Vogler seems to know all about my novel, Aquila! Or is he saying that all stories are basically the same, whether it’s The Wizard Of Oz, Star Wars or Titanic? Then how can anyone write anything new? [But that would be like arguing that since most sentences consist of a subject, a verb and an object, with a few adjectives, adverbs and subordinate clauses thrown in here and there, no one can ever write or say anything original!]
As the title suggests, Vogler borrows a lot from ancient mythology and says every story is a hero’s journey through 12 stages from the Ordinary World – through adventures and ordeals in the Special World – to return victorious with the Elixir. Each stage is developed in depth, introducing nine standard character Archetypes – Hero, Mentor, Shapeshifter, Trickster, etc.
I think this is a Must-read for any aspiring novel author, even more valuable than Robert McKee’s Story.