Advanced Creative Writing Post #6: The Hero's Journey

In Irelan's AP Literature class, we were going over what a quest type of story is. The most common type of quest story is the Hero's Journey. So, we decided to tie that into my creative writing and make that my topic this week.


The Hero's Journey has many steps, but can broken down into three distinct phases: the Departure, the Initiation, and the Return.

The Departure begins with the Hero's call to adventure. This is usually some sign given to the hero that everything is going to change. This is usually followed by the refusal of the call, or at least the refusal to believe that it is happening. For example, in The Lord of the Rings, Frodo is told by Gandalf when he finds the ring that he must take it to Mount Doom and destroy it. Frodo refuses to believe that he is in danger until the Wraiths attack them. The next stage of the quest is the appearance of supernatural aid. The purpose of this guide is to help the Hero transcend into adventure. After the supernatural aid comes the Crossing of the First Threshold. This is the true beginning of the journey for the Hero. This is the first experience in the other world. Going back to the Lord of the Rings, this is when Frodo and Gandalf meet with the others to create the Fellowship. The last piece in the first Departure is referred to as the Belly of the Whale. In this stage, the Hero has become fully submerged in the adventure. Their old life is left behind and their new life begins. This is usually symbolized by something dark, unknown, and frightening. This is the transition for the Hero in becoming their new self. In LOTR, I think this is when the Fellowship fights the Orcs and Boromir dies.

The second phase of the Hero's Journey is the Initiation. The second phase revolves around the Hero's trials and transformation into the new self that will ensure the Hero comes out, well a Hero at the end. The phase begins with The Road of Trials. This is usually a series of tests, most of the which the Hero often fails. The next step of the journey is the Meeting with the Goddess. This is where the Hero finds him- or herself through an all-powerful love. This is usually when the Hero sees him- or herself as non-dualistic. There is no longer an old self and a new self, only the Hero as a whole. After the Goddess comes the Woman as the Temptress. This portion of the journey is where the Hero is tempted to stray from his journey. As with the Goddess, this does not necessarily have to be woman. However, woman is a metaphor for the phyiscal or material temptations of life, since the hero-knight was often tempted by lust to abandon his spiritual journey. After temptation comes atonement. The hero atones with the highest authority, usually a father-figure. All of the steps in the journey before this lead up to it and all the steps after it move forward from this point. This step usually involves the "death" of the hero's old self and a grand transformation into the Hero figure. In LOTR, the "death" of Gandalf the Grey and the transformation into Gandalf the White is arguably an example of this. The next step, depending on the story, either becomes the transformation of the Hero from the mortal plane into a deity-like state, or simply the peace before the Hero's return from their destination. The last step is known as the Ultimate Boon.

The last phase of the journey is The Return. The first thing the Hero usually does is refuse the return. After all, after having achieved so much and dined with the deities and gods, why return to the world of mortals? If the Boon had to be taken from the gods, the Hero must escape with it, making up the next step of the journey, called the Magic Flight. The next step incurs supernatural aid. Just as the Hero needed assistance to get this far, help is usually required on the return trip as well. After this comes the Crossing of the Return Threshold, wherein the Hero must integrate the wisdom gained on the journey into their normal lives. The Hero then becomes the Master of Two Worlds. This is the Hero becoming comfortable and competent in both the inner and outer worlds. The last and final step of the journey is the Freedom to Live. The Hero is no longer fearful of death and is therefore free to live. This usually consists of the Hero neither anticipating the future nor regretting the past.

Advanced Creative Writing Post #5: Technology

So for this blog post, I am writing about technology. Since I wasn't given a particular focus on what exactly to blog about pertaining to technology, I am going to blog about technology in schools and in the classroom.



Since I have been in school (from 1997 to present day), the technology in schools has dramatically increased. In the last few years alone the use of computers has sky-rocketed. Schools have gone from having the occasional computer in the library to having carts of laptops that teachers and students can use. You can even check a laptop out at the library now. The technological age of education is coming into full swing. I still remember when classrooms used chalkboards, man did I hate those (it's a texture thing with the chalk). And then they were upgraded to white boards. I actually own a white board myself. It hangs in my room and is one of the most useful things I own :). Anyways, most teachers still use white boards, but the global learners have once again upped the ante. Seeing as the global learners are attempting to really introduce twenty-first century technology into twenty-first century education (seems like common sense to me), the newest board is the smartboard. This is not only a digital white board, it is an interactive interface for all kinds of programs that allow teachers to reach in new directions when teaching. One of my personal favorites about the white boards is a physics program. The user can draw objects and what not and deploy the program and real-life physics take effect. Besides, it saves on things like chalk, markers, and the like. Even right now I am participating in a new-wave technology that has entered the classroom: blogging. Blogging is now an easy and effective way for students to all see the same information, to share ideas on an accessible interface, and it really reduces the time for a teacher to look at it and give feedback (less emails/papers and the ability to address more than one student at a time). In fact, while I was in my Epistemology class last year, I participated in live blogging. This is a blog that literally takes place in real time and when the session is over it logs it all. It's kind of like having a computerized class discussion, except your students can be anywhere. I participated from home once or twice :). Technology is coming a long way in classrooms. The ability to find practically limitless information on the internet and to be able to express things with far more than pencil and paper has really increased the livelyhood of education, in my personal opinion.

Advanced Creative Writing Post #4: The Future

I know that I am supposed to be writing this blog post on rock-climbing. But that's not what has gripped my mind today. My mind is echoing with the thoughts revolving around the future and what is to come. So, I am going to indulge myself and write about the future in, hopefully, an intelligent and thought-provoking way.

The future is never far from my mind these days. High school is ending, college is coming up fast, and deadlines are falling like raindrops in a storm. My future is not by any means certain and the many complications because of this saturate my subconscious, constantly being stirred up by life's twists and turns. Several months ago, a friend of mine (coincidentally the same teacher for which I am doing this blog post for) showed me an article that had been written about society's view of time. I don't remember at the moment who the author of this article is, but I do remember what this article was about. According to the author, society's concept of time can be stripped down to this basic philosophy: what's next? We live in a world governed by the idea of what comes next.

1. You are born.
2. You go to elementary school so you can get the education required to go to middle/Jr. high school.
3. You go to middle/Jr. high school so you can get the education required to go to high school.
4. You go to high school so you can get the education required to go to college.
5. You go to college so you can get a degree.
6. You get a degree so you can get a good job.
7. You get a good job so you can get a good salary.
8. You get a good salary so you can get a good home.
9. You get a good home so you can get a good family.
10. You get a good family so you can have kids and start the whole process of indoctrination all over again with your kids.

It's all focused on what you're going to do next. There's no time to stop and enjoy the present. There's no time to stop and smell the roses. But what happens when there isn't a next step? Or that next step isn't what you planned? What happens when you finally realize that you can't plan for everything, that you can't always know your next step? We have to make the time to do the things we want to do. When it comes down to it, wouldn't we rather live a short life we love than to live a long life we hate? I would much rather roll out of bed to get in my crappy car to go to my low-paying job that I love than to get in a fancy Mercedes to go to a high-paying job I abhor. Right now, my family, my girlfriend, and I are all freaking out about what colleges we're going to and if we'll be able to be where we want to be once we're out in that deep sea of life. And truth is, we don't have a clue. I don't know if I'll be going to the same college as her, or even if it's a college that my parents want me to go to. I don't know if I'll get to college and find exactly the kind of experience I am looking for. I don't even know if teaching is what I will come out with the skills to do. (Wow that was a poorly structured sentence lol). But I am going to do my best to accept that and roll with whatever life throws my way. I am determined to not let the uncertainty taint the enjoyment and fulfillment of my days.