Comments on: WU ROAD TEST: The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler

by: Therese Walsh

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 13:16:51 +0000

Great post, Kath. This book is on my shelves but I haven’t read it yet. I know, I know…

by: Eric

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 21:46:30 +0000

Elena, you bring up a great point I’ve been meaning to do a post about;

“The map is not the territory.”

by: Elena Greene

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 20:04:42 +0000

Glad you found the book useful, Kathleen!

One thing I like a lot is his advice on how to use the Hero’s Journey principles. To quote: “It’s probably best to acquaint yourself with the Hero’s Journey ideas and then forget about them as you sit down to write. If you get lost, refer to the metaphor as you would check a map on a journey. But don’t mistake the map for the journey. You don’t drive with a map pasted to your windshield. You consult it before setting out or when you get disoriented. The joy of a journey is not reading or following a map, but exploring unknown places and wandering off the map now and then. It’s only by getting creatively lost, beyond the boundaries of tradition, that new discoveries can be made.”

by: Kathleen Bolton

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 19:36:24 +0000

Once you read it, you see it in action in every film, t.v. sitcom, etc. But Eric’s right, the real challenge is to take the archtypes and freshen them. At its worst, it could be a recipe for formulaic stories, at its best, it really does help negotiate the mindfields. If nothing else, folks should check it out.

by: S William Shaw

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 19:25:30 +0000

I’ve never heard of it, and I thought I have heard of every writing book

by: Eric

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 16:04:53 +0000

It’s a good book, I can vouch for it. Of course, it is the victim of the usual “But that’s formula! Ewww!” complaint. At no point does it tell you what to write, or how to write it. It is an abstract layer or guide for your story. You still have to do all the hard work of creating memorable characters and giving them interesting troubles. The Writer’s Journey just gives you a hint about when certain types of things that are probably already in your story should occur.

“Types of things” should be the key phrase here. It is a generalization of structure featured in some of the greatest stories. The specific story is and always will be up to you.

by: Melissa Marsh

Thu, 16 Nov 2006 15:20:05 +0000

I’ve heard of this book before, but never picked it up. I might have to now. Great review, Kathleen.