Creating Story

The last post discussed creating characters through archetypes. Similarly, there are archetypal storylines, sometimes referred to as journeys, that can be used to develop and drive a story. In terms of classical mythology, archetypal stories are based on gender: the masculine journey and the feminine journey. However, this does not mean a male character must take a masculine journey and vice versa. In fact, referring to the journeys in terms of gender may lead to more confusion than clarity as the journeys are really either external or internal to oneself (the one being the main character).

The classical masculine journey is external. It is action based. The story is about the main character finding friends and identifying enemies. He or she must overcome physical challenges and vanquish foes. Victory is the ultimate goal, but that may prove elusive in the end. In a story based on this archetypal storyline, the main character almost always outright rejects any form of the feminine journey.

The classical feminine journey is internal. It is one of reflection and self-discovery. The story is about the main character transforming. Almost all “coming of age” stories are based on the feminine journey. Often, the character faces a metaphorical death, which may be the death of childhood, the death of a friendship, or the death of the child-parent relationship. A story that is generically referred to as a drama is most likely a feminine journey

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