the hero's journey 5k

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The 7/20 Foundation is proud to present the 3rd annual Hero’s Journey 5k Run/Walk. This unique point-to-point race makes its way through Aurora's City Center and culminates in the 7/20 Memorial Reflection Garden. For those over 21, this race includes admission into the 7/20 Foundation's annual beer festival.

The Hero's Journey represents any person who faces a challenge, encounters struggles to overcome it, and returns home a Hero. We hope this 5k is a transformative experience as you run/walk together; whether you are a veteran runner or this is your first 5k. We chose to start the run across from the theater and end in the 7/20 Memorial Reflection Garden as your return home/finish line to honor the journey from tragedy to hope. It is the perfect place for each of us to honor and celebrate our collective accomplishment as well as our heroes from the July 20, 2012 tragedy.

All proceeds raised through the event will go toward the Zack Golditch Opportunity Scholarship.

For the love of all that is good and moisture wicking...

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Added to our Directory Mar 4, 2022
Last Updated in our Directory Mar 2, 2024
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The Hero's Journey 5K

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About the Event

Join us for the 2nd annual Hero's Journey 5K Run/Walk, presented by the 7/20 Foundation. This unique point-to-point race takes place in Aurora's City Center and finishes at the 7/20 Memorial Reflection Garden. The Hero's Journey represents anyone who faces a challenge, overcomes struggles, and returns home a hero. Whether you're a seasoned runner or a first-timer, we hope this 5K will be a transformative experience as we run/walk together. For those over 21, the race includes admission to the 7/20 Foundation's annual beer festival.

Starting across from the theater and ending at the 7/20 Memorial Reflection Garden, we honor the journey from tragedy to hope. This is the perfect place to celebrate our collective accomplishment and honor our heroes from the July 20, 2012 tragedy.

Choose from three courses: 5K (21 and older), 5K Under 21, or Virtual 5K. Prices range from $15 to $45, and all proceeds go toward the Zack Golditch Opportunity Scholarship. Don't miss this chance to be a hero and make a difference in our community. Register now for the Hero's Journey 5K.

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5k (21 and older), more information, report event.

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Jul 23, 2022

The hero's journey 5k run/walk.

Location: 7/20 Memorial Foundation

15151 E Alameda Pkwy Aurora, CO 80012

Time: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

This event has expired and is here for your information.

The Hero's Journey relates to any person who faces a challenge, encounters struggles to overcome it, and returns home a Hero. We hope this 5K is a transformative experience as you run/walk together; whether you are a veteran runner or this is your first 5K. We chose to start the run across from the theater and end in the 7/20 Memorial in the Reflection Garden as your return home/finish line to honor the journey from tragedy to hope. It is the perfect place for each of us to honor and celebrate our collective accomplishment as well as our heroes from the 7-20-12 event.

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The Hero's Journey 5K - Aurora, Colorado - Running

The hero's journey 5k.

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ABOUT THIS RACE:

Race starting location: aurora, co.

The The Hero's Journey 5K is a Running race in Aurora, Colorado consisting of a 5K.

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Run The Year
Hero's Journey
Streaker Series
What Is A Fitness Challenge?
What is the RTE Tracker?

Everything You Need to Know About The Hero's Journey – Run The Edge®

May 26, 2022

Everything You Need To Know About The Hero's Journey

If you’re interested in completing The Hero’s Journey , you’ve come to the right place! The challenge starts on June 1, 2022, which is in just a few days. Claim your spot to join thousands of other runners, walkers, and cyclists who are taking on the challenge. You’ll even get access to a private Facebook group to meet the community!

If you’re still on the fence, here is everything you need to know about The Hero’s Journey.

What is The Hero’s Journey?

We based our Hero’s Journey Challenge on THE Hero’s Journey, which is t he perfect framework for epic adventures, books, and movies. A well-known example is Star Wars (Luke is the only hope!). It involves a hero that takes on multiple challenges on a long-distance adventure and returns home a changed person.

In our Hero’s Journey, you are the protagonist that takes on these challenges; over the course of 30 days, you will take on 12 “quests”, where you will likely have obstacles to overcome, whether that be physically, mentally, or emotionally, with the aim of becoming your own hero in your journey. In the end, you’ll return “home” after learning valuable lessons, creating connections, and ultimately, being different than when you started.

What are These “Quests”?

In the Hero’s Journey, quests are essentially synonymous with distances; over the course of 30 days (the month of June), you will have 12 distances to conquer, or complete. These distances range from two to nine miles, and you can complete them by walking, running, cycling, swimming, or doing any distance-based activity you can think of! You do have to complete the quest on the day that you schedule it for (i.e if you schedule a 3-mile quest tomorrow, you need to complete all three miles tomorrow), but you can split it up throughout the day.

We do suggest completing these in the specific order laid out for you in your Tracker or booklet to follow along with The Hero’s Journey story and framework, but ultimately, this challenge is yours to complete however you see fit!

What Do I Get With My Registration?

You have two package options to choose from! You can pick between the Get It All package or the Basic package.

Get It All ($40.00) - The perks of the Basic package PLUS...

A truly Heroic Medal. The centerpiece of the medal opens up via a hinge to reveal a double-sided keepsake coin that can be worn as a pendant. On one side of the pendant, there is a dragon, and on the other side, there is the saying “Remember What You’re Capable Of” to remind yourself about the challenges you conquered during this journey
The Hero's Journey Quest Booklet with commemorative pop-out “collector cards”.

Basic ($30.00) - Digital Challenge ONLY:

Access to the Run The Edge Tracker to schedule your challenges and track your mileage. You can sync your mileage with Garmin, Fitbit, Strava, and Apple Watch.
A digital shield for each quest you complete + digital booklet to supplement your journey!
Access to The Hero's Journey private Facebook group.

Why Do We Have to Do This Over the Course of One Month?

Well, you could do it as quickly as you wanted to, we suppose! Completing 12 challenges as quickly as possible is a challenge in and of itself!

But overall, as you may know, we have quite a few challenges that are year-long or even longer, like Run The Year and Amerithon . We wanted to create a challenge that would keep things fun, fresh, and interesting over a much shorter amount of time, which may seem more accessible than committing to one full year! With 12 distances to complete, 30 days gives you enough time to complete the challenges and even have a rest day in between if you need or want one.

Also, it takes 30 days to form a habit, so maybe after these 30 days, you’ll find yourself with a new fitness habit!

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Run The Year Legacy Coins... Choose Your Coin

The Run The Year Legacy Coin Series is about the 10 coins you can get for taking this annual challenge. Each coin has a...

Run The Year THRIVE Coin Year #10

JOURNEY HOME

5k/10k road race.

Devens, MA November 10th, 2024

to benefit our friends at

Each year, around Veterans Day, we gather in Devens, Massachusetts, as we toe the line in support of our Veterans and First-Responders. Join us to run or walk a beautiful 5k/10k course and honor the bravest among us! We'll run and walk together, and then celebrate at the finish in honor of those that give so much. Post-race celebration hosted by our friends at Columbia Tavern and Yuengling. A special thank you to this year's premier sponsor, Tito's Handmade Vodka!

100% of net proceeds to benefit Clear Path for Veterans New England, a wellness-based veterans community center.

PACKET PICKUP

Race-Day Pickup:

Packet pickup will be available on race-morning, right near the race parking and the starting/finish line.

*Pre-registered minors under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. The parent or guardian must sign a waiver on behalf of the minor at packet pickup.

RACE DATE,TIME & LOCATION

November 10, 2024

84 Antietam Street

Devens, MA 01434

We'll award our top 3 overall finishers in both the men's & women's races.

We'll award the top 2 finishers in each of the following age divisions in both the men's & women's races: 0-10, 11-19, 20-29, 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70-79, 80+

PREVIOUS RESULTS

2023 Results (10k, 5k and Dog Walk)

2022 Results (10k, 5k and Dog Walk)

2021 Results (5k)

2021 Results (10k)

2020 Virtual 5k Results

2020 Virtual 10k Results

2019 5k Results

2018 5k Results

Team program

Are you part of a corporation that wants to get involved? Want to have your organization's logo on our race shirts!?!? AWESOME! We'd love that!

For organizations that reserve 20 race entries for their employees, we'll give you a free sponsorship to the event and print your logo on the back of our race shirts!

Spots must be reserved by October 1st, with logos immediately provided to our team.

Looking to reserve your organization's spot? Fill out the contact form at the bottom of this website and we'll reach out!

