Re:‘Show, Don’t Tell’ Almost Ruined Me as a Writer
by smogcutter on Tuesday October 08, 2019 @09:36PM
(#21199139)
Yeah, I think there’s a certain amount of tail wagging the dog with use of structures like the hero’s journey. Campbell’s work was observational, not proscriptive. Using it as a template is missing the point.
Re:‘Show, Don’t Tell’ Almost Ruined Me as a Writer
by CuriouslyC on Tuesday October 08, 2019 @10:03PM
(#21199288)
Certain story structures are more engaging than others. Hero's journey is one of the most engaging well known story structures. Also, many elements of the hero's journey are "optimal" from a psychophysical standpoint.
Re:‘Show, Don’t Tell’ Almost Ruined Me as a Writer
by smogcutter on Tuesday October 08, 2019 @10:31PM
(#21199434)
I’m not saying the hero’s journey is bad or something, just that it gets misunderstood and falls into flat paint by numbers.
As Campbell set it out, it’s less a singular structure than a catalog of common scenes and archetypes in heroic myths, not all of which might appear in any given story. It’s the overall arc of “hero enters magical world of story -> overcomes trial -> returns with power to grant boons” that’s constant.
In Campbell’s observation, these stories have a cultural function - they’re usually about resolving psychological tensions and navigating liminal spaces. Just using it as an outline to fill in the blanks without understanding why and how those scenes function is going to fall flat every time.
In the end it's a matter of communicating what you want to the intended audience. 'show don't tell' is a tool to do it. but you're right, not everything is a nail you need to hit with that hammer.