Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.
The Hero's 2 Journeys  By  cover art

The Hero's 2 Journeys

By: Michael Hauge, Christopher Vogler
Narrated by: Michael Hauge, Christopher Vogler
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $11.66

Buy for $11.66

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

Make your story the best it can be on two levels. Hear each superstar teacher present his unique approach to story telling.

The "Outer Journey" is the essential structural principles driving every successful plot. Each brings years of practical experience and extensive research to story structure, character arc, and how to give your story greater commercial appeal. Full of specific examples.

The "Inner Journey" is the deeper storyline that makes a story truly great. Hauge's view: The Hero moves from hiding within a protective identity to experiencing his or her true essence. Vogler's view: The Hero's inner need is invisible at first, but is revealed to the Hero by the end of the story. Full of specific examples.

This is ideal listening for all writers (including screenwriters, novelists, and playwrights), actors, filmmakers, studio executives, game designers and developers, storytellers, and anyone with a passion for movies and stories.

©2003 Michael Hauge and Christopher Vogler (P)2003 Writer's AudioShop

What listeners say about The Hero's 2 Journeys

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    600
  • 4 Stars
    185
  • 3 Stars
    52
  • 2 Stars
    27
  • 1 Stars
    7
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    466
  • 4 Stars
    147
  • 3 Stars
    47
  • 2 Stars
    11
  • 1 Stars
    4
Story
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    494
  • 4 Stars
    122
  • 3 Stars
    30
  • 2 Stars
    14
  • 1 Stars
    4

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

I enjoyed this.

The audience is screenwriters, but the ideas are excellent and valuable for novelists.

Christopher Vogler and Michael Hauge conducted a workshop for writing movie scripts based on Joseph Campbell’s work. This is the recording of that workshop which includes some questions from the audience.

I rarely watch movies. My feeling is why watch a movie when I could read a book? Books have more depth. When I see movies based on books I’ve read, I’m disappointed although I do enjoy