Product Description

See why this book has become an international best seller and a true classic. The Writer's Journey explores the powerful relationship between mythology and storytelling in a clear, concise style that's made it required reading for movie executives, screenwriters, playwrights, scholars, and fans of pop culture all over the world. The updated and revised third edition provides new insights and observations from Vogler's ongoing work on mythology's influence on stories, movies, and man himself.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2378 in Books
• Published on: 2007-11-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 300 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781932907360
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Amazon.com Review
At the beginning of The Writer's Journey, Christopher Vogler asserts that "all stories consist of a few common structural elements found universally in myths, fairy tales, dreams, and movies." Some may be hard-pressed to accept this idea (and will wonder how storytellers from Homer to Shakespeare to Robert Altman might respond to the proposition). Others may imagine that since Vogler uses movies like the Star Wars trilogy and The Lion King to defend his mythological philosophy, he is, unwittingly, listing the reasons why Hollywood films of the last 20 years have been so unimaginative. But there's no doubt that Vogler's notion, based on psychological writings by Carl Jung and the mythmaking philosophy of Joseph Campbell, has been profoundly influential. Many screenwriters have used Vogler's volume to understand why certain scenarios sell, and to discover a blueprint for creating mythic stories of their own.

Now in its second edition, The Writer's Journey sets forth archetypes common in what Vogler calls "the hero's journey," the mythic structure that he claims all stories follow. In the book's first section, he lists the different kinds of typological characters who appear in stories. In the second, he discusses the stages of the journey through which the hero generally passes. The final, supplementary portion of the book explains in detail how films like Titanic and The Full Monty follow the patterns he has outlined. --Raphael Shargel

About the Author
Christopher Vogler is a veteran story consultant for major Hollywood film companies and a respected teacher of filmmakers and writers around the globe.

Customer Reviews

A Classic Writing Guide
I've read this book a number of times, as well as listened to Chris Vogler's lectures -- and every single time I come away with a deeper understanding of the hero's journey, the underlying mythic structure of stories, and some really useful insights into whatever story I'm developing at the time. But what's more, I'm always inspired with a greater awe of life itself.

I always find it interesting to see what others comment on in the reviews -- especially the more critical ones -- and I feel compelled to respond to some of them...

First of all, let me say that I completely respect everyone's opinion. We all have different paths, different styles, different tastes... But I think it is unfair and misleading to state that this book distills Campbell's work down into a formulaic writing style -- and that we would be better off just reading The Hero With a Thousand Faces.

Don't get me wrong, "Hero" is a great book and probably should be required reading in all writing courses, but it's a 400 page scholarly text with very broad applications. Saying we would be better off only reading that to improve our writing is like saying we would be better off reading the collective works of Newton in order to learn how to play baseball!

Using the Hero With a Thousand Faces, you could probably create a powerful book on relationships, family, business and, of course, the journey of life. What Vogler has done here is created a classic writing guide that shows us how to create stories with mythical power. It is an excellent adaptation of Campbell's source material. And while it teaches form, it never forces you into a formula.

I highly recommend it to all writers; to anyone involved in the creation of stories in any medium. Read it over and over. Watch movies, read stories, and try to notice the mythic structure in them. Let these ideas penetrate your subconscious -- where they can work on you, your writing, and even your life.

Daedalus DID help create the Minotaur (and this book is the best)
To "A reader" who posted on Oct. 22 1999 that "Vogler's assertion that Daedalus helped create the Minotaur (p.50, UK edition)" was incorrect, I'm sorry, but YOU are incorrect.

Queen Pasiphae commissioned Daedalus to create the wooden form of a cow, covered with cowskins, which Pasiphae then hid in, allowing the white bull to mount her. This union was the origin of the Minotaur.

And to all those people who are saying "read Campbell first" or "Campbell is better," I'd have to say that if you are a WRITER who is interested in developing your storytelling ability (not just someone interested in the historical or academic study of existing mythology), then this book is indispensable. AFTER reading this, THEN move on to Campbell, if you're so inclined. I own about 12 Joseph Campbell books, but I ALWAYS come back to The Writer's Journey when I'm "stuck" in my writing.

However, if you are NOT a writer but rather someone who IS interested in the historical or academic study of existing mythology, then skip this book because it was not written for you. This is the WRITER'S Journey.

It's the best book I've read on how to develop compelling storylines and characters, and how to "fix" an existing script that may be lacking in some areas.

Finally, to those who think that Vogler ripped off Joseph Campbell, it's hard to rip someone off when they give you their blessing and encouragement to keep doing exactly what you're doing. Campbell knew about and encouraged Vogler's work, and Vogler repeatedly acknowledges and praises Campbell throughout this book. In no way does he represent that the 7 archetypes and 12 stages of "the Journey" were his own creation.

He also repeatedly discourages the use of his book as a "formula."

So there.

A useful easily approached starting point
There are a minority of writers out there who through copious amounts of reading and a god given intuition have a natural feel for story structure and it's dramatic elements. They will hate this book. Don't let their elitism deter you.

For those of us who don't have a natural gift for dramatic structure this book provides a sound place to start. It will give you a skeleton on which to hang the meat of your stories. It will help you understand what makes a story dramatic. It will help you understand what makes a hero interesting. It will give you direction.

Granted, if you apply this relatively simplistic structure as a wrote formula and do not sacrifice the formula for the sake of your individual story, theme and creativity, this book will do nothing to make you a better writer.

P.S. Campbells writings (on which this book is based) are far more complicated and dense than Vogler's writings. If you are not up for a very challenging read then do not listen to other reviewers' advice. Read Vogler first. Then, if you're feeling up to it read Campbell work on mythology.