Variations on a basic, familiar story have been told over and over across centuries and cultures, knitting communities together through shared values and beliefs. Joseph Campbell, scholar of religion and mythology, gave us a name for it: the hero’s journey.
Essentially, the hero’s journey is this: An (often reluctant) hero sees a threat to his—or her—values and what he holds dear. (Think: Luke Skywalker). His world is out of balance. He is not powerful, but he is moved to action. He embarks on a quest to make things right. He takes on the villains who pose the threat. And he’s helped along the way by a mentor (think: Yoda) who gives him the tools to succeed (not just lightsaber skills, but confidence, inspiration, and power—The Force). He does it all for the good of his community, not just for himself.
Jonah Sachs author of Winning the Story Wars, sees the hero’s journey as a compelling formula for “modern mythmakers”—those of us who want to inspire change for the common good.
But applying the hero’s journey to our own campaigns isn’t always so easy, especially when it comes to sorting out the role we—as storytellers—play in our own stories.
Here are some tips from Sachs—and George Lucas—for doing it right:
