![]() It has to be a burning, all encompassing, urgent need. I read an interesting article the other day which described how the crux of any story is the hero’s need, not want. The second step is perhaps the most important – the hero needs something. This part of the story is at the apex of the ‘order’ part of the wheel, which means the world they inhabit is the status quo, and later the story will delve into chaos, or what Joseph Campbell described as ‘crossing the threshold.’ Again, this demonstrates where Harmon’s story circle is superior – because the Hero’s Journey is fine when you’re Luke Skywalker going into space, or Harry Potter visiting Hogwarts – but for romance novelists, or crime writers, the ‘chaos’ can be the same old world as before, just thrown into doubt and uncertainty. In addition to establishing the protagonist of your story, you also establish the world this hero or heroine lives in. Step one is to establish the protagonist of the story – the hero, or heroine. In Dan Harmon’s story circle, their motivation comes from within. What does that mean, exactly? Well, in Joseph Campbell’s template, things happen to the hero. ![]() The most fundamental aspect of it, I believe, is the fact that its rooted in character, whereas the Hero’s Journey follows a character, but his (and we say ‘his’ since it’s a pretty patriarchal story structure) motivations are as often external as they are internal. So, why is the story circle so important? And why is it superior to Joseph Campbell’s so-called ‘monomyth’? Well, to my mind it’s because Dan’s story circle encompasses every story – from romance to short stories to episodes of Rick and Morty. ![]() StudioBinder also made a template of the story circle available here. This terrific video by StudioBinder arguably explains the Story Circle better than I could, and it’s definitely worth taking a few moments to watch it: In fact, I came home and laid out my next romance novel using that exact template. This is where Dan Harmon took some of the elements of Campbell’s 12-step template and distilled it down into 8 steps, split between ‘order’ and ‘chaos.’ I sat down with our writing group and they took us through various stories using Dan Harmon’s story circle as a guide – and, by jove, it worked. It works great if you’re writing sword and sorcery adventures, science fiction sagas, or other long-form adventures… but it falls flat with the beats of a romance novel, women’s literature, or police procedurals. Paltz Spindler for the University of Kansas Gunn Center for the Study of Science Fiction.Īs a romance writer, however, I know first-hand that Joseph Campbell’s story template isn’t as well-rounded for every genre. The Hero’s Journey, as outlined by Lisa A. Dan Harmon, creator of Rick and Mortyĭuring the 1990s, Dan Harmon found himself stuck while writing a screenplay, and developed something he called ‘the story circle’, which is loosely based on Joseph Campbell’s “ The Hero’s Journey.” Fans of Star Wars, Lord of the Rings or just about any epic tale will be familiar with what’s known as the ‘monomyth’ – because it’s so ubiquitous, the concept of the hero’s journey pretty much encompasses all mythology. Disgusting gags and foul language aside, fans of the show can see that Dan delves deep into the hardest of hardcore science fiction for many of his story ideas, and his plots are so deeply rooted in uncomfortable human elements that if the show wasn’t a gross-out comedy, it would make for unsettling viewing. ![]() Last week, though, we had a session that really blew me away – in which we did a deep dive into Dan Harmon’s Story Circle.ĭan Harmon, for the uninitiated, is an American writer, producer, and actor perhaps best known for the hysterical and mind-blowing Rick and Morty animated TV show. It’s gotten to the stage now in which my wife actively boots me out of the house on Thursday nights so I can meet with my writing group, and it’s done wonders for my mental health (and, by having me gone for two hours, hers too.) Go from Pantster to Plotter with this invaluable template for crafting your stories.Ī few weeks ago, I wrote about the value of getting out there and interacting with your fellow writers. Ginger takes us through how it works, and how you can apply it to your own novel planning process. Looking for a new way to bring your stories and characters to life on the page? Dan Harmon’s “Story Circle” adapts and broadens the tried and true “Hero’s Journey” template to extend it for use with virtually any genre or story.
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