SPONSOR A HERO

During the Journey Home Road Race you'll run through the "Hero's Mile", where you'll run by signs that honor people who have served our nation. You can purchase a sign for the Journey Home 5k/10k for $150 in honor of the hero/s in your life. Race management will take care of printing and set-up on race morning. Join us in thanking the "bravest among us" on race day, and raising more for Clear Path for Veterans New England in the process! Proceed to Race Registration to reserve a sign on the "Hero's Mile".

3.1 MILES / 6.2 Miles / 100% for our Veterans

SEE YOU IN DEVENS!

5k run, walk & dog walk

$28 until 7/1/2024

$32 until 9/1/2024

$35 until 11/1/2024

$40 until Race Day

10k Run

$38 until 7/1/2024

$42 until 9/1/2024

$45 until 11/1/2024

$50 until Race Day

Registration for the Journey Home Road Race is final under all circumstances. There are NO REFUNDS and NO DEFERRALS. In the event that an athlete cannot make the race their bib can be transferred to another runner. A bib transfer request must be received one week prior to race weekend.

O ur course is a 3.1 mile run adjacent to the grounds of the US Army Garrison known as Fort Devens. The 10k race is a double loop of this 3.1 mile course.

The course starts next to the newly acquired Clear Path for Veterans, New England headquarters building, located at the top of Antietam Street. The starting line itself will be on Sallas Bluff Street, with runners facing southbound towards Buena Vista Street. At race start, runners run southward towards Sallas Bluff Street. Runners take first right onto Buena Vista Street. Right onto Chance Street. Quick left onto Walnut Street. At end of Walnut Street, left onto Jackson Road. Left onto Antietam Street. Left onto Sherman Avenue. Left onto Buena Vista Street. Right onto the walkway that crosses the edge of Rogers Field, in close proximity to Jackson Road. As walkway nears its end, Right onto Elm Road. Right onto Sherman Avenue. Left onto Buena Vista Street. Right onto Sallas Bluff Street. Right onto Antietam Street. Runners finish on Antietam Street, in front of the new Clear Path for Veterans, New England headquarters building, located at the top of Antietam Street.

Other Course Considerations

There will be one water station on Antietam Street, as runners approach the left-hand turn onto Sherman Avenue, at roughly the 1.55 mile mark.

Questions? We'll answer them!

Comments? We'll listen!

Thanks for reaching out! We'll be in touch!

The Art of Narrative

Learn to write.

A Complete Guide to The Hero’s Journey (or The Monomyth)

Learn how to use the 12 steps of the Hero’s Journey to structure plot, develop characters, and write riveting stories that will keep readers engaged!

Before I start this post I would like to acknowledged the tragedy that occurred in my country this past month. George Floyd, an innocent man, was murdered by a police officer while three other officers witnessed that murder and remained silent.

To remain silent, in the face of injustice, violen ce, and murder is to be complicit . I acknowledge that as a white man I have benefited from a centuries old system of privilege and abuse against black people, women, American Indians, immigrants, and many, many more.

This systemic abuse is what lead to the murder of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, Sandra Bland, Eric Garner, Treyvon Martin, Philando Castile, Freddie Gray, Walter Scott, Tamir Rice and many more. Too many.

Whether I like it or not I’ve been complicit in this injustice. We can’t afford to be silent anymore. If you’re disturbed by the violence we’ve wit nessed over, and over again please vote this November, hold your local governments accountable, peacefully protest, and listen. Hopefully, together we can bring positive change. And, together, we can heal .

In this post, we’ll go over the stages of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, also known as the Monomyth. We’ll talk about how to use it to structure your story. You’ll also find some guided questions for each section of the Hero’s Journey. These questions are designed to help guide your thinking during the writing process. Finally, we’ll go through an example of the Hero’s Journey from 1997’s Men In Black.

Down at the bottom, we’ll go over reasons you shouldn’t rely on the Monomyth. And we’ll talk about a few alternatives for you to consider if the Hero’s Journey isn’t right for your story.

But, before we do all that let’s answer the obvious question-

What is the Hero’s Journey?

The Hero’s Journey was first described by Joseph Campbell. Campbell was an American professor of literature at Sarah Lawrence College. He wrote about the Hero’s Journey in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces . More than a guide, this book was a study on the fundamental structure of myths throughout history.

Through his study, Campbell identified seventeen stages that make up what he called the Monomyth or Hero’s Journey. We’ll go over these stages in the next section. Here’s how Campbell describes the Monomyth in his book:

“A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won: the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man.”

Something important to note is that the Monomyth was not conceived as a tool for writers to develop a plot. Rather, Campbell identified it as a narrative pattern that was common in mythology.

George Lucas used Campbell’s Monomyth to structure his original Star Wars film. Thanks to Star Wars ’ success, filmmakers have adopted the Hero’s Journey as a common plot structure in movies.

We see it in films like The Matrix , Spider-man , The Lion King , and many more. But, keep in mind, this is not the only way to structure a story. We’ll talk about some alternatives at the end of this post.

With that out of the way, let’s go over the twelve stages of the Hero’s Journey, or Monomyth. We’ll use the original Men In Black film as an example (because why not?). And, we’ll look at some questions to help guide your thinking, as a writer, at each stage.

Quick note – The original Hero’s Journey is seventeen stages. But, Christopher Vogler, an executive working for Disney, condensed Campbell’s work. Vogler’s version has twelve stages, and it’s the version we’re talking about today. Vogler wrote a guide to use the Monomyth and I’ll link to it at the bottom.)

The 12 Stages of The Hero’s Journey

The ordinary world .

This is where the hero’s story begins. We meet our hero in a down-to-earth, or humble setting. We establish the hero as an ordinary citizen in this world, not necessarily “special” in any way.

Think exposition .

We get to know our hero at this stage of the story. We learn about the hero’s life, struggles, inner or outer demons. This an opportunity for readers to identify with the hero. A good idea since the story will be told from the hero’s perspective.

Read more about perspective and POV here.

In Men In Black, we meet our hero, James, who will become Agent J, chasing someone down the streets of a large city. The story reveals some important details through the action of the plo t. Let’s go over these details and how they’re shown through action.

Agent J’s job: He’s a cop. We know this because he’s chasing a criminal. He waves a badge and yells, “NYPD! Stop!”

The setting: The line “NYPD!” tells us that J is a New York City cop. The chase sequence also culminates on the roof of the Guggenheim Museum. Another clue to the setting.

J’s Personality: J is a dedicated cop. We know this because of his relentless pursuit of the suspect he’s chasing. J is also brave. He jumps off a bridge onto a moving bus. He also chases a man after witnessing him climb vertically, several stories, up a wall. This is an inhuman feat that would have most people noping out of there. J continues his pursuit, though.

Guided Questions

What is your story’s ordinary world setting?
How is this ordinary world different from the special world that your hero will enter later in the story?
What action in this story will reveal the setting?
Describe your hero and their personality.
What action in the story will reveal details about your hero?

The Call of Adventure

The Call of Adventure is an event in the story that forces the hero to take action. The hero will move out of their comfort zone, aka the ordinary world. Does this sound familiar? It should, because, in practice, The Call of Adventure is an Inciting Event.

Refusal of the Call

This is an important stage in the Monomyth. It communicates with the audience the risks that come with Call to Adventure. Every Hero’s Journey should include risks to the main characters and a conflict. This is the stage where your hero contemplates those risks. They will be tempted to remain in the safety of the ordinary world.

In Men in Black, the Refusal of the Call is subtle. It consists of a single scene. Agent K offers J membership to the Men In Black. With that comes a life of secret knowledge and adventure. But, J will sever all ties to his former life. No one anywhere will ever know that J existed. Agent K tells J that he has until sunrise to make his decision.

J does not immediately say, “I’m in,” or “When’s our first mission.” Instead, he sits on the park bench all night contemplating his decision. In this scene, the audience understands that this is not an easy choice for him. Again, this is an excellent use of action to demonstrate a plot point.

It’s also important to note that J only asks K one question before he makes his decision, “is it worth it?” K responds that it is, but only, “if you’re strong enough.” This line of dialogue becomes one of two dramatic questions in the movie. Is J strong enough to be a man in black?

What will your character have to sacrifice to answer the call of adventure?
What fears does your character have about leaving the ordinary world?
What risks or dangers await them in the special world?

Meeting the Mentor

At this point in the story, the hero is seeking wisdom after initially refusing the call of adventure. The mentor fulfills this need for your hero.

The mentor is usually a character who has been to the special world and knows how to navigate it. Mentor’s provides your hero with tools and resources to aid them in their journey. It’s important to note that the mentor doesn’t always have to be a character. The mentor could be a guide, map, or sacred texts.

If you’ve seen Men In Black then you can guess who acts as J’s mentor. Agent K, who recruited J, steps into the mentor role once J accepts the call to adventure.

