Shaping a Narrative

1. SHAPING A NARRATIVE
The Hero’s Journey

2. You’re writing non-fiction, so you don’t control
what happened or when.
But you do control which events you include
and which you leave out.
Consulting the Hero’s Journey, a universal structure for stories
across cultures and time, can help you decide what to put into
the story you tell.

3. You can Google just about any movie + “hero’s
journey” and find a breakdown of the plot.
A similar way of breaking down stories,
but much simpler, comes from Dan Harmon,
co-creator of Rick and Morty.
I encourage you to watch the video posted here, and/or
to check out his full explanation online.

4. Here’s how he breaks down a story:
1. A character is in a zone of comfort,
2. But they want something.
3.They enter an unfamiliar situation,
4. Adapt to it,
5. Get what they wanted,
6. Pay a heavy price for it,
7.Then return to their familiar situation,
8. Having changed.

5. He simplifies it further:
1. A character is in a zone of comfort,
2. But they want something.
3.They enter an unfamiliar situation,
4. Adapt to it,
5. Get what they wanted,
6. Pay a heavy price for it,
7.Then return to their familiar situation,
8. Having changed.
1.YOU
2.WANT
3. GO
4. SEARCH
5. FIND
6.TAKE
7. RETURN
8. CHANGE
→

6. Let’s look at a classic film structured this
way: StarWars.

7. 1.YOU—Luke Skywalker lives with his family
onTatooine.

8. 2.WANT—He wants adventure.
“Help me, ObiWan Kenobi, you’re my only hope.”

9. 3. GO—He leavesTatooine.

10. 4. SEARCH (The Road ofTrials)—Luke meets
new people, learns new things and
experiences danger.

11. 5. FIND—Luke finds out Princess Leia is
being held prisoner on the Death Star.

12. 6.TAKE (pay a heavy price)—As he leaves
with Leia, he watches DarthVader kill his
mentor.

13. 7. RETURN—They escape…

14. 8. CHANGE—but have to finish business
by destroying the Death Star.

15. You do not need to be a “Hero” in your story (see
readings like “This IsWhat It Means…”)
In fact, in personal writing, it’s more common,
and more accessible for a reader, if the narrator is
human and vulnerable
You don’t have to triumph like Luke Skywalker, and you don’t
need a happy ending.
The important takeaway: something significant has to change