Using the Hero’s Journey to Write Better Stories (and Live a Better Life) | with Chris Vogler

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Chris Vogler is the author of "The Writer's Journey”, a wildly popular (and flat out must-read) guidebook to mythic structure for storytellers. Beyond being a successful author, Chris is also a Hollywood story consultant who has worked with multiple studios, including a long stint with Disney, where he heavily influenced the projects The Lion King, Hercules, and Aladdin to name a small few. Throughout his career Chris has reviewed and provided coverage for over 20,000 scripts (you read that correctly).

In our conversation, Chris effortlessly breaks down the stages of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey into simple, accessible principles that you can use to write your own story (both literally and figuratively). Beyond Chris’ detailed explanation of how you can write more captivating stories - and select the perfect characters your audience will adore - we dive deep into how you can use the principles of the Hero’s Journey to both understand and change the story of your own life.

Whether you’re interested in learning how to apply the Hero’s Journey to your own work, or if you’re looking for ways to better understand (and rewrite) your own personal story, this conversation is for you. I absolutely loved this interview and have no doubt you will find Chris’ breakdown of the Hero’s Journey as mesmerizing and entertaining as I did.

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Here's What You'll Learn:

• A SIMPLE break down of each principle in the Hero’s Journey
• How you can identify the exact stage of the Hero’s Journey you are at in your own life
• The importance of trusting the path of our own life story, especially when you feel overwhelmed by the unknown
• Why understanding the Hero’s Journey can help you better understand your own story (and even allow you to rewrite it)
• How plagiarism led to Chris working on the Lion King…
• How to simplify the writing process by leaning into the formula rather than relying on creative “magic”
• The specific ways you can captivate your audience as a storyteller using the Hero’s Journey
• Understanding the deeper aspects of the mentor and mentee relationship (and why Chris says the mentor needs the relationship just as much as the mentee)
• How our own desire for transformation fuels our passion for stories (and how your writing can benefit from this fact)
• How to select the perfect characters for your story as a storyteller
• The special way Chris views the Hero’s Journey (that absolutely blew my mind)
• How to move forward in your story even when you are afraid

Useful Resources Mentioned:

The Writer’s Journey by Chris Vogler

Joseph Campbell

Memo from the Story Department: Secrets of Structure and Character

Chris Vogler's Writer's Journey Blog

Christopher Vogler Hero's Journey: What is a Scene?

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Episode Transcript

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Guest Bio:

 Chris Vogler

Chris Vogler has had a long career as a Hollywood story consultant and executive, but is probably best known as the author of "The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers", a popular guide to the Hero's Journey concept that has deeply influenced storytelling in Hollywood and publishing. Now in print for over 25 years, the book is a standard text in screenwriting programs and has been translated into fifteen languages. His model of the Hero's Journey, inspired by the work of mythologist Joseph Campbell, was developed during his years as a story analyst at Disney, Fox and Paramount, where he reviewed thousands of screenplays, novels and comic books and built up an encyclopedic knowledge of story in all its forms. His myth-inspired ideas found their way into Disney's THE LION KING, HERCULES, ALADDIN and other animated features. His book, The Writer's Journey, began as a seven-page memo that he circulated among Disney executives and that soon became part of Hollywood's collective story knowledge. He now travels the world speaking about the Hero's Journey and conducting workshops for writers and people from many walks of life who are finding his ideas useful.

Show Credits:

This episode was edited by Curtis Fritsch, and the show notes were prepared by Debby Germino and published by Glen McNiel.

The original music in the opening and closing of the show is courtesy of Joe Trapanese (who is quite possibly one of the most talented composers on the face of the planet).