Agent K gives J a tour of the MIB headquarters. He introduces him to key characters and explains to him how the special world of the MIB works. Agent K also gives J his signature weapon, the Noisy Cricket.

Who is your hero’s mentor?
How will your character find and encounter with their mentor?
What tools and resources will your mentor provide?
Why/how does your mentor know the special world?

Crossing the Threshold

This is the point where your hero finally crosses over from the ordinary world into the special one. At this point, there is no turning back for your hero.

Your hero may not cross into the special world on their own. Or, they may need a dramatic event that forces them to act.

At this point, you’ll want to establish the dramatic question of your story. This is the question will your reader wants to answer by the end of your story. A dramatic question is what will keep your audience reading.

Once J decides to commit to the MIB Agent K starts the process of deleting J’s identity. The filmmakers do a great job communicating the drastic nature of J’s decision. This is done through, again, action and an effective voice-over. J’s social security number is deleted, and his fingerprints are burned off. He dons a nondescript black suit, sunglasses, and a sick-ass Hamilton watch .

This scene is immediately followed by a threatening message sent by aliens called the Arquillians. They tell the MIB they will destroy the Earth unless J and K can deliver a galaxy. The only problem is no one knows what the galaxy is. So, we get our story question. Can J and K find and deliver the MacGuffin before the Earth is destroyed?

Tests, Allies, Enemies

This is stage is exactly what it sounds like. Once they’ve entered the special world, your hero will be tested. They will learn the rules of this new world. Your hero’s mentor may have to further teach your hero.

The hero will also begin collecting allies. Characters whose goals align with those of your hero’s. People who will help your hero achieve their goal. These characters may even join your hero on their quest.

And this is also the point where your hero’s enemy will reveal themselves. Now, you’ve may have hinted at, or even introduced the villain in the earlier stages. But, this is where the audience discovers how much of a threat this villain is to your hero.

Approach to the Inmost Cave

The inmost cave is the path towards the central conflict of your story. In this section, your hero is preparing for battle. They may be regrouping with allies, going over important information, or taking a needed rest. This is also a part of the story where you may want to inject some humor.

The approach is also a moment for your audience to regroup. This is an important aspect of pacing. A fast-paced story can be very exciting for the audience, but at some point, the writer needs to tap the breaks.

This approach section gives your audience time to process the plot and consider the stakes of your conflict. This is also a good time to introduce a ticking clock, and it’s perfect for character development.

In Men, In Black the Approach the Inmost Cave involves an interview with a character called Frank the Pug. Frank is a Pug breed of dog. He’s an alien in disguise.

Frank knows important details about the conflict between the Arquillians and Edgar. This is one of the funnier scenes in an overall funny film.

Read more about alliteration here… jk.

Frank also gives J a vital clue to determine the location of the Arquillian’s galaxy. They also discover that the galaxy is an energy source and not an actual galaxy.

Finally, we have the arrival of the Arquillian battleship come to destroy Earth. They give the MIB a warning. If the galaxy is not returned in one hour the will fire on the planet. So, we have a literal ticking clock.

Where and how will your hero slow down and regroup?
What information or resources will they need to go into the final battle?
How can you introduce some humor or character development into this section?
What kind of “ticking clock” will you introduce to increase the stakes of your final act?

The Ordeal

The Ordeal is about one thing, and that’s death. Your hero must go through a life-altering challenge. This will be a conflict where the hero faces their greatest fears.

It’s essential that your audience feels as if the hero is really in danger. Make the audience question whether the hero will make it out alive. But, your story’s stakes may not be life or death, such as in a comedy or romance.

In that case the death your character experiences will be symbolic. And, your audience will believe that there’s a chance the hero won’t achieve their goal.

Through the ordeal, your hero will experience death whether that be real or symbolic. With this death, the hero will be reborn with greater powers or insight. Overall, the ordeal should be the point in which your character hits rock bottom.

The Ordeal in Men In Black comes the moment when J and K confront Edgar at the site of the World’s Fair. In the confrontation with Edgar, K is eaten alive by Edgar. At this moment J is left alone to confront death. The audience is left to wonder if J can defeat Edgar on his own.

Guided Questions

What death will your hero confront?
What does “rock bottom” mean for your character?
How will your hero be changed on the other side of this death event?

Reward or Seizing the Sword

At this point in the story, your hero will earn some tangible treasure for all their trouble. This can be a physical treasure. In the context of the monomyth, this is often referred to as the elixir or sword.

However, the reward can be inwardly focused. Your hero might discover hidden knowledge or insight that helps them vanquish their foe. Or, your hero can find their confidence or some self-actualization. This reward, whatever it is, is the thing that they will take with them. It is what they earn from all their hard-fought struggles.

Once K is eaten J seems to be on his own with a massive alien cockroach. This is a pretty bad spot for the rookie agent. What’s worse is the Arquillian clock is still ticking. Edgar, the cockroach, is about to escape Earth, with the galaxy, sealing the planet’s fate.

All seems lost until J claims his reward. In this case, that reward comes in the form of an insight J has about Edgar. Being a giant cockroach, J realizes that Edgar may have a weakness for his Earth-bound counterparts. So, J kicks out a dumpster and starts to smash all the scurrying bugs under his foot.

J guesses correctly, and Edgar is momentarily distracted by J’s actions. Edgar climbs down from his ship to confront J. Agent K, who is still alive in Edgar’s stomach, can activate a gun, and blow Edgar in two. J’s reward is the knowledge that he is no longer a rookie, and he is strong enough for this job. J also captures a physical treasure. After Edgar has exploded, J finds the galaxy which Edgar had swallowed earlier in the film. In this scene, both dramatic questions are answered. The MIB can save the world. And, J is strong enough for the MIB.

What reward will your hero win?
A physical treasure, hidden knowledge, inner wisdom, or all of the above?

The Road Back

At this point, your hero has had some success in their quest and is close to returning to the ordinary world. Your hero has experienced a change from their time in the special world. This change might make your hero’s return difficult. Similar to when your hero crossed the threshold, your hero may need an event that forces them to return.

The road back must be a dramatic turning point that heightens stakes and changes the direction of your story. This event will also re-establish the dramatic question of your story. This act may present a final challenge for your hero before they can return home.

In Men In Black, the road backstage gets a little tricky. The film establishes that when J crosses the threshold he is not able to go back to the ordinary world. His entire identity is erased. Having J go back to his life as a detective would also undo his character growth and leave the audience feeling cheated. Luckily, the filmmakers work around this by having K return to the ordinary world rather than J.

After Edgar is defeated, K tells J that he is retiring from the MIB and that J will step in as K’s replacement. The movie establishes early that agents can retire, but only after having their memory wiped. So, K asks J to wipe his memory so that he can return to a normal life. Once again, J has to grapple with the question of whether he is strong enough for this job. Can he bring himself to wipe K’s memory and lose his mentor forever? Can he fill K’s shoes as an MIB agent?

How will your hero have to recommit to their journey?
What event will push your hero through their final test?
What final test will your hero face before they return to the ordinary world?

Resurrection

This is the final act of your story. The hero will have one last glorious encounter with the forces that are set against them. This is the culminating event for your hero. Everything that has happened to your hero has prepared them for this moment.

This can also be thought of as a rebirth for your hero. A moment when they shed all the things that have held them back throughout the story. The resurrection is when your hero applies all the things they’ve learned through their journey.

The final moment can be a physical battle, or again, it can be metaphorical. This is also a moment when allies return to lend a last-minute hand. But, as with any ending of a story, you need to make sure your hero is the one who saves the day.

So, here’s where things start to get a little clumsy. There are a couple of moments that could be a resurrection for our hero J. It could be the moment he faces off with Edgar. This is right before Edgar is killed. But, it’s K that pulls the trigger and kills Edgar. Based on our explanation J needs to be the one who saves the day. Maybe by stalling for time J is the one responsible for saving the day? It’s hard to say what the filmmakers’ intention was here.

The second moment that could represent a resurrection for J might be when he wipes K’s memory. It is the final dramatic hurdle that J faces before he can become a true Man in Black. But, this moment doesn’t resolve the conflict of the film.

Notice that the Hero’s Journey framework isn’t always followed to the letter by all storytellers. We’ll get back to this point at the end of the article.

What final challenge will your hero face?
How will your hero use the skills they’ve used to overcome their last challenge?
How will your hero’s allies help save the day?

Return with the Elixir

The ending of your story. Your hero returns to the ordinary world, but this time they carry with them the rewards earned during their journey. They may share these rewards with others who inhabit the ordinary world. But most important, is that you show that your hero has changed for the better.

