The Ordinary World & Call to Adventure
Summary:
In this section of the reading Vogler takes us into the first stage of the Hero’s Journey, the Ordinary World, and begins discussing each part of this process in detail. Even before beginning the story there are certain things that can give the reader a certain mind-set or impression, like the title or prologue. It’s important that these things give the reader the right sense of the story and make it intriguing and grabbing. Once you move into the story the first obstacle you must tackle is usually creating an “Ordinary World” that includes the “seeds of excitement and challenge” within it. The hero must have both an inner and outer problem that they face sometime in the story; each of these problems builds up to the hero learning something throughout their journey. The author must then determine how they want their hero to be introduced to the reader or audience in terms of what they will be doing, acting, behaving, wearing etc… The opening act is especially important because it allows for the reader to find similarities and relatable qualities with the hero which creates a bond between them. Also in the Ordinary World the theme of the story is revealed and the appropriate backstory and exposition is provided. Moving into stage two of a story, The Call to Adventure, is when the hero is faced with a challenge that will transfer them from their normal, comfortable setting into an unknown world. The call may be brought along by the Herald archetype or another form of messenger, or it may be brought on by something within the hero. Often the hero has to be called into action more than once because the unknown world is not appealing to them and they are happy to stay in their current situation.

Reaction:
How the hero makes their entrance into the story seems especially important because it is the first chance for the reader to see what kind of a person the main character is. You can tell so much from the beginning scene with the hero based on what they are wearing, where they are, what they’re doing, speaking like, talking to etc… It is much like meeting someone for the first time, often we judge and stereotype a person right off the bat so having a strong opening scene where the hero is portrayed in the way that you want is key. The idea that the reader must identify with and feel equal to the hero is one that I am not sure I agree with. I do think that a character must be relatable in one way or another but I would not say that there needs to be a feeling of “equality” in any way. The idea that much can be seen by what characters don’t do or say, in a way what they hide, is one that’s extremely true. Often what people are trying to hide or keep inside their unconscious is the heart of their inner-problem.

Reflection:
The main thing that I was thinking about while reading this section was how each part connected to my story, or didn’t, and how I could use the different sections to better my writing. It made me think about things like my title, the first time my character is introduced, and the possible need of more/less backstory. Vogler also makes a point that audiences enjoy watching characters learn which was what the main goal of our personal memoir was. The idea of a hero “lacking” something is one that is very real and true even in each of our lives today. It is often the lack of something in our lives that drives us forward in our ambitions and pushes us forward into the unknown world. It shall be interesting to see how learning about each of the stages of the hero journey, broken down into detailed descriptions, transforms future memoirs into better pieces of writing.

Questions:
1) What exactly is the reconnaissance? Is this seen mostly in mystery stories?
2) What kinds of problems were evident in your “Ordinary World” in the beginning of your life story? How were they activated?
3) How exactly can “getting the audience a little off-base and upsetting their normal perceptions” make them more receptive? p.86