Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Writers, editors, and story analysts have generated Monomyth evaluations
of countless movies and books, endlessly demonstrating the versatility and
pervasiveness of these elements in the stories we've all experienced.
From a game developer's point of view, familiarity with the Monomyth
can only make one a more complete storyteller. It will not magically turn
you into a professional writer or story editor, but your interactions with
such experts will probably go a lot more smoothly with this common
frame of reference.
For many writers, myself included, the Monomyth is not a template used
to create a story from scratch. It's more of a checking tool, to be em-
ployed when something doesn't feel quite right about a story in progress.
Perhaps upon reflection I'll realize there is no strong Mentor; perhaps
there isn't enough difference between the Ordinary and Special Worlds;
maybe I skimped on the all-important succession of Tests, Allies, and
Enemies.
There are no guarantees in fiction development any more than there are
in game development. A few of our most treasured stories eschew much
of the Monomyth, and some absolutely horrible tales have clung to it beat
for beat. Understanding the reality of the structure is just a small (but im-
portant) step along the way to becoming a better storyteller.