The elixir represents whatever your hero gained on their journey. Remember, the elixir can be an actual physical reward like a treasure. But, the elixir can also be a metaphorical prize like knowledge or a feeling of fulfillment. This is a moment where your hero will return some sort of balance to the ordinary world.

Be sure to show that the journey has had a permanent effect on your hero.

In the final scene of the movie, we see that J has taken on a mentor role for Dr. Weaver, an MIB recruit now. He has physically changed- his clothes are more representative of his personality. This physical transformation is meant to show that J has fully embraced his new life and journey. No longer a rookie, J has stepped into his mentor, K’s, role.

How will you show that your character has changed from their journey?
What reward will they bring back to the ordinary world?
In what way will they change the ordinary world when they return?

Should I Use the Hero’s Journey for My Story?

This is a question you should ask yourself before embarking on your journey. The Monomyth works well as a framework. This is pretty obvious when you realize how many films have used it as a plotting device.

But there’s a downside to the popularity of the Monomyth. And that’s that audiences are very familiar with the beats of this kind of story. Sure, they may not be able to describe each of the twelve sections in detail. But, audiences know, intuitively, what is going to happen in these stories. At the very least, audiences, or readers, know how these stories are going to end.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. If your story is exciting, well-paced, and the stakes are high, people aren’t going to mind some predictability. But, if you want to shock your readers-

(And if you’re interested in how to shock readers with a plot twist, click here. )

this might not be the best story structure. And, despite how popular it is, the hero’s journey ain’t the only game in town when it comes to story structure. And, you can always take artistic liberty with the Hero’s Journey. The fact that audiences are expecting certain beats means you have an opportunity to subvert expectations.

You can skip parts of the hero’s journey if they don’t fit your plot. With my example, Men In Black it was difficult to fit the story neatly into the hero’s journey framework. This is because aspects of the movie, like the fact that it’s a buddy comedy, don’t always jive with a hero’s journey. Agent K has an important character arch, and so he ends up killing the villain rather than J. But, K’s arch isn’t at all a hero’s journey.

The point is, don’t feel locked in by any single structure. Allow yourself some freedom to tell your story. If there’s no purpose to a resurrection stage in your story then skip it! No one is going to deduct your points.

With that said, here are a few resources on the Hero’s Journey, and some alternate plot structures you’ll want to check out!

This post contains affiliate links to products. We may receive a commission for purchases made through these links

Further Reading on Plot Structure and the Hero’s Journey

The Hero With 1000 Faces by Joseph Campbell

If you’d like to learn more about the Hero’s Journey, or Monomyth, why not go straight to the source? The Hero With 1000 Faces is a collection of work written by Joseph Campbell. His version of the hero’s journey has 17 stages. This is less of a writing manual and more of an exploration of the evolution of myth and storytelling through the ages.

The Seven Basic Plots , by Christopher Booker, is another academic study of storytelling by Christopher Booker. Booker identifies seven basic plots that all stories fit into. They are:

Overcoming the Monster
Rags to Riches
Voyage and Return

How to Write a Novel Using the Snowflake Method

The Snowflake Method is a teaching tool designed by Randy Ingermanson that will take you through a step-by-step process of writing a novel. The Snowflake Method boils down the novel-writing process six-step process. You will start with a single sentence and with each step you build on that sentence until you have a full-fledged novel! If you’re love processes then pick up a copy of this book today.

In The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers, Hollywood consultant, Christopher Vogler teaches writers how to use the Hero’s Journey to write riveting stories.

Resources:

Wikipedia- Joseph Campbell

Wikipedia- Hero With 1000 Faces

Published by John

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The hero's journey: a story structure as old as time, the hero's journey offers a powerful framework for creating quest-based stories emphasizing self-transformation..

Nicholas Cage as Benjamin Gates in Disney's National Treasure, next to a portrait of mythologist, Joseph Campbell.

Holding out for a hero to take your story to the next level?

The Hero’s Journey might be just what you’ve been looking for. Created by Joseph Campbell, this narrative framework packs mythic storytelling into a series of steps across three acts, each representing a crucial phase in a character's transformative journey.

Challenge . Growth . Triumph .

Whether you're penning a novel, screenplay, or video game, The Hero’s Journey is a tried-and-tested blueprint for crafting epic stories that transcend time and culture. Let’s explore the steps together and kickstart your next masterpiece.

What is the Hero’s Journey?

The Hero’s Journey is a famous template for storytelling, mapping a hero's adventurous quest through trials and tribulations to ultimate transformation.

What are the Origins of the Hero’s Journey?

The Hero’s Journey was invented by Campbell in his seminal 1949 work, The Hero with a Thousand Faces , where he introduces the concept of the "monomyth."

A comparative mythologist by trade, Campbell studied myths from cultures around the world and identified a common pattern in their narratives. He proposed that all mythic narratives are variations of a single, universal story, structured around a hero's adventure, trials, and eventual triumph.

His work unveiled the archetypal hero’s path as a mirror to humanity’s commonly shared experiences and aspirations. It was subsequently named one of the All-Time 100 Nonfiction Books by TIME in 2011.

How are the Hero’s and Heroine’s Journeys Different?

While both the Hero's and Heroine's Journeys share the theme of transformation, they diverge in their focus and execution.

The Hero’s Journey, as outlined by Campbell, emphasizes external challenges and a quest for physical or metaphorical treasures. In contrast, Murdock's Heroine’s Journey, explores internal landscapes, focusing on personal reconciliation, emotional growth, and the path to self-actualization.

In short, heroes seek to conquer the world, while heroines seek to transform their own lives; but…

Twelve Steps of the Hero’s Journey

So influential was Campbell’s monomyth theory that it's been used as the basis for some of the largest franchises of our generation: The Lord of the Rings , Harry Potter ...and George Lucas even cited it as a direct influence on Star Wars .

There are, in fact, several variations of the Hero's Journey, which we discuss further below. But for this breakdown, we'll use the twelve-step version outlined by Christopher Vogler in his book, The Writer's Journey (seemingly now out of print, unfortunately).

You probably already know the above stories pretty well so we’ll unpack the twelve steps of the Hero's Journey using Ben Gates’ journey in National Treasure as a case study—because what is more heroic than saving the Declaration of Independence from a bunch of goons?

Ye be warned: Spoilers ahead!

Act One: Departure

Step 1. the ordinary world.

The journey begins with the status quo—business as usual. We meet the hero and are introduced to the Known World they live in. In other words, this is your exposition, the starting stuff that establishes the story to come.

National Treasure begins in media res (preceded only by a short prologue), where we are given key information that introduces us to Ben Gates' world, who he is (a historian from a notorious family), what he does (treasure hunts), and why he's doing it (restoring his family's name).

With the help of his main ally, Riley, and a crew of other treasure hunters backed by a wealthy patron, he finds an 18th-century American ship in the Canadian Arctic, the Charlotte . Here, they find a ship-shaped pipe that presents a new riddle and later doubles as a key—for now, it's just another clue in the search for the lost treasure of the Templars, one that leads them to the Declaration of Independence.

Step 2. The Call to Adventure

The inciting incident takes place and the hero is called to act upon it. While they're still firmly in the Known World, the story kicks off and leaves the hero feeling out of balance. In other words, they are placed at a crossroads.

Ian (the wealthy patron of the Charlotte operation) steals the pipe from Ben and Riley and leaves them stranded. This is a key moment: Ian becomes the villain, Ben has now sufficiently lost his funding for this expedition, and if he decides to pursue the chase, he'll be up against extreme odds.

Step 3. Refusal of the Call

The hero hesitates and instead refuses their call to action. Following the call would mean making a conscious decision to break away from the status quo. Ahead lies danger, risk, and the unknown; but here and now, the hero is still in the safety and comfort of what they know.

Ben debates continuing the hunt for the Templar treasure. Before taking any action, he decides to try and warn the authorities: the FBI, Homeland Security, and the staff of the National Archives, where the Declaration of Independence is housed and monitored. Nobody will listen to him, and his family's notoriety doesn't help matters.

Step 4. Meeting the Mentor

The protagonist receives knowledge or motivation from a powerful or influential figure. This is a tactical move on the hero's part—remember that it was only the previous step in which they debated whether or not to jump headfirst into the unknown. By Meeting the Mentor, they can gain new information or insight, and better equip themselves for the journey they might to embark on.

Abigail, an archivist at the National Archives, brushes Ben and Riley off as being crazy, but Ben uses the interaction to his advantage in other ways—to seek out information about how the Declaration of Independence is stored and cared for, as well as what (and more importantly, who) else he might be up against in his own attempt to steal it.

In a key scene, we see him contemplate the entire operation while standing over the glass-encased Declaration of Independence. Finally, he firmly decides to pursue the treasure and stop Ian, uttering the famous line, "I'm gonna steal the Declaration of Independence."

