Why the Hero’s Journey Sucks

Okay, Joseph Campbell fans, don’t hate me.

Today I thought I’d rant about why I hate the Hero’s Journey. I am only doing this, because the hero’s journey is used in everything from sci-fi to fantasy.

Think about it.

Is it freaky that, when you really ponder it, Harry Potter, Star Wars and Jumanji are all the same story? Minus the droids, wizards and wild animals, the plots are identical. For example, all have a main hero who starts out as a complete loser. He is geeky and scrawny, and complains about his situation.

(Especially Luke. Luke is the whiniest kid in the entire galaxy.)

Look how whiny that is! Stop whining, we get it!

(Okay back on topic.)

Anyway, I get tired of going to a bookstore, picking a fantasy book off the shelf, and then putting it back after a typical scenario like this:

Me: This looks like a great book!

-reads description-

Me: Boy of sixteen…discovers magic in an unusual circumstance…meets a beautiful girl who he saves from a monster…old mentor…(Sigh.)

-cliche much?-

Me: Nope. I’m not reading this predictable junk. 

This has actually happened many times, believe it or not. I just can’t get over the predictability!

I think that if you are planning on writing a fantasy book, make a plot twist! Examples are:

-Another group of adventurers completes your quest.

-You are kidnapped.

-A main character dies. (Cough, Ned Stark, cough.)

Change it up, be unpredictable! Also, do we really need those old mentors? Why can’t they be young for once, and more helpful? To see more about this, go to this page: The Most Unhelpful Wizards I’ve Ever Read.

Anyway, there are just so many alternatives to a story than a teenage boy who goes on a magical journey. It has just been done so much, that authors are just telling the same story over and over and over and over again.

So, a final word to readers and writers out there:

There is nothing wrong with any of these books. They are great! They are just so cliche and predictable, that it is hard to find differences and be surprised by them.

Personally, I think that the best books are the ones that are new, something we haven’t seen before. It can be really hard to come up with ideas, but I believe that everyone has this potential.

So read, write and never be afraid to share your ideas about books and fantasy, because chances are, people will want to hear what you have to say!

Don’t stop writing!

And of course, Don’t Stop Believing. It is a hero’s Journey, after all!