Shattered: Announcing How The Hero's Journey Begins
Forged Series: Tessa's Hero Journey
To learn more about the FORGED series, visit the Table of Contents.
How The Hero's Journey Begins
When the story of Tessa first presented itself to me, I knew I wanted to tell a story of her resilience and self-discovery. I pondered what her journey may entail—what structure her story may take—and settled on a traditional “Hero’s Journey” tale.
The Hero’s Journey framework, coined by Joseph Campbell, a renowned scholar of mythology and comparative religions, includes twelve basic stages based on common patterns in myths and stories across cultures. If you’ve read or watched Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, or Harry Potter, you’ve been exposed to the Hero’s Journey stages.
1) In LOTR, Frodo Baggins’ story begins in the peaceful Shire (Ordinary World).
2) Gandalf reveals to Frodo that the One Ring, a dangerous artifact in his possession, must be taken to safety (Call to Action).
3) Frodo at first resists Gandalf’s appeal, not wanting to leave the Shire for unknown dangers (Refusal of the Call).
4) With Gandalf’s guidance, Frodo learns the dangers of the ring, preparing him for what lies ahead (Meeting the Mentor).
5) Frodo leaves the Shire and sets out on his adventure (Crossing the Threshold).
6) With Sam (Pippin and Merry) by his side, Frodo faces challenges, gains allies, and is pursued by enemies (Tests, Allies, and Enemies).
7) Once the Fellowship reaches Rivendell, they must make critical decisions (Approach the Inmost Cave).
8 & 9) They face a major trial in the Mines of Moria (The Ordeal) before reaching Lothlórien, where they receive additional guidance and gifts to give them the strength to continue (Reward).
10) As they approach Mordor, the group splits, sending Frodo and Sam on their own to destroy the Ring (The Road Back).
11) Frodo struggles against the Ring’s corruptive power with internal and external tests of character, and though the Fellowship is fractured, Frodo is transformed by his journey and the weight of the Ring, coming to understand the responsibility of his quest (Resurrection).
12) After a final ordeal, successfully accomplishing the journey, Frodo, Sam, and the rest of the Fellowship return to the Shire (Return with the Elixir).
The Hero’s Journey, a proven framework for storytelling, can be applied to the dystopian tale of Tessa Wright in the Forged Series. And though there are no orcs, talking trees, or fire-breathing dragons, her story contains all the elements of the journey (sprinkled with other elements common in YA stories—topics to be covered in the future).
Ordinary Life
The first several chapters set up Tessa’s ordinary life. As a young teen whose family is killed in a tragic accident, “ordinary” takes on a shocking shift from the very beginning. Born and raised in the Wilds, she had been homeschooled and spent the majority of her time with her parents and younger sister. So when Tessa is forced to move across the country to live with her aunt and uncle—her only remaining family—she is confronted with living in an urban center vastly different from her home and must attend public school for the first time.
On the first day of school, she befriends a couple of kind students. But she is also bullied by some of the privileged students. Her rural accent and clothing make her stand out as a “stick,” a derogatory name for a person from the Wilds meant to represent how the people in rural areas are unsophisticated and lack technology.
Cara glanced sideways at me as they walked up to grab the bar and muttered, “C’mon, stick.”
Cara’s word choice was meant to unsettle me. My presence felt threatening to them for some reason, so their disdain for me was evident by the animosity in their voice.
Excerpt from Shattered, book one of the FORGED Series, coming in 2025 from Provender Press
Call to Adventure
When the director of a prestigious lab is a guest speaker in her class, she discovers that not only do her test scores place her among the most elite students in the school, but living with her uncle has given her immediate status—one she refuses to believe she deserves.
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The rest of her journey
To discover the rest of Tessa’s hero journey adventures, you’ll need to read Shattered, book one in the Forged Series, coming in 2025. Until then, you can check back here for more insights and sneak peeks!
To learn more about the FORGED series, visit the Table of Contents.
What I’m reading
Here are some other dystopian, Sci-Fi fiction, and otherwise thought-provoking pieces available on Substack that you might enjoy.
- is back with season two of Microdosing, daily prompts for flash fiction. I’m not saying that I’ll participate everyday, but I hope to me more consistent with my microdosed submissions (in the Forged world setting, of course!😊)
The Spy - A fun yarn spun by
that makes you wonder how cooky the guy is until he is not. Or is he???Post-Apocalyptic Pirates: Chapter One - I just came across
and the first chapter of the third book in his Happy Bureaucracy book series. A fun parody of if the USA was really the United Wastes of America.The Cooperatives: the last forest -
of the has done it again. An outstanding addition to her Dust Road world.Ivy League Illusion, Part I - I’ve enjoyed
’s Madisonville Murder and North of Midnight serials, so when I saw this new storyline, I was excited! Check it out!.
Before you go
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Questions
Who are your favorite Hero’s Journey characters? Some of mine are Jonas (The Giver by Lois Lowry), Tris (Divergent by Veronica Roth), and Day (Legend by Marie Lu).
Got a question for me about my book? Writing process? Or any other topic you want me to write about? Let me know in the comments.
Looking forward to "Shattered", and thank you for mentioning "Post-Apocalyptic Pirates". I am so sorry you had to type "Bureaucracy"--- I did not know how to spell that word correctly before starting my series and even though I've since written it thousands of times I still get it wrong :P
I always love your insights! Tris is a favorite of mine, though Katniss also ranks right up there. (What can I say, I have a soft spot for dystopians!)