Story Structure and The Monomyth - Remote!

Joseph Campbell’s “Hero of a Thousand Faces” has influenced writers and filmmakers for decades. The book accesses centuries of myth and culture to reveal that all stories follow a similar pattern. By understanding that pattern, the writer can deeply connect with their audience. “The Monomyth” has been used by creators such as George Lucas, J.K. Rowling, Tomi Adeyemi, Neil Gaiman, and Guillermo Del Toro and has influenced films as such as The Matrix and Darren Aranofsky’s “Black Swan”. 

By the end of this seminar, writers will have a better understanding of the seventeen stages of the Monomyth and be able to use these archetypical scenes to add power and meaning to their work. 

We will discuss the various stages of the Monomyth while using examples from novels and films to illustrate each stage. During the question and answer segment, students may share their work in order to see how the Monomyth fits their writing

Works explored: Pan’s Labyrinth (Guillermo Del Toro), The Matrix (Lana & Lilly Wachowski), The Shining  (Stephen King), Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon (Ang Lee), Children of Blood & Bone (Tom Adeyemi), The Silence of The Lambs (Thomas Harris), The Life of Pi (Yann Martel), Black Swan/ The Wrestler (Darren Aranofsky), Black Panther (Ryan Coogler), The Hunger Games (Susan Collins), The Revenant (Alejandro González Iñárritu)

This class will be hosted using live Zoom meetings! You will be able to participate in class via Zoom videoconference from wherever you’re most comfortable. All you’ll need is a laptop or a phone! About 15 minutes before your class is scheduled to begin, you'll receive an email from your instructor with a link to join the class meeting via Zoom–no need to download anything or sign up for Zoom in advance! If you have questions about remote learning, please feel free to reach out to [email protected] for more information.

For a glimpse at how remote learning works, look no further than the deep Zoom discussion of writing and literature below:

Scholarship Information

Thanks to the excellent literary citizenship of our donors, scholarships are available for all GrubStreet classes. To apply, click the gray "APPLY FOR SCHOLARSHIP" button. In order to be considered for a scholarship, you must complete your application at least one week before the start date of a class. Please await our scholarship committee's decision before registering for the class. We cannot hold spots in classes, so the sooner you apply, the better. Scholarships cannot be applied retroactively.

For more more detailed information about GrubStreet scholarships, including how to contribute to scholarship funds for other students, click here.