The "Hero's Journey" Has Ended

No one will say it, so I will. The "hero's journey" as a storytelling process made popular by Joseph Campbell has ended. A moment of silence please...

For many, this is tantamount to heresy. Authors, ad agencies, and screen writers have used this approach to narrative construction for years. But longevity does not define best practices. Wrong can live a long life.

"Wrong" is admittedly a strong condemnation. After all, the hero's journey has breathed life into many a story on and off the big screen. Yet, hiding beneath the surface of its approach is a benevolent, yet toxic narcissism.

Centering yourself as the hero in your story can limit the story's ability to convey lessons that might tarnish your perceived heroism.

In the new model of storytelling, "understanding" is the hero. What do I mean by this?

The purpose of telling your story or the story of your service or brand is NOT to elevate you, but rather, to elevate your viewer, your listener, your reader.

Storytelling, in its most effective form, creates an agnostic heroism. One not pegged to personality, but resonance. A resonance that whispers, "I understand."

When you write so your reader sees that you understand the tension filled conflicts in their own life, that you understand loss, that you understand depression, then and only then is a heart connection made.

Sometimes, this understanding originates from the villain, not the hero. Sometimes the understanding is neither with the antagonist nor the protagonist.

Make sure the only figure in your story who wears a cape is understanding itself. Doing that, ironically, makes you a hero.