The Heroine's Journey: For Writers, Readers, and Fans of Pop Culture

by Gail Carriger

Overview

What is the heroine's journey? How is it different from the hero's journey? What makes Harry Potter different from Star Wars? Twilight from Wonder Woman?

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Gail Carriger uses her comedic style to explore the mythological foundation of one of the most joyful and powerful narrative structures we have access to as storytellers. She teaches how to identify, write, and utilize the heroine's journey to recover from writer's block.

FIX YOUR STORY

Explore hidden messages. Learn hacks and tips to improve your writing and make it more commercially viable. Gain insight into under-studied story arcs, tropes, characters, archetypes, and modern market desires.

CHANGE YOUR PERSPECTIVE

Guaranteed to make you look at plot structure in books, video games, movies, and TV differently for the rest of your life.

Take control of narrative while redefining notions of strength and identity. This book will change how you write, read, watch, interact, and think about genre fiction and the world around you.

With over a dozen NYT and USA Today bestsellers and over a million books in print, popular genre author and former archaeologist Gail Carriger brings her cheeky comedic tone and over a decade of making her living as a fiction author to this fascinating look at one of the most popular yet neglected narratives of our time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781944751340
Publisher:	Gail Carriger LLC
Publication date:	08/25/2020
Pages:	322
Sales rank:	113,703
Product dimensions:	5.00(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.67(d)

About the Author

Gail Carriger writes comedies of manners mixed with steampunk and urban fantasy (plus sexy queer romance as G L Carriger). Her books include the Parasol Protectorate, Custard Protocol, Tinkered Stars, and San Andreas Shifters series for adults, and the Finishing School series for young adults. She is published in many languages, has over a million books in print, over a dozen New York Times and USA Today bestsellers, and starred reviews in Publishers Weekly, Booklist, Kirkus, and the Romantic Times. Her debut made Audible's Best list, was a Publishers Weekly Best Book, an IndieBound Notable, and a Locus Recommended Read. She has received the ALA's Alex Award, the Prix Julia Verlanger, the Elbakin Award, the Steampunk Chronicle's Reader's Choice Award, and a Starburner Award. She has two masters degrees in archaeology and is fond of shoes, cephalopods, and tea.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Approach

1. Why did I bother?

2. Why should you bother?

3. Pop culture is a weakness

Chapter 2: Defining Terms

1. It's all about sex & gender

2. Read this bit!

3. Writing terms & terminology

Chapter 3: Hero's Journey Beats, Themes & Messages

1. Things to notice

2. Hero's Journey example 1

3. Hero's Journey example 2

4. Additional examples of the hero

5. Hero's Journey hidden messages

6. Review: Hero's Journey narrative structure

Chapter 4: Basic Structure & Foundational Myths

1. Introducing the Myth of Demeter

2. Demeter's story

3. Introducing the Myth of Isis

4. Isis's story

5. Introducing the Myth of Inanna

6. Inanna's story

Chapter 5: Heroine's Journey Beats, Themes & Messages

1. Notation of absence

2. Things to notice

3. Heroine's Journey example 1

4. Heroine's Journey example 2

5. Additional examples of the heroine

6. Heroine's Journey hidden messages

Chapter 6: Heroine's Journey Gets Devalued

1. Heroine's Journey out of focus

2. Hero's Journey in focus

3. Repercussions of being devalued

4. Why did this happen?

5. Also, blame Gothics

Chapter 7: Genre Complications

1. Gothic archetypes & the heroine

2. Gothic tropes & the heroine

3. Gothic side effects

Chapter 8: Narrative Variations

1. Tragic journeys

2. Additional narrative elements

3. Whose journey is this?

4. Buddies & sidekicks

5. Foils & dualities

6. Multiple POV narratives

Chapter 9: Reader Experience

1. Reader expectations

2. Emotional hooks & writer's block

3. Avoiding reader betrayal

Chapter 10: How to write like a heroine

1. Give your heroine companions

2. Define & join a group

3. Write appropriate villains

4. Put side characters in power

5. Dialogue is your friend

6. Let help be a strength

7. Portion out achievement

8. Give your characters humor

9. Use Gothic tropes to indicate genre

10. Use Gothic archetypes to surprise readers

11. A counseling session

12. Be the heroine

Epilogue

Citations & References Explained

Citations

References

Aknowledgements

Author's Note

About the Author

Fiction by Carriger

Editorial Reviews

"The first book on writing structure that's ever truly resonated for me and made sense of the way my favorite stories work. I've thought back to this book so many times since reading it, and I know I'll be reading it again!"

~ Stephanie Burgis, Author of The Dragon with a Chocolate Heart

"I'm not sure how you can just rewire my brain to see the heroine's journey like this and then expect me to make coherent, thought-out comments about the text when all I want to do is hold it in my twisted little grip while I shove it at people screaming like a madman and pointing at passages."

~ Author Beta Reader

"Wow! This was incredible. I am in awe of the information, structure, detail, and format. It clearly lays out the bones and framework of a good book, with generous tips and guidance."

~ Lisa R, Beta Reader

"Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series beautifully blends together alternate history, steampunk and paranormal romance into stories that are witty, engaging and fun."

~ Kirkus (on Soulless)

"Behind the delightful whimsy and snarky observations, there is a great deal of heart and soul..."

~ RT Book Reviews (Prudence by Gail Carriger)

"Gail Carriger has the deft storytelling of Jones and the whimsy of Jasper Fforde. It's fun, fresh, witty, exciting, and is full of dastardly doings and an easy absurdity that leaves a smile on your face."

~ Publishers Weekly Galley Talk (Etiquette & Espionage)

From the Publisher