The Hero Myth, exposed by mythographer Joseph Campbell, is a spine for the body of fiction. I won't repeat what countless helpful websites already have, but I will summarize:
Every protagonist traverses the archetypal "Hero's Journey." He possesses a need or desire, is incited by a crisis, and accepts the quest to succeed and earn his boon.
Using the steps of the Hero's Journey, I will map out the plot of my novel.
I won't show you this process because I'm still at the Call to Adventure in my quest to complete this novel and I don't want the Temptress to seduce you into pilfering it.
However, I'd like to demonstrate the usefulness of this mapping by naming my characters and the roles they play in this journey.
Hero: Meg Thirske...
a young woman who is happy for the first time. She has lived with depression all her life and knows herself only in the confines of being sad. Now she must acquire the skills to cope with having a happy life, all the while, sad events threaten to cause a relapse into depression
Magical Weapon/Tool: Telescope...
a scarecrow Meg constructs who is given a consciousness (unbeknown to Meg.) She is the narrator and interpreter of Meg's situation. *I can't tell you the end, which explains how she is a tool to Meg. Sorry.* Let's just say that her storytelling eventually gives Meg the perspective she needs to achieve her Apotheosis.
Temptress: Convenience of Known Coping Skills...
The Temptress is not a human (or scarecrow) character in my novel. Not that this is untrue of most modern stories. Meg knows how to be sad and survive; but, her glory will come when she can be brave and live a healthy life.
Mentor: Levi Wells...
Levi is Meg's true love. In learning to have a relationship with him, Meg 1) discovers who she is 2) learns not to "collapse" in old ways but to improve herself, and 3) finds the encouragement she requires to press on in her quest.
Fool/Trickster: Epiphany Bohling....
a classmate of Meg's whose outlandish beliefs test the reality of the other character's lives, in often funny ways. Epiphany also has her own hero's journey, as does Levi and Urriah; however, theirs are subplots while Meg's in the main plot.
Nemesis/Father: Urriah Graham....
a young woman, Meg's best friend, with just as many emotional problems. Okay, Urriah is not the typical nemesis. 1) She is not necessarily against Meg or her efforts, and 2) she is a very sweet and misguided girl who is beginning to rebel against her own beliefs. However, she embodies the guilt that discourages Meg and confuses her efforts to succeed.
This is the notion some Christians have about depression. That people who are depressed are "selfish," they don't have a "legitimate medical illness" and "should get over themselves." These statements, spoken by Meg's pastor and Urriah's father, compound Meg's shame and pulls her back toward depression.
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