Crossing The First Threshold

We are entering the Special World of Act Two. If Act One is the plane loading, boarding and taxiing down the runway...then the First Threshold is the moment the wheels leave the ground. Our heroes commit to the adventure at this moment. They take a leap of faith into the unknown.

"Just follow the yellow brick road."

Supernatural Aid

Pan's Tinkerbell
Cinderella's Fairy Godmother
Danielle's Leonardo Da Vinci
Dorothy's Glinda
Akelaha's Tutor
Mr. Barrie's Producer Friend
Mrs. Gregg's Holy Spirit

The Supernatural Aid helps your hero to move into their Call to Adventure...and offers guidance and wisdom along the way. Ultimately though...it's your hero who must act alone.

Refusal of the Call

Have you ever had a Call to Adventure and refused it? Do you wish you hadn't?

Have you ever accepted a Call to Adventure and wish you had refused it?

A few of Mrs. Gregg's Call to Adventures:

College Journey
Marriage Journey
Writer's Journey
Motherhood Journey
Descipleship Journey
Adoption Journey
Home Education Journey

Exposition

MOM

Your father is dead. He died in that horrible car crash two years ago and
he's not coming back, Sarah. He loved you so much because you
were his precious baby girl and he would want you to live.
He would want you to live and find peace. He would want you to move
on and find happiness.


vs.


MOM

He's gone, Sarah.
(then)
And what you are doing to yourself would break his heart.

Show...Don't Tell

Sometimes what our characters don't say is as or more important than what they do say.

________________________________
INT. KITCHEN, DAY

Mike enters and slams his car keys onto the counter.

MIKE

I said I was sorry!
_______________________________
INT. KITCHEN, DAY

Mike enters with his shoulders slumped and his head hanging low. He avoids eye contact. After a long while.

MIKE

I said I was sorry.
_______________________________
INT. KITCHEN, DAY

Mike enters carrying a bouquet of flowers and whistling a happy tune. He's got a skip in his step.

MIKE

I said I was sorry.

The Call to Adventure

The Call to Adventure sets your hero on their journey. Is he/she restless? Is he/she looking for a change? Or, is he/she unsuspecting? Does something new and different fall into their lap? Do circumstances push them into action?

Star Wars: R2D2 holds a message for Luke. There is a princess who needs rescuing.
Akeelah and the Bee: Akeelah pushed into the Spelling Bee.
Miss Potter: " We will publish your book."
The Last of The Mohicans: Damsels in distress need protection in great big wilderness.
I Am Sam: Mother takes off. Sam must raise his daughter alone.
The Wizard of Oz: Dorothy is restless and runs away from home.

One type written page per day equals 7 type written pages per week!

Love,
Mrs. Gregg

SETTING EXERCISE

INT. TEENAGE GIRL'S BEDROOM, MORNING

A twin bed covered with a quilt. Shoes lined up neatly in a row...sticking out from under the dust ruffle. A stack of books on the nightstand...To Kill A Mockingbird, Gone With The Wind, Pride and Prejudice, The Grapes of Wrath. A weekly organizer chart hangs on the wall. Monday is cirled in red. "Library Books Due"

PAN TO:

An identical twin bed with identical quilt covering. Tossed about and untidy. A guitar lies on the floor...surrounded by crumbled up lyrics. A can of soda sits on the nightstand next to a journal and I pod. An identical weekly organizer chart hangs on the wall. There are no marking other than a giant smiley face...smack in the center. It's tongue is sticking out.
________________________________

INT. WIDOWER'S BEDROOM, MORNING

The bed is made. Curtains are pulled open...letting in streams of sunlight. A stack of condolance letters sit on the nightstand...a pen by their side. A handful of flower bouquets are placed throughout the room. Dozens of old photographs are scattered on the bed...alongside a dress. A floral dress...laid out with tender loving care...and a hankerchief adorned with a pretty embroidered A...and a purse...a dainty one with seashell pink rose shimmers...and a hat...with a more flowers...pansies.
_________________________________
INT. MILITARY CADET'S BEDROOM, MORNING

Tight blanket. Propped up pillow. Not an inch of slack or hint of anything out of place. A Bible sits on the nightstand...atop Math and Science textbooks.
Above it...a tacked up photo of a smiling REDHEAD holding a toddler BABY BOY. She blows a kiss.
PAN TO :

Under the bed. A stack of letters.... "RETURN TO SENDER" ...wrapped neatly with a string. TUMS and PEPTO BISMOL bottles.

Opening Scene

Close your eyes and imagine your story. What is your hero's Ordinary World? How can your Ordinary World be communicated visually? What is the first image that comes to mind? Begin writing your opening scene.

Setting Exercise

INT. COUNTRY KITCHEN, DAWN

A soft breeze blows lace curtains through an open window. A fresh baked apple pie sits cooling on the counter. Bacon sizzles in a cast iron skillet. GRANDMA squeezes fresh orange juice by the sink.

SFX
A rooster crows.
_________________________________________

INT. PRISON KITCHEN, DAWN

Industrial. Stainless steel. Florescent overhead lights. Piles of dirty dishes are stacked by the sink. INMATE # 1 soaks in soapy water. INMATE #2 rinses. INMATE #3 dries. An assembly line. A cockroach climbs across the clock which reads 6:10.

SFX

A loud clanging bell.

__________________________________________

INT. DORM ROOM KITCHEN, DAWN

Junk food bags and wrappers scattered about. A half eaten pizza left in it's box on the counter. A pair of dirty socks tossed in a heap on the floor near the overflowing trash bin. A note on the fridge reads "JAMIE...CLEAN UP!!!!!"

SFX

A clock radio sounds. Classic Rock tune.

Ordinary World

Mrs. Gregg is a 40 year old home-educating mother of five living in the desert and leaning on the Lord as she lives her pretty typical life. She enjoys writing and taking photos. She makes jewelry and crochets when she gets a chance. Mostly, she drives her kids around town....to and fro...back and forth. Pretty normal as far as happily married, stay at home moms go.

Hero's Star

Create a character. Then, create a life for that character. Start with the facts. What do you know to be true? One fact builds upon another. Pretty soon....before you know it....you know much more about your hero than you thought you knew.

Note From Teacher

Last year, I introduced the Hero's Journey to our home-educating co-op. To say the least, I was absoultely thrilled with the reponses I got from the kids. It's the most fun I've ever had teaching anything.

Clayton Hines

Mcabe Gregg

People love stories. Some people read books and see movies over and over again. The Hero's Journey is a way of mapping out the steps found in many stories. It helps you to understand how a story like Cinderella can be retold over and over again but still remain a Cinderella story. Man was created to hear and tell stories. Each person has a journey in their own life and should share it. The hero's Journey is a tool of understanding.

The Hero's Journey is a method used in mapping out stories. There are eighteen different stages in the journey. Usually, the hero has a Call to Adventure which is the point in a person's life when they are first given notice that everything is going to change whether they know it or not. For instance in King Arthur and His Knights by Howard Pyle, when Arthur pulls the sword out of the stone he became King. In a Knight's Tale, William, the esquire trains to be a knight even though he is not of noble blood after his lord dies. Another important step in the journey is the Road of Trials. This stage is when the hero comes to tests. In the film, Star Wars, Luke Skywalker trains to be a jedi, needs to save a princess, and had many battles. The Master of Two Worlds stage is when the hero gets what they want and they can live at peace with it. In King Arthur and His Knights, Arthur realizes he can be a King and be a knight and still have adventures. The Hero's Journey takes you through a beginning, middle, and end of a story.

The Hero's Journey fits in with the Biblical world-view very well. Throughout history, people have loved stories. A long time ago, people drew pictures on wood and stone walls to tell stories. God gave us the Bible because He knew we like stories. He told His plan through words. There are many stories in the Bible including ones about; Noah, Moses, David, Mary, Paul, and Jesus. You could map each one of these men using the Hero's Journey.

Each person is a hero in their own journey. I am the hero of my own life. I've had many Calls to Adventures in my own life. For instance, I became an older brother. I began home schooling, started hunting, and learned more about adoption. I was faced with challenges in all of these examples. I am still on The Road of Trials. Being an older brother is sometimes hard. I'm still in-training. There are times when I fail. Being home schooled is occasionally difficult because I don't get to hang out with very many kids. Last year, I wasn't old enough to get my Hunting license which was hard because my brother and cousins got theirs. As far as adoption goes, I'm learning that sometimes it takes a while for adopted kids to feel at home.

Using the tool of the Hero's journey helps many figure out stories. The 18 stages help us map out many books, movies, and fairy tales. Everyone has their own journey in their life which helps us recognize where we are and where we need to go.

Sheena Starks

Have you ever wondered why certain stories tug at your heart in one way or another? Well, God has placed in our hearts a longing for a hero and someone to look up to. He also created us to have a life filled with adventures and trials so that we can grow in Him and learn to always rely on HIm. What captures our attention in most movies, plays, or books is our ability to relate to the main character's journey. These journeys, along with our own lives, are intertwined with thrilling adventures and distressing sorrows. Every story line that has a call to adventure, different tribulations, and an ultimate destination is better known as a hero's journey. The hero's journey is not only used to map books and stories but also our lives.

In a brief synopsis, the hero's journey has a pattern just like life. It has a beginning, middle, and end. It can be broken down into eighteen stages and three major acts. There is the call to adventure, which is found in the first of three acts. It is where the journey begins and sets the stage for the story. In Ever After, the call to adventure is when Henry finds out he is going to have an arranged marriage to a princess. That laid out the beginning of the story and how the rest of the story will develop. Another example would be the story of King Arthur and how he effortlessly pulled the sword from the solid anvil. The way that became his call to adventure was that it lead to him being crowned King shortly thereafter. In the same way, that is what happened in the movie, Jaws. An old fisherman found out that an enormous great white shark was stalking it's prey in the waters off the coast of a beach town, and headed out to kill the beast. The hero's journey is not only found in these three examples but also in our personal lives as well.

Often times in my life, I have experienced what is like being apart of a hero's journey. One time that stands out is the engagement, which eventually led up to the wedding, of my brother and his fiance. I would say that the hero's journey fits into my brother's life more than it does mine since he was experiencing the call to adventure, the ultimate boon, and the marriage road of trials, challenges definitely and joys. In his case the call to adventure was indeed the engagement. This was an exciting time for him and all of his family. The ultimate boon would most definitely be the wedding. It was the closing of all their hard work and finally their goal had been accomplished. Although the experience impacted my brother's life more than mine, it can still be analyzed using the method of the hero's journey. This journey can also be applied to different world-views, one being a Biblical world-view.

The Bible can be mapped out in the form of the hero's journey. Every individual possess certain beliefs and has a set of values in which they live their life. Personally, I believe that everyone desires to have a hero to look up to and admire. For a Christian, out hero, and savior, is Jesus Christ. The hero's journey is mapped out several times in the Bible as well as in our lives. An example from the Bible is the story of Jonah and his spiritual journey. His call to adventure was an assignment given to him by God to preach the Gospel to the the deceived people of Ninivah. Jonah disobeyed God and he essentially refused God's call on his life. Jonah is not the only one who has had experiences like that. Everyone will go through trials and tribulations. As I said before, Christ is our hero and savior. No matter what journey we face, Christ remains faithful in helping his children in need and guiding their steps in life.

In summary, when mapping books and stories, the hero's journey is a helpful tool to see the story line more clearly and is also useful for our lives. Understanding how the hero's journey works can be beneficial for a person's own life. For instance, it can help you study the Word of God by allowing you to examine the Bible from an entirely different perspective. The three acts that the eighteen stages of the hero's journey is divided into, provides a person with an organized, systematic way of analyzing their own life. Everyone's journey will be different but the outline used to inspect a book, story, or your own personal life is the same. When realizing your own call to adventure and every stage that follows, you can see the events in our lives do not take place by chance, but have purpose and meaning. This meaning can only be discovered by someone who is looking for a deeper understanding of life, someone who is unsatisfied with the common belief that we are who we are, never changing and controlled by our surroundings. The hero's journey gives this type of person the ability to rise above the misconception that life is a game of chance.