character would benefit from receiving.
Part D (7 minutes) Villain
Remember, a great villain thinks he or she IS the hero, but is twisted in some way.
Villain: Create a villain who is a foil for your hero.
What type of “hero” will the villain be? The Classic Hero; The Wide-Eyed Innocent Hero; The Reluctant Hero; The Reckless Hero; Hero of Circumstance; Cynical Hero
Pair the heroic type with a heroic archetype. Be more interesting than pairing “The wide-eyed innocent hero” with “the innocent”, I mean, come on.
Finished early? Get a head start on part C:
Part E (10 minutes) Fleshing out the villain
Using your favorite brainstorming technique, get your ideas on paper about this villain’s background and home, about this character’s loves and fears (need ideas? Use your heart chart!), a good task for this character, and a virtue that the character would benefit from receiving.
Part F (Remainder of class) The Clash
Outline a Quest for your hero that puts your hero in direct opposition with your villain USING THE MONOMYTH FORMAT. Surprise, this is plot. Be detailed: three to four sentences for each part. If you do not finish during class, finish for homework.

Everything due Monday.

Character Archetypes

As promised, the complete and accurate character archetypes:

Quest: This is the hero quest which the archetype has set out on.
Fear: This is the fear that is usually the motivating factor for undergoing the quest.
Dragon: This represents the major problem or obstacle of the quest, the opposition that must be overcome in order for the quest to be successful.
Task: This is the task that the hero must accomplish in order to succeed at the quest.
Virtue: Succeeding at the quest earns the hero these rewards of self.

The Innocent
Quest: To remain in safety.
Fear: Being abandoned.
Dragon: Will deny it or seek outside rescue from it.
Task: To gain fidelity and discernment.
Virtue: Trust and optimism.

The Orphan
Quest: To regain safety.
Fear: Being exploited.
Dragon: Will be victimized by it.
Task: To process and feel pain fully.
Virtue: Interdependence and realism.

The Warrior
Quest: To win.
Fear: Weakness.
Dragon: Will slay or confront it.
Task: To fight only for what really matters.
Virtue: Courage and discipline.

The Caregiver
Quest: To help others.
Fear: Selfishness.
Dragon: Will take care of it and those it harms.
Task: To give without maiming self or others.
Virtue: Compassion and generosity.

The Seeker
Quest: To search for a better life.
Fear: Conformity.
Dragon: Will flee from it.
Task: To be true to the deeper self.
Virtue: Autonomy and ambition.

The Lover
Quest: To gain bliss.
Fear: Loss of love.
Dragon: Will love it.
Task: To follow bliss.
Virtue: Passion and commitment.

The Destroyer
Quest: To metamorphosis.
Fear: Annihilation.
Dragon: Will allow dragon to destroy oneself.
Task: To let go.
Virtue: Humility.

The Creator
Quest: To gain identity.
Fear: Of being illusionary.
Dragon: will claim it as part of oneself.
Task: To self-create and self-accept.
Virtue: Individuality and vocation.

The Sage
Quest: To find truth.
Fear: Deception.
Dragon: To transcend it.
Task: To attain enlightenment.
Virtue: Wisdom and non-attachment.

The Ruler
Quest: To create order.
Fear: Of creating chaos.
Dragon: Will find constructive uses for it.
Task: To take full responsibility.
Virtue: Responsibility and control.

The Magician
Quest: To transform.
Fear: Of assuming evil sorcery.
Dragon: Will transform it.
Task: To align with the cosmos.
Virtue: Personal power.

The Fool
Quest: To enjoy life for its own sake.
Fear: Of being not-alive.
Dragon: Will play tricks on it.
Task: To trust in the process of becoming.
Virtue: Joy and freedom.

For a deeper, more detailed understanding and some alternate views of the archetype system, check out some of these links:

• Hero Within goes into detail on (and gets more specific about) each of the 12 archetypes.


• A chart showing the 12 archetypes as a progression, rather than as a continuum; very interesting.

Campbell's Monomyth

Here's the picture of the basic hero's journey from lecture today:

. Also, the monomyth stuff from the projector - the overview of the complex version.

Monologue Project

Today we examined the monologue project. Here is the assignment sheet (in progress) for your continued reference. Further updates to come.

Four Writing Prompts

A dead historical figure is back. Who? Why? How? (Zombie? Ghost? Reincarnation? Time Machine?) What does he/she do?

An object has an intelligence and personality and can speak to its user. What does it want? Why? How will it get it?

The "bad guys" are attacking the "good guys" again. Only our hero can save them! What's the problem? How does hero save the day?

Protagonist is trapped! Where? Why? How? Get protagonist out of there!

Homework

In class you spent ten minutes with each prompt, then talked briefly about it with a group. Tonight, spend twenty (solid) minutes writing more on the prompt you felt had the most potential to be a real story.

First Day!

It was so nice to meet all of you this first day of school. Glad you could make it to the web site.

Here is the document you are looking for, the class expectations, in .doc, .rtf, and .pdf formats.

Don't forget to obtain all the necessary items - you wrote them in your planner, and they can be found in the class expectations.

If you were absent and need to see what we did, here is the powerpoint we did in class with the rundown of what's due.

See you tomorrow!