In the Journey story structure, there is a single main character that has a mission or a quest that he must accomplish, growing along the way. The story revolves around this character’s growth and experience, whether he goes it alone or in a group.
Classic Journey plots can be seen in many different arenas of literature and media, from Homer’s Odyssey, to Lord of the Rings, to Little House on the Prairie. In each, a main character (sometimes accompanied by companions) undergoes trials and overcomes obstacles.
Journey Story Structure
In a Journey plot, like many other classic plot-types, there is a clear and obvious sense of a beginning, middle, and end. While there are subtle variations on the Journey plot, the main elements are the same. They keep in line with Aristotelian traditional structure of myths.
The Aristotelian Journey plot sees a character all the way through back to his city, town, village, or whatever his beginning, but it doesn’t leave room for further travels or growth. It’s the whole “happily ever after” idea, where the character seems content now to live on forever doing nothing.
The variations of this Journey structure differ in minor ways, such as whether the character faces his or her growth inwardly or outwardly.
Journey Story Structure Elements – The Beginning
Just as with most other types of plots, the beginning of the Journey should see an introduction of the world and main character. The mood should also be established here (is there impending doom lurking over the character, for instance?), along with the institution of a serious problem with a catalyst for the Journey.
The world the main character starts off in is, or seems, immaculate. Think Lord of the Rings: in the beginning, Frodo lives in the Shire with his friends and family, no apparent care in sight. It’s a perfect world. This world illusion is necessary for the character’s development, and it juxtaposes the bad news to come.
The main character is then presented with some kind of challenge, like moving to the west, throwing a ring into Mount Doom, or destroying the infamous white whale. Sometimes that perfect world is taken away, but often a character simply moves away from it.
The final aspect of the opening of a Journey plot is that the character readies himself for the challenges ahead, perhaps gathering companions together or trying to prepare mentally.
Some important questions are:
- Why does my main character have to go on this quest?
- What motivates my character?
- Is there any preparation needed?
- How will the villain be introduced?
Journey Story Structure Elements – The Middle
In this stage of the plot, the main problem not only intensifies, but the character’s really dark moments start to come through. Like in the Fate story structure, there may be a temporary triumph, one that can be imagined, but it is not a necessary element. This triumph must be accompanied by a reversal.
Of course, since the Journey has begun, the character will encounter some big challenges in this stage, often encountering new enemies and allies. He also learns the rules of whatever world he has been thrust into, and finds himself facing (or nearly facing) the main antagonist (though not for a final duel). The protagonist then hits a sort of rock bottom, perhaps losing faith in himself, God, or whatever he believes in the most.
Finally as an optional element, after the bottoming out, the main character may come into possession of a special artifact (like the One Ring in the Hobbit), one that gives him an advantage over his enemies.
- Some questions a writer must ask herself here are:
- What keeps the protagonist propelled through this stage?
- How do the enemies come into play here?
- Is the Journey model working for this story? Would it work better with any changes?
Journey Story Structure Elements – The End
At the end of a Journey-driven story, the main character must overcome a final obstacle, which leads to the climax and then resolution. This is no different from most archetypal plots.
As the end begins, the protagonist may be faced with coming to terms with what he has done up to this point, often in a negative way. He is faced with death and, sometimes, evil, and in the climax and resolution, overcomes both (usually). In the end, the One Ring is tossed into Mount Doom, once the final obstacles (Gollum and the power of the Ring) are managed.
Some helpful questions for the end are:
- Will my hero fail or succeed?
- Are my characters believable (or: Why should anyone care whether they succeed or not?)
When trying out this story structure, don’t be afraid to turn to the classics for help and inspiration; the Journey plot is everywhere, and continues to woo audiences through millennia of use. After all, what is literature for if not for inspiration?
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