The Anti-Monomyth

What sort of story would you get if you did the opposite of Joseph Campbell's monomyth? Of course, you would take measures to create a compelling story, but let's see what we can accomplish by setting up plot points that fly in the face of the monomyth.

 

Let's look at each point of the Hero's Journey and do the opposite of what it entails.

1. Call To Adventure - The opposite of starting our hero's journey is to have the quest start in media res. You could say that the true opposite would be starting the story at the middle or end of the hero's journey. The sheriff from No Country For Old Men comes to mind.

Also, just to add one last bit of contrariness, the protagonist will be a woman, just because. So we have a woman who has faced her destiny in her life's battle, and that battle is either in the middle or possibly even almost at an end. And her name could be Erinnella Isabella Sharona Coachella, because short names like "Luke" and "Neo" are all about the namelessness of a nothing child growing up and achieving great things and great names, and this is opposite day.

2. Refusal of the Call - nah, she's been doing this for years and jumps at the cry for help, like Batman responding to the Bat signal.

3. Supernatural Aid - Pshaw. She fixes situations with her own two hands. Those two hands may pull the trigger of a gun, or punch a bad guy, or even write a scathing report like Lois Lane destroying Lexcorp's reputation with an article in the Daily Planet. Just make sure that guns, or writing, or even her own skills are not given "magical" properties. I don't mean that literally, I mean don't ascribe her set of skills as something esoteric and unattainable. If you aren't careful, even her willpower can be supernaturalized (a la Green Lantern). What she does, others can do. She's good at the right things, but never the greatest in the world at any of them, and never should people be in awe of any one skill.

4. Crossing the First Threshold and 5. Belly of the Whale - It's a moot point. If she's in the thick of things, why does she need a push out the door? What would change her? (Oh, I'm sure something could change her, but let's not worry about that just yet.)


6. Road of Trials - Let's not get this confused with mere conflict within a story. Sure, there's conflict - let's say, a cabal of international terrorists brought together to overcome the constant threat of our heroine's heroics. She might win, she might lose, but she's not going to discover a new inner strength in the process.

7. Meeting With the Goddess - Obviously this can take on a religious or spiritual quality, though it can also be represented by the higher goals or morality or state. Let's just say our heroine knows exactly what she's doing and why she's doing it.

8. Woman as the Temptress - Here the male focus of the monomyth is revealed. Skip it, unless we want Fernando to swoop in and seduce her. Whatever.

9. Atonement With The Father - Nah. Any large, foreboding father figures will just be dealt with. "You faked your death and manipulated me from the shadows? Oh well. Just going to continue on my mission, screw you like everyone else."

10. Apotheosis and 11. The Ultimate Boon - If the heroine is some sort of international spy like we are painting her to be, we have to realize that the good guys help others - that's just what they do. Giving boons to society is so broad. Jeez, Joe. Now do-gooding is under the umbrella of the monomyth. What's next, montages?

12. Refusal of the Return - Like we mentioned before, she has no family and is generally unattached.

13. The Magic Flight - Are you saying that thrilling getaways are now part of the monomyth?

14. Rescue From Without and 15. Crossing of the Return Threshold - Nah, the story is already about self-reliance.

16. Master of Two Worlds - Again, stages of discovery are moot in a story about a well-versed protagonist.

17. Freedom To Live - I thought the monomyth had consumed everything. I was wrong. IT ATE FREEDOM ITSELF.

So, from this, we have an experienced heroine (say, an international spy) who is in the thick of her career and jumps into the fray at any call for help. She does not have esoteric powers of any sort, just her own skill. She is the same, scene to scene - she has no huge character growth, and is generally unattached. She is confident in what she is doing. In spite of Campbell trying to greedily swallow the concepts whole, she a) is good and fights evil, b) makes thrilling getaways after accomplishing her goals, and c) lives freely outside of the yoke of ignorance.


We have created Erin, the Esurance Girl.