Learn the secret reason we find hero stories so exciting and inspirational. Humorously illustrated with over 40 cartoons, this book takes readers through the stages of Joseph Campbell's pattern of the Hero's Journey using examples from books, films, and even video games.

Do you feel like something big is missing from your life? Do you feel trapped, bored, stuck in a meaningless routine? It may be you think you're too ordinary to ever do something special. Perhaps you're afraid that if you try, you'll fail. The startling truth is this: Just about anyone can do great things, can live a life that's remarkable, purposeful, excellent, and yes, even heroic. If you want to be a hero, you can be. How? That's what this book is all about. Will you choose to do it? Will you decide to journey heroically, instead of spending your life merely marking time? If so, this is the book for you. Welcome to your heroic journey.

A Different Bible study experience! This guided journey through Scripture is for anyone who: Knows what it’s like to just not fit in; longs to feel known, safe, and understood; and wonders where they truly belong. Join beloved author Sally Clarkson and her son Joel in this 12-session exploration of misfits in the Bible—and the surprising ways they became heroes of the faith. God has always taken ordinary people—like Peter, Ruth, Job, and Elijah—and used them to accomplish great things. You’ll learn how God can take your own weaknesses and turn them into strengths as he draws you outside the safety of yourself and into the glorious whirlwind of His plan for your life. (A companion resource to Different: The Story of an Outside-the-Box Kid and the Mom Who Loved Him, by Sally and Nathan Clarkson.)

ATTENTION FICTION WRITERS: If you're writing a novel, novella, short story, or screenplay, please read this...DISCOVER HOW TO WRITE YOUR HERO LIKE A PRO... ...without years of research and practice.If you would like to create a hero that resonates with your audience... regardless of your writing experience, this is the most important book you'll ever read.BUT FIRST A WARNING...The approach outlined in this book works great for me, and I believe it can help you too. It's helped our publishing company sell books in multiple formats to various customers worldwide.But I'm not suggesting that everyone (or anyone) who reads it is going to sell a lot of books. Writing a story is hard work. While talent may play a small part in your overall success, the most important thing is heart. Not everyone that aspires to write a book actually possesses the necessary fortitude required to finish what they've started. Those who take this seriously, follow the directions, work hard and actually finish their story, have the best chance for a positive outcome. With that said, let me jump right in and show you...EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE GETTING TODAYFirst of all, this isn't like any other writing book you've ever read. It's more of a "field guide" to the hero archetype, than a traditional book on characters. There's no fluff or filler - just battle-tested strategies and tactics that are used in modern commercial fiction.And it's easy to read.At 150-ish pages, you can read it in a day or two. And you'll immediately "get" the entire approach. Even though I personally use this system to write science fiction and fantasy, these techniques TRANSCEND genre.See, you can use the same methodologies in this book to create heroes in short stories, novellas, novels, AND even screenplays--NO MATTER THE GENRE.So like I said, there's more to this little book then "just" fiction writing. Below is a fraction of what you're getting...- The truth about commercial fiction- How to write an iconic hero, even if you've never written fiction before- The definition and basic explanation of archetypes- Common misconceptions about the Classic Hero archetype- How NOT to write an archetype- Why you should never have a "perfect" hero- Can you write your characters wrong? A warning against stereotypes- The secret that will make your audience immediately embrace your hero- How the Classic Hero archetype evolved into the modern iconic iteration- I'll teach you what a real hero is- The psychological significance of the hero in the narrative- The difference between a protagonist, main character, and hero- How to write heroes that feel "real," without going through a four-page character study- The most common conflict resolution tendencies of heroes- The tools, weapons, and fighting styles most iconic heroes use in fiction- How to create an impactful character arc for your hero- The relationship between the inner journey and the outer journey- Why plotting out your hero's inner journey first is the only approach that works- How the hero fits into the acts and stages of the narrative- Variations of the hero archetype including introductions to the female heroine and non-human heroes- The various moral alignments of the hero- The classic 3-act structure that all blockbusters follow- Over 40 end-of-chapter action steps that you can implement in your story immediately to beef up the heroes in your storyMoreover, this book is filled with countless examples from mythology, literature, movies, comics, video games and more to give you a deep understanding of how the Classic Hero is used in modern storytelling. Ultimately we'll discuss how to use the hero archetype in your own story, so your audience will care about your character and read your book.So don't delay. Buy your copy today!

Based on the work of Joseph Campbell and using excerpts from the journals of such people as Jane Addams, Langston Hughes, Octavio Paz, Samuel Johnson, Mary Kingsley, and Kathleen Norris, Charting a Hero's Journey is a guide to the writing of a journal for college students engaged in study abroad, off-campus study, and/or service-learning. The book may be used as a text for academic courses in fields such as intercultural studies, service-learning, and English literature or composition, and may be adapted for use in freshman or senior seminars that focus on student development and education in the college years.

Joseph Campbell famously defined myth as ''other people's religion.'' But he also said that one of the basic functions of myth is to help each individual through the journey of life, providing a sort of travel guide or map to reach fulfillment - or, as he called it, bliss. For Campbell, many of the world's most powerful myths support the individual's heroic path toward bliss. In Pathways to Bliss, Campbell examines this personal, psychological side of myth. Like his classic bestselling books Myths to Live By and The Power of Myth, Pathways to Bliss draws from Campbell's popular lectures and dialogues, which highlight his remarkable storytelling and ability to apply the larger themes of world mythology to personal growth and the quest for transformation. Here he anchors mythology's symbolic wisdom to the individual, applying the most poetic mythical metaphors to the challenges of our daily lives. Campbell dwells on life's important questions. Combining cross-cultural stories with the teachings of modern psychology, he examines the ways in which our myths shape and enrich our lives. He explores the many insights of Carl Jung; the notion of self as the hero; and how East and West differ in their approaches to the ego. The book also includes an extensive question-and-answer session that ranges from mythological readings of the Bible to how the Hero's Journey unfolds for women. With his usual wit and insight, Campbell draws connections between ancient symbols and modern art, schizophrenia and the Hero's Journey. Along the way, he shows how myth can help each of us truly identify and follow our bliss.

A guidebook for discovering how heartbreak can become the doorway to profound meaning and joy from the bestselling co-creator of the Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff Series In 2006, after building the bestselling franchise Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff with her husband Richard, Kristine Carlson faced a shattering loss—the sudden death of her beloved spouse. Woven together with the remarkable stories of others’ loss and recovery, her deeply moving story reveals a clear process of healing that is common to everyone and goes far beyond ordinary prescriptions for getting through hard times. In her new book, From Heartbreak to Wholeness, Kristine offers a life-altering map for navigating the heroic journey from loss to joy—one that ultimately awakens readers to a deep love affair with life. Every day, people suffer heartbreaks of some kind—loss of a loved one, divorce, illness, loss of a job or home—and seek to understand why these losses and traumas have befallen them and how they’ll make it through in one piece. For readers who have endured loss of any kind, Kristine takes them by the hand, showing them how to traverse their own jagged edge of growth and emerge as the hero whole, happy, and empowered. Each chapter of From Heartbreak to Wholeness includes powerful exercises in self-inquiry and reflection, along with step-by-step guidance for writing one’s own heroic story of healing. Journey with Kristine Carlson and learn how you can walk the path from heartbreak to wholeness.

Stephen Gilligan and Robert Dilts truly take you on a voyage of self-discovery. The Hero's Journey examines the questions: How can you live a meaningful life? What is the deepest life you are called to, and how can you respond to that call? It is about how to discover your calling and how to embark on the path of learning and transformation that will reconnect you with your spirit,change negative beliefs and habits, heal emotional wounds and physical symptoms, deepen intimacy, and improve self-image and self-love. Along this path we inevitably meet challenges and confronting these challenges forces us to develop and think in new ways and push us outside our comfort zone. The book takes the form of a transcript of a four day workshop conducted by Stephen and Robert. It is a powerful way of learning as you are so absorbed by the experiences of the participants that you feel you are actually there. A wonderful voyage of discovery for everyone who thinks that, "there must be more to life than this".

The author explores the status of being a misfit as something to be embraced, and social misfits as being individuals of value who have a place in society, in a work that encourages people who have had difficulty finding their way to pursue their goals.

In The Anatomy of a Calling, Lissa Rankin, MD, makes a simple yet revolutionary claim: We are all, every single one of us, heroes. We are all on what Joseph Campbell calls "a hero's journey;" we are all on a mission to step into our true nature and fulfill the assignment our souls were sent to Earth to fulfill. Navigating the hero's journey, Dr. Rankin argues, is one of the cornerstones of living a meaningful, authentic, healthy life. In clear, engaging prose, Dr. Rankin describes her entire spiritual journey for the first time--beginning with what she calls her "perfect storm" of events--and recounts the many transformative experiences that led to a profound awakening of her soul. Through her father's death, her daughter's birth, career victories and failures, and an ongoing struggle to identify as both a doctor and a healer, Dr. Rankin discovers a powerful self-awareness. As she shares her story, she encourages you to find out where you are on your own journey and offers wisdom and inspiration in the form of "Hero's Guideposts" along the way. Dr. Rankin weaves in lessons on trusting intuition, surrendering to love, and learning to see adversity as an opportunity for soul growth. Much more than a memoir, The Anatomy of a Calling guides you to make a powerful shift in consciousness and reach your highest destiny.