Monomyth Separation Phase: The First Stage Of The Hero's Journey

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, What is the Monomyth?, I plan on dissecting each phase of the Hero's Journey, and breaking it down into the core components. Today we're discussing the separation phase of  the Monomyth (AKA the Fool's Journey).

If you would prefer to watch me explain it, check out my YouTube videos below.

If you'd rather read, below are the key points:

Three Phases
The Hero's Journey is broken up into three main phases (or acts, or stages, or major plot events--depending on what you're writing):

1. Separation (or Departure)
2. Initiation (or Trials/Tests)
3. Return 

Today's post explores the first phase, Separation.

Purpose

In many ways, the separation phase is the most important. Not only do audiences decide whether or not they want to participate in the story based on this portion, but it serves several duties.

1. Sets the tone, genre, and theme of the story. 
2. Raises the dramatic question. 
3. Introduces key characters, particularly the hero/protagonist.What are their flaws, quirks, needs, and desires?
4. Explains world mechanics, rules, and technology.

Steps of the Separation Phase

1. Ordinary World (Introduction)
1. Hero in their normal mundane world
1. Frodo Baggins reading a book under a tree 
2. Katniss Everdeen hunting in the woods
3. Luke Skywalker working as a moisture farmer for Uncle Owen
4. Harry Potter living under the stairs in his Aunt's house
2. Call to adventure (Enticing Incident)
1. Something happens to set things in motion
3. Refusal of call
1. Avoidance
2. Excuses
3. Warning
4. Secret door
1. Limitation (don’t go there)
5. Foreshadowing
6. Disorientation
7. Incur the wrath of gods
4. Acceptance of call
1. Sometimes a willing hero
2. Or, no other choice but to accept
3. Someone else forces the hero to accept
5. Crossing Threshold
1. disorientation
2. Compare/contrast with mundane world
3. Threshold guardians
6. Belly of the whale
1. first taste of death

Characters normally introduced:

1. Hero
1. Outer problem
2. Inner problem
3. Hero’s lack
4. Wound
5. Examples
1. Luke Skywalker from Star Wars
2. Frodo Baggins from Lord of the Rings
3. Harry Potter from Harry Potter
4. Katniss Everdeen from Hunger Games
5. Ripley from Aliens
2. Herald
1. Examples
1. Effy
2. C3PO and R2D2
3. Gandalf
4. White rabbit (Alice and Wonderland)
5. Burke (in Aliens)
3. Side kicks
1. Examples
1. C3PO and R2D2
2. Todo (The Wizard of Oz)
3. Ron and Hermine
4. Samwise, Merry, and Pippin
5. Gimli and Legolas
4. Villain
1. What’s at stake?
2. Reconnaissance
3. Villains plot
4. Examples
1. Vader
2. Souruman
3. Souran
4. Voldemort
5. President Snow
1. Mentor (old wise man)
1. Examples
1. Gandalf
2. Obiwan
3. Haymitch
4. Cheshire cat
2. Threshold guardians
1. Can be enemies
2. Future allies
3. Rivals
4. Factions

Tools of the Mentor

• Talisman
• Sword
• Wand
• Armor
• Cape
• Shoes
• Way of thought
• Magic words
• Books

If you'd like to learn more, check out my next post, the Initiation phase. 

Follow Josh onYouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/user/Tipperdy
Or Twitter: @Joshumusprime

Or Facebook: www.facebook.com/thepolymathparadigm

And you can his NaNo progress here: http://nanowrimo.org/participants/tipperdy

And he has a book on military transitions here: http://www.amazon.com/About-Face-Josh-Coker-ebook/dp/B00N4GYB84/