Act Two: Initiation

Step 5. crossing the threshold.

The hero leaves the Known World to face the Unknown World. They are fully committed to the journey, with no way to turn back now. There may be a confrontation of some sort, and the stakes will be raised.

Ben and Riley infiltrate the National Archives during a gala and successfully steal the Declaration of Independence. But wait—it's not so easy. While stealing the Declaration of Independence, Abigail suspects something is up and Ben faces off against Ian.

Then, when trying to escape the building, Ben exits through the gift shop, where an attendant spots the document peeking out of his jacket. He is forced to pay for it, feigning that it's a replica—and because he doesn't have enough cash, he has to use his credit card, so there goes keeping his identity anonymous.

The game is afoot.

Step 6. Tests, Allies, Enemies

The hero explores the Unknown World. Now that they have firmly crossed the threshold from the Known World, the hero will face new challenges and possibly meet new enemies. They'll have to call upon their allies, new and old, in order to keep moving forward.

Abigail reluctantly joins the team under the agreement that she'll help handle the Declaration of Independence, given her background in document archiving and restoration. Ben and co. seek the aid of Ben's father, Patrick Gates, whom Ben has a strained relationship with thanks to years of failed treasure hunting that has created a rift between grandfather, father, and son. Finally, they travel around Philadelphia deciphering clues while avoiding both Ian and the FBI.

Step 7. Approach the Innermost Cave

The hero nears the goal of their quest, the reason they crossed the threshold in the first place. Here, they could be making plans, having new revelations, or gaining new skills. To put it in other familiar terms, this step would mark the moment just before the story's climax.

Ben uncovers a pivotal clue—or rather, he finds an essential item—a pair of bifocals with interchangeable lenses made by Benjamin Franklin. It is revealed that by switching through the various lenses, different messages will be revealed on the back of the Declaration of Independence. He's forced to split from Abigail and Riley, but Ben has never been closer to the treasure.

Step 8. The Ordeal

The hero faces a dire situation that changes how they view the world. All threads of the story come together at this pinnacle, the central crisis from which the hero will emerge unscathed or otherwise. The stakes will be at their absolute highest here.

Vogler details that in this stage, the hero will experience a "death," though it need not be literal. In your story, this could signify the end of something and the beginning of another, which could itself be figurative or literal. For example, a certain relationship could come to an end, or it could mean someone "stuck in their ways" opens up to a new perspective.

In National Treasure , The FBI captures Ben and Ian makes off with the Declaration of Independence—all hope feels lost. To add to it, Ian reveals that he's kidnapped Ben's father and threatens to take further action if Ben doesn't help solve the final clues and lead Ian to the treasure.

Ben escapes the FBI with Ian's help, reunites with Abigail and Riley, and leads everyone to an underground structure built below Trinity Church in New York City. Here, they manage to split from Ian once more, sending him on a goose chase to Boston with a false clue, and proceed further into the underground structure.

Though they haven't found the treasure just yet, being this far into the hunt proves to Ben's father, Patrick, that it's real enough. The two men share an emotional moment that validates what their family has been trying to do for generations.

Step 9. Reward

This is it, the moment the hero has been waiting for. They've survived "death," weathered the crisis of The Ordeal, and earned the Reward for which they went on this journey.

Now, free of Ian's clutches and with some light clue-solving, Ben, Abigail, Riley, and Patrick keep progressing through the underground structure and eventually find the Templar's treasure—it's real and more massive than they could have imagined. Everyone revels in their discovery while simultaneously looking for a way back out.

Act Three: Return

Step 10. the road back.

It's time for the journey to head towards its conclusion. The hero begins their return to the Known World and may face unexpected challenges. Whatever happens, the "why" remains paramount here (i.e. why the hero ultimately chose to embark on their journey).

This step marks a final turning point where they'll have to take action or make a decision to keep moving forward and be "reborn" back into the Known World.

Act Three of National Treasure is admittedly quite short. After finding the treasure, Ben and co. emerge from underground to face the FBI once more. Not much of a road to travel back here so much as a tunnel to scale in a crypt.

Step 11. Resurrection

The hero faces their ultimate challenge and emerges victorious, but forever changed. This step often requires a sacrifice of some sort, and having stepped into the role of The Hero™, they must answer to this.

Ben is given an ultimatum— somebody has to go to jail (on account of the whole stealing-the-Declaration-of-Independence thing). But, Ben also found a treasure worth millions of dollars and that has great value to several nations around the world, so that counts for something.

Ultimately, Ben sells Ian out, makes a deal to exonerate his friends and family, and willingly hands the treasure over to the authorities. Remember: he wanted to find the treasure, but his "why" was to restore the Gates family name, so he won regardless.

Step 12. Return With the Elixir

Finally, the hero returns home as a new version of themself, the elixir is shared amongst the people, and the journey is completed full circle.

The elixir, like many other elements of the hero's journey, can be literal or figurative. It can be a tangible thing, such as an actual elixir meant for some specific purpose, or it could be represented by an abstract concept such as hope, wisdom, or love.

Vogler notes that if the Hero's Journey results in a tragedy, the elixir can instead have an effect external to the story—meaning that it could be something meant to affect the audience and/or increase their awareness of the world.

In the final scene of National Treasure , we see Ben and Abigail walking the grounds of a massive estate. Riley pulls up in a fancy sports car and comments on how they could have gotten more money. They all chat about attending a museum exhibit in Cairo (Egypt).

In one scene, we're given a lot of closure: Ben and co. received a hefty payout for finding the treasure, Ben and Abigail are a couple now, and the treasure was rightfully spread to those it benefitted most—in this case, countries who were able to reunite with significant pieces of their history. Everyone's happy, none of them went to jail despite the serious crimes committed, and they're all a whole lot wealthier. Oh, Hollywood.

Variations of the Hero's Journey

Plot structure is important, but you don't need to follow it exactly; and, in fact, your story probably won't. Your version of the Hero's Journey might require more or fewer steps, or you might simply go off the beaten path for a few steps—and that's okay!

What follows are three additional versions of the Hero's Journey, which you may be more familiar with than Vogler's version presented above.

Dan Harmon's Story Circle (or, The Eight-Step Hero's Journey)

Screenwriter Dan Harmon has riffed on the Hero's Journey by creating a more compact version, the Story Circle —and it works especially well for shorter-format stories such as television episodes, which happens to be what Harmon writes.

The Story Circle comprises eight simple steps with a heavy emphasis on the hero's character arc:

The hero is in a zone of comfort...
But they want something.
They enter an unfamiliar situation...
And adapt to it by facing trials.
They get what they want...
But they pay a heavy price for it.
They return to their familiar situation...
Having changed.

You may have noticed, but there is a sort of rhythm here. The eight steps work well in four pairs, simplifying the core of the Hero's Journey even further:

The hero is in a zone of comfort, but they want something.
They enter an unfamiliar situation and have to adapt via new trials.
They get what they want, but they pay a price for it.
They return to their zone of comfort, forever changed.

If you're writing shorter fiction, such as a short story or novella, definitely check out the Story Circle. It's the Hero's Journey minus all the extraneous bells & whistles.

Ten-Step Hero's Journey

The ten-step Hero's Journey is similar to the twelve-step version we presented above. It includes most of the same steps except for Refusal of the Call and Meeting the Mentor, arguing that these steps aren't as essential to include; and, it moves Crossing the Threshold to the end of Act One and Reward to the end of Act Two.

The Ordinary World
The Call to Adventure
Crossing the Threshold
Tests, Allies, Enemies
Approach the Innermost Cave
The Road Back
Resurrection
Return with Elixir

We've previously written about the ten-step hero's journey in a series of essays separated by act: Act One (with a prologue), Act Two , and Act Three .

Twelve-Step Hero's Journey: Version Two

Again, the second version of the twelve-step hero's journey is very similar to the one above, save for a few changes, including in which story act certain steps appear.

This version skips The Ordinary World exposition and starts right at The Call to Adventure; then, the story ends with two new steps in place of Return With Elixir: The Return and The Freedom to Live.

The Refusal of the Call
Meeting the Mentor
Test, Allies, Enemies
Approaching the Innermost Cave
The Resurrection
The Return*
The Freedom to Live*

In the final act of this version, there is more of a focus on an internal transformation for the hero. They experience a metamorphosis on their journey back to the Known World, return home changed, and go on to live a new life, uninhibited.

Seventeen-Step Hero's Journey

Finally, the granddaddy of heroic journeys: the seventeen-step Hero's Journey. This version includes a slew of extra steps your hero might face out in the expanse.

Refusal of the Call
Supernatural Aid (aka Meeting the Mentor)
Belly of the Whale*: This added stage marks the hero's immediate descent into danger once they've crossed the threshold.
Road of Trials (...with Allies, Tests, and Enemies)
Meeting with the Goddess/God*: In this stage, the hero meets with a new advisor or powerful figure, who equips them with the knowledge or insight needed to keep progressing forward.
Woman as Temptress (or simply, Temptation)*: Here, the hero is tempted, against their better judgment, to question themselves and their reason for being on the journey. They may feel insecure about something specific or have an exposed weakness that momentarily holds them back.
Atonement with the Father (or, Catharthis)*: The hero faces their Temptation and moves beyond it, shedding free from all that holds them back.
Apotheosis (aka The Ordeal)
The Ultimate Boon (aka the Reward)
Refusal of the Return*: The hero wonders if they even want to go back to their old life now that they've been forever changed.
The Magic Flight*: Having decided to return to the Known World, the hero needs to actually find a way back.
Rescue From Without*: Allies may come to the hero's rescue, helping them escape this bold, new world and return home.
Crossing of the Return Threshold (aka The Return)
Master of Two Worlds*: Very closely resembling The Resurrection stage in other variations, this stage signifies that the hero is quite literally a master of two worlds—The Known World and the Unknown World—having conquered each.
Freedom to Live

Again, we skip the Ordinary World opening here. Additionally, Acts Two and Three look pretty different from what we've seen so far, although, the bones of the Hero's Journey structure remain.

The Eight Hero’s Journey Archetypes

The Hero is, understandably, the cornerstone of the Hero’s Journey, but they’re just one of eight key archetypes that make up this narrative framework.

In The Writer's Journey , Vogler outlined seven of these archetypes, only excluding the Ally, which we've included below. Here’s a breakdown of all eight with examples:

1. The Hero

As outlined, the Hero is the protagonist who embarks on a transformative quest or journey. The challenges they overcome represent universal human struggles and triumphs.

Vogler assigned a "primary function" to each archetype—helpful for establishing their role in a story. The Hero's primary function is "to service and sacrifice."

Example: Neo from The Matrix , who evolves from a regular individual into the prophesied savior of humanity.

2. The Mentor

A wise guide offering knowledge, tools, and advice, Mentors help the Hero navigate the journey and discover their potential. Their primary function is "to guide."

Example: Mr. Miyagi from The Karate Kid imparts not only martial arts skills but invaluable life lessons to Daniel.

3. The Ally

Companions who support the Hero, Allies provide assistance, friendship, and moral support throughout the journey. They may also become a friends-to-lovers romantic partner.

Not included in Vogler's list is the Ally, though we'd argue they are essential nonetheless. Let's say their primary function is "to aid and support."

Example: Samwise Gamgee from Lord of the Rings , a loyal friend and steadfast supporter of Frodo.

4. The Herald

The Herald acts as a catalyst to initiate the Hero's Journey, often presenting a challenge or calling the hero to adventure. Their primary function is "to warn or challenge."

Example: Effie Trinket from The Hunger Games , whose selection at the Reaping sets Katniss’s journey into motion.

5. The Trickster

A character who brings humor and unpredictability, challenges conventions, and offers alternative perspectives or solutions. Their primary function is "to disrupt."

Example: Loki from Norse mythology exemplifies the trickster, with his cunning and chaotic influence.

6. The Shapeshifter

Ambiguous figures whose allegiance and intentions are uncertain. They may be a friend one moment and a foe the next. Their primary function is "to question and deceive."

Example: Catwoman from the Batman universe often blurs the line between ally and adversary, slinking between both roles with glee.

7. The Guardian

Protectors of important thresholds, Guardians challenge or test the Hero, serving as obstacles to overcome or lessons to be learned. Their primary function is "to test."

Example: The Black Knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail literally bellows “None shall pass!”—a quintessential ( but not very effective ) Guardian.

8. The Shadow

Represents the Hero's inner conflict or an antagonist, often embodying the darker aspects of the hero or their opposition. Their primary function is "to destroy."

Example: Zuko from Avatar: The Last Airbender; initially an adversary, his journey parallels the Hero’s path of transformation.

While your story does not have to use all of the archetypes, they can help you develop your characters and visualize how they interact with one another—especially the Hero.

For example, take your hero and place them in the center of a blank worksheet, then write down your other major characters in a circle around them and determine who best fits into which archetype. Who challenges your hero? Who tricks them? Who guides them? And so on...

Stories that Use the Hero’s Journey

Not a fan of saving the Declaration of Independence? Check out these alternative examples of the Hero’s Journey to get inspired:

Epic of Gilgamesh : An ancient Mesopotamian epic poem thought to be one of the earliest examples of the Hero’s Journey (and one of the oldest recorded stories).
The Lion King (1994): Simba's exile and return depict a tale of growth, responsibility, and reclaiming his rightful place as king.
The Alchemist by Paolo Coehlo: Santiago's quest for treasure transforms into a journey of self-discovery and personal enlightenment.
Coraline by Neil Gaiman: A young girl's adventure in a parallel world teaches her about courage, family, and appreciating her own reality.
Kung Fu Panda (2008): Po's transformation from a clumsy panda to a skilled warrior perfectly exemplifies the Hero's Journey. Skadoosh!

The Hero's Journey is so generalized that it's ubiquitous. You can plop the plot of just about any quest-style narrative into its framework and say that the story follows the Hero's Journey. Try it out for yourself as an exercise in getting familiar with the method.

Will the Hero's Journey Work For You?

As renowned as it is, the Hero's Journey works best for the kinds of tales that inspired it: mythic stories.

Writers of speculative fiction may gravitate towards this method over others, especially those writing epic fantasy and science fiction (big, bold fantasy quests and grand space operas come to mind).

The stories we tell today are vast and varied, and they stretch far beyond the dealings of deities, saving kingdoms, or acquiring some fabled "elixir." While that may have worked for Gilgamesh a few thousand years ago, it's not always representative of our lived experiences here and now.

If you decide to give the Hero's Journey a go, we encourage you to make it your own! The pieces of your plot don't have to neatly fit into the structure, but you can certainly make a strong start on mapping out your story.

Hero's Journey Campfire Template

The Timeline Module in Campfire offers a versatile canvas to plot out each basic component of your story while featuring nested "notebooks."

Simply double-click on each event card in your timeline to open up a canvas specific to that card. This allows you to look at your plot at the highest level, while also adding as much detail for each plot element as needed!

If you're just hearing about Campfire for the first time, it's free to sign up—forever! Let's plot the most epic of hero's journeys 👇

Lessons From the Hero’s Journey

The Hero's Journey offers a powerful framework for creating stories centered around growth, adventure, and transformation.

If you want to develop compelling characters, spin out engaging plots, and write books that express themes of valor and courage, consider The Hero’s Journey your blueprint. So stop holding out for a hero, and start writing!

Does your story mirror the Hero's Journey? Let us know in the comments below.

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Samantha Gutierrez-Arango selected for 2024 MIT RISE Unsung Hero Award

Samantha Gutiérrez Arango, Unsplash

by Amanda Diehl

April 30, 2024

Samantha Gutierrez-Arango Research Assistant
Media Lab Research Theme: Future Worlds

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Samantha Gutierrez-Arango , a graduate student in the Biomechatronics research group, is a 2024 recipient of the MIT RISE Unsung Hero Award. This award is presented to an undergraduate and graduate student of the MIT community who has demonstrated that leadership isn’t always defined by title and position. Recipients have shown commitment and passion for the community regardless of leadership position and shown a willingness to support efforts of diversity and inclusion.

The RISE Awards—Recognizing Individuals Supporting Equity—is an opportunity to celebrate MIT faculty, staff, and students on their work with diversity, inclusion, and social justice on and off campus. The RISE Awards is a collaboration sponsored by Intercultural Engagement, Institute Community and Equity Office (ICEO), LBGTQ+ Services, Women and Gender Services (WXGS), Office of Graduate Education (OGE), and Office of Minority Education (OME).

The MIT RISE prizes are awarded based on nominations from MIT community members.

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‘Fall Guy’ Screenwriter Drew Pearce On Creating a Blue-Collar Hero’s Journey

Pearce explains how this movie about movies is a universal story, and how ryan gosling ended up crying in his car to taylor swift..

Screenwriter and director Drew Pearce has two words tattooed on his right hand: The End . It’s a reminder of why he does what he does, especially in Hollywood where it can be incredibly difficult to bring a story from page to screen. Pearce’s script for The Fall Guy took five years and dozens of drafts. The film was conceived back in 2019 when producer Guymon Casady approached him and director David Leitch with the idea of reimagining 1980s series The Fall Guy , which starred Lee Majors as a stuntman who moonlighted as a bounty hunter.

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“When everyone came to me I think they assumed that I might be a little bit sniffy about it,” Pearce tells Observer . “But when I was a kid it was my favorite show. I used to watch it with my dad on the sofa—it was our show—and stunt people became my childhood obsession. In our backyard, I set up a stuntman training circuit and I would time myself repeatedly all through the day to try and get faster and better at the stuntman circuit. Ultimately, it would turn out I have a crippling fear of heights, so that really didn’t lead to a career in any linear sense, but I had a relationship with the show.”

The film stars Ryan Gosling as stunt performer Colt Seavers and Emily Blunt as Jody Moreno, a film director making a Dune -like epic called Metal Storm . After a breakup, the pair are reunited on the film’s set in Australia and it’s up to Colt to save the film from its renegade star Tom Ryder (Aaron Taylor-Johnson). It becomes a high stakes, life and death struggle that involves some truly impressive action sequences. Pearce sees it as a hero’s journey. “There was something really attractive about a blue-collar hero whose superpower is his ability to take hits and be the one that can get back up again,” he says. “That felt noble and modern and universal in a way that really interested me.”

Pearce is currently writing and producing action thriller T-Minus for Amazon MGM Studios, based on Philip K. Dick’s 1974 short story A Little Something for Us Tempunauts , alongside Michael B. Jordan. He also recently wrote and directed Cooler , with Dave Bautista, who Pearce calls “one of the best actors of his generation.”

“When Dave read the script, he said he’d never been more anxious, and I think that’s an exciting thing to go into directing,” Pearce says. “There are another couple of things that we’re also circling and, and, honestly, the halo effect of a movie The Fall Guy and its success can also help smaller projects grow as well. Someone once said, ‘Every movie is a miracle.’ And it’s true. Even the bad ones are incredibly difficult to get made.”

Here Pearce tells Observer about adapting The Fall Guy , writing stunt sequences and how a Taylor Swift song ended up in a key scene.

When you’re adapting an existing TV series, how much do you incorporate into your version and how much do you create from scratch?

This was super open and specific simultaneously. [But] there was never any suggestion that we have to be faithful to the show. Bounty hunters don’t really exist in a tangible, entertaining sense anymore anyway. One of the things that I loved about the show when I was little and on revisiting it was just a vibe. There’s a kind of looseness to The Fall Guy that is reminiscent of late-‘70s American filmmaking. Obviously, it’s the network TV version, but it reminded me of The Long Goodbye and California Split . There were a couple different approaches to the film. One was a big Mission Impossible -type movie and I prepped one of those as well. But the one I loved the most, and the one that they ultimately did too, was essentially a noir with a bumbling, central investigative figure. And nothing scares people more than saying you’re doing a modern-day noir. But that entryway into it was a better way to tap both the reality of David [Leitch]’s history as an authentic stunt person.

The thing that became increasingly important was the romance at the heart of it. If we were going to treat the romance, as I hope we do, with an unexpectedly grown-up and subtle tone, in order for it to sit in reality, then the rest of the movie had to sit in a recognizable reality as well.

How did you navigate how meta you could be about movie-making?

I took a base level line of sophistication about the movie-making process. While there is a film [within] the film and there are jokes about process, which often present as meta, my approach was actually to park all that stuff farther down the road. My big thing going in was how to make it universal rather than meta. The thing I feel strongly, in all of my work at the moment, is trying to tap into the class system of the unseen and the seen. It’s coded into The Fall Guy ’s theme song, “Unknown Stuntman.” I thought there was something universal about a person who is paid to be put in harm’s way for the sake of people who are literally described as “above the line.”

How did you come up with the fictional film they’re making, which is a big-budget space cowboy movie?

I had a long list of all the things it could be—some of which I can’t say because if we don’t anger the movie gods we could get a sequel. But it was always going to be sci-fi because it felt like a contrast, and on a practical level those are the most expensive movies. We wanted the jeopardy of Jody’s situation to be as extreme as possible, so it had to be expensive. But it had to be smart enough so that you believe the character when she says, “This is going to be a good idea,” and dumb enough to be a joke. If Jody was making a movie we could all tell was going to be rubbish, it would feel like undercutting the character. She is a 39-year-old female director being given a huge chance with a studio picture. Her passion and her idiosyncrasy had to be baked into Metal Storm . It’s a lot easier to do Tropic Thunder and have a movie that is patently ludicrous. This isn’t quite so ludicrous. I mean, it is a cowboy space saga, but her sincerity about it is really important.

Making one of your lead characters a female movie director feels really aspirational since women don’t typically get those kinds of opportunities in Hollywood.

Yeah, it’s a bit of a Field of Dreams thing: If you build it, they will come. The world should be a place where there are just as many, if not more, female directors doing $200 million space movies as there are men. Originally, in the first draft, Jody bounced around as heads of department. At a certain point we just went, “We should make her the director.” It was a two-part decision. On one part it was on a character level, the more responsibility she has, the more difficult it is for Colt to to drop out of the investigation or be truthful. And on the other hand, yeah, this should be a world that has female directors directing $200 million sci fi movies.

How detailed did you get about the stunts and the action sequences in the script?

Because I have a great working relationship with David that’s very granular. The work we do on the page on the action sequences, certainly on a character level, totally reflect most of what ends up there at the end of the day. Like Kubrick said, you don’t remember a story or plot or anything about movies. You remember moments. And I agree with that. The same is true of an action sequence, even if it’s ten minutes long. Action sequences should be like musical numbers: if they don’t move the plot forward or move the character forward, if things don’t change from the beginning of the song to the end of the song, then the songs shouldn’t be in the musical. The same is true of an action sequence. If the movie doesn’t change from the start of an action sequence to the end of an action sequence, it shouldn’t be in the film. That’s action for the sake of action. You know, as much should change between characters or story in an action sequence as does in an intense dramatic two-hander.

One of the things that makes this unique is our ability to use back-of-house movie equipment onscreen. On my original list I was like, “Can a character use a camera arm in a chase sequence?” That’s an idea that made it through from the first list to the poster. At one point, there was a far longer, very exciting motorway chase with Colt on the camera arm swinging in and out of cars, which I am sad didn’t make it in.

There are a lot of cinema Easter Eggs in the movie. Was there anything you really wanted to pay homage to?

A lot of the images are buried into the DNA of the movie. For example, the unbroken shot at the beginning of the film that we use to introduce Colt and Jody’s romance is actually a reference to my favorite stunt movie, The Stunt Man with Peter O’Toole, which also begins with an unbroken [one shot]. In The Stunt Man , the coolest part of it is they step onto a cherry picker and the camera still doesn’t break and it goes up with. Our sequence does that as well. We’re using it to establish the romance, but it felt like a really good, heavy nod to one of the best precursors of our kind of storytelling. There’s a lot of deep love baked in there.

There’s a scene where Colt is crying to Taylor Swift’s “All Too Well.” Was that song always in the film?

That one developed as we went along, for sure. We always had Ryan crying in a car because who wouldn’t love Ryan crying in the car? But it evolved into Taylor Swift. Originally, David had this notion that they met at a KISS concert and so all the songs in the movie at one point were KISS songs. Then when we found out the movie would shoot in Australia, rather than London or Berlin or LA, I went on a bit of an Australian music tear. So I do think at some point, it INXS’s “Never Tear Us Apart.” But I’m really glad that it came to Taylor because it feels more modern. As a dad, as Ryan is, you have such a granular knowledge of Taylor Swift’s catalog that you definitely do imprint huge life moments onto her songs, whether you notice yourself doing or not.

Is the idea that there would be more movies centered around Colt and Jody?

Again, it’s hubris to taunt the universe with your hopes that there might be sequels. But he’s a brilliant character that suits Ryan really well. A guy with a skill set that is both amenable to action, but also not obviously heroic or aggressive is really attractive. It’s significant that our lead character in this movie only handles a gun once and when he does it’s actually a fake gun that has blanks. A great hero for our times is somebody who is trying to help people, and who is, for the most part, trying to avoid fights rather than getting into them, even though he knows he can handle himself. There are a lot of places you can take that character. And the great thing about movie sets is that they move around the world. This is the tip of the iceberg of all the stories we all have about working in films. I’m definitely not worried about there being a lack of material.

‘Fall Guy’ Screenwriter Drew Pearce On Creating a Blue-Collar Hero’s Journey

SEE ALSO : How Tony Notarberardino’s ‘Chelsea Hotel Portraits’ Captured the End of an Era

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The Hero's Journey 5K

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July 20, 2024

The Hero's Journey 5k is completely run and operated by volunteers. We couldn't hold such a successful event without the help and support of the community. Before the run, there is a lot of work and set-up that goes into making the event a smooth success. Assistance is needed with registration, course and general event setup, and much more!

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The Hero's Journey 5k is completely run and operated by volunteers. We couldn't hold such a successful event without the help and support of the community. An essential part of any run are the volunteers who help make the course safe by monitoring and guiding runners through it. In this role, you might be placed along the trail to cheer on runners and ensure they are going the right way. You may also be asked to help hand out water, snacks, and medals.

The Hero's Journey 5k is completely run and operated by volunteers. We couldn't hold such a successful event without the help and support of the community. It is important that we leave the event space in better condition than when we arrived. In this role you might be asked to help break down equipment, clean up the space, load up cars, and more.

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The Hero's Journey 5K
Hero's Journey 5k participants over age 21 will receive a complimentary beer tasting wristband. Learn More Purchase Beer Fest Wristband Only Donate to the 7/20 Foundation. The Zack Golditch Opportunity Scholarship. The Hero's Journey 5k is a fundraiser for the Zack Golditch Opportunity Scholarship, managed by the Aurora Public Schools ...
The Hero's Journey 5k
Here are the distances available for The Hero's Journey 5k. 5k. 5km. Visit site. Virtual 5k. 5km. Visit site. Route information. Terrain: Trail and Paths. Elevation: n/a. The 5k run/walk will begin at the 7/20 Memorial Reflection Garden in Aurora. The course will gently guide runners through the City Center Park leading into panoramic sections ...
The Hero's Journey 5K
Get ready to lace up your running shoes for an inspiring trek through Aurora's heart in the 2nd annual Hero's Journey 5k Run/Walk! As you make your way from the poignant starting line across from the theater to the reflective haven of the 7/20 Memorial Reflection Garden, each step on this journey symbolizes a transformative experience, honoring those who face challenges and emerge as heroes.
The Hero's Journey 5K
The 7/20 Foundation is proud to present the 2nd annual Hero's Journey 5k Run/Walk. This unique point-to-point race makes its way through Aurora's City Center and culminates in the 7/20 Memorial Reflection Garden. For those over 21, this race includes admission into the 7/20 Foundation's annual beer festival.
The Hero's Journey 5K
The Hero's Journey 5K Aurora, CO City Location Arapahoe County. Jul 23, 2022 - Saturday. 5K run. Race Information Details from event's RunSignUp.com listing: The ...
The Hero's Journey 5K
Join us for the 2nd annual Hero's Journey 5K Run/Walk, presented by the 7/20 Foundation. This unique point-to-point race takes place in Aurora's City Center and finishes at the 7/20 Memorial Reflection Garden. The Hero's Journey represents anyone who faces a challenge, overcomes struggles, and re...
The Hero's Journey 5K Run/Walk
The Hero's Journey relates to any person who faces a challenge, encounters struggles to overcome it, and returns home a Hero. We hope this 5K is a transformative experience as you run/walk together; whether you are a veteran runner or this is your first 5K. We chose to start the run across from the theater and end in the 7/20 Memorial in the ...
2nd Annual: The Hero's Journey 5k Run/Walk
The 7/20 Foundation is proud to present the 2nd Annual "The Hero's Journey 5k" Run/Walk. This unique point-to-point race starts at 8:00 am making its way through Aurora's City Center and culminates in the 7/20 Memorial Reflection Garden. For those over 21, this race includes admission into the 7/20 Foundation's annual beer and chalk art festival.
The Hero's Journey 5K Results Leaderboard
View the race leaderboard for The Hero's Journey 5K
The Hero's Journey 5K Run/Walk
The Hero's Journey relates to any person who faces a challenge, encounters struggles to overcome it, and returns home a Hero. ... The Hero's Journey 5K Run/Walk. Location: 7/20 Memorial Foundation. 15151 E Alameda Pkwy Aurora, CO 80012 Time: 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM ...
The Hero's Journey 5K
The Hero's Journey 5K is on Saturday July 20, 2024. It includes the following events: 5K (21 and older), 5K Under 21, Virtual 5K, Kids Fun Run, and 7/20 Day of Resilience Beer Fest Wristband.
The Hero's Journey 5K
The Hero's Journey 5K takes place July 23, 2022 in Aurora, Colorado. Find race information, reviews, course maps and more on RaceThread
The Hero's Journey 5K
Courses are offered with different start and end dates throughout the semester. Use CCA Navigate to browse all available sections. Once you have registered for courses, CCA recommends that you print a copy of the Detailed Student Schedule available from the Student Tab of MyCCA to have a record of all of your course details including start and end dates as well as deadlines to drop and withdraw.
5K race held 10 years after Aurora theater shooting
People impacted by that tragic day put on a 5K Saturday called "The Hero's Journey." The starting line for the race was across from the theater where 12 lives were taken 10 years ago.
Everything You Need To Know About The Hero's Journey
In the Hero's Journey, quests are essentially synonymous with distances; over the course of 30 days (the month of June), you will have 12 distances to conquer, or complete. These distances range from two to nine miles, and you can complete them by walking, running, cycling, swimming, or doing any distance-based activity you can think of! ...
Journey Home Road Race 5k/10k
You can purchase a sign for the Journey Home 5k/10k for $150 in honor of the hero/s in your life. Race management will take care of printing and set-up on race morning. Join us in thanking the "bravest among us" on race day, and raising more for Clear Path for Veterans New England in the process! Proceed to Race Registration to reserve a sign ...
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The Hero's Journey: A Plot Structure Inspired by Mythology
The Hero's Journey was invented by Campbell in his seminal 1949 work, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, where he introduces the concept of the "monomyth." A comparative mythologist by trade, Campbell studied myths from cultures around the world and identified a common pattern in their narratives.
2024 Hero Run 5K Run/Walk
The HERO 5K Run/Walk is a looped 3.1 mile run-walk along 13th street in Perry Township on Monday, May 27. This is the 10th year for the HERO 5K Run/Walk and is an event inconjunction with the Perry Township Flags of Freedom. All participants are encouraged to sign up before race day. Race day registration is $45.00 (Ages 19 & Older) & $40.00 ...
Samantha Gutierrez-Arango selected for 2024 MIT RISE Unsung Hero Award
Samantha Gutiérrez Arango, Unsplash. Samantha Gutierrez-Arango, a graduate student in the Biomechatronics research group, is a 2024 recipient of the MIT RISE Unsung Hero Award. This award is presented to an undergraduate and graduate student of the MIT community who has demonstrated that leadership isn't always defined by title and position.
The Hero's Journey 5K: What You Get
The Hero's Journey 5K is on Saturday July 23, 2022. It includes the following events: 5K (21 and older), 5K Under 21, and Virtual 5K. In order to use RunSignup, your browser must accept cookies.
'Fall Guy' Writer Drew Pearce On Creating a Blue-Collar Hero's Journey
'Fall Guy' Screenwriter Drew Pearce On Creating a Blue-Collar Hero's Journey Pearce explains how this movie about movies is a universal story, and how Ryan Gosling ended up crying in his car ...
The Hero's Journey 5K Volunteer Registration
The Hero's Journey 5K is on Saturday July 20, 2024. It includes the following events: 5K (21 and older), 5K Under 21, Virtual 5K, 1K Kids Run, and 7/20 Day of Resilience Beer Fest.

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A Complete Guide to The Hero’s Journey (or The Monomyth)

What is the Hero’s Journey?

The 12 Stages of The Hero’s Journey

The Call of Adventure

Refusal of the Call

Meeting the Mentor

Crossing the Threshold

Tests, Allies, Enemies

Approach to the Inmost Cave

The Ordeal

Reward or Seizing the Sword

The Road Back

Resurrection

Return with the Elixir

Should I Use the Hero’s Journey for My Story?

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Table of Contents

What is the Hero’s Journey?

What are the Origins of the Hero’s Journey?

How are the Hero’s and Heroine’s Journeys Different?

Twelve Steps of the Hero’s Journey

Act One: Departure

Step 2. The Call to Adventure

Step 3. Refusal of the Call

Step 4. Meeting the Mentor

Act Two: Initiation

Step 6. Tests, Allies, Enemies

Step 7. Approach the Innermost Cave

Step 8. The Ordeal

Step 9. Reward

Act Three: Return

Step 11. Resurrection

Step 12. Return With the Elixir

Variations of the Hero's Journey

Dan Harmon's Story Circle (or, The Eight-Step Hero's Journey)

Ten-Step Hero's Journey

Twelve-Step Hero's Journey: Version Two

Seventeen-Step Hero's Journey

The Eight Hero’s Journey Archetypes

1. The Hero

2. The Mentor