Christopher Vogler once told me that the true measure of a successful story is "whether you have affected the heart of the audience" - either because they loved and connected with the characters, or because you caused enough tension to get the audiences hearts pumping.If you've never read Vogler, he is a truly talented writer who updated the great Joseph Campbell's "Hero's Journey". He offers a theory on the 12 stages of any hero (see graphics). Chances are you've at least heard of one of the movies Vogler had a hand in creating: Lion King (which is really just a cartoon version of Hamlet).
Vogler is a wonderful mentor and teacher. I highly recommend his book The Writer's Journey. You can learn more about archetypes, the hero's journey, and repeating themes by checking out his books, or by visiting his website which offers great resources: http://www.thewritersjourney.com/
How are you affecting the hearts of your audience?
3 comments:
I need to pick up that book. Favorite trope of mine.
Thanks for the interesting information, I'm going to check that out.
The Heroes Journey is nearly always a good premise for a story--from the Iliad to Harry Potter. I believe readers prefer a character they can root for ad cheer on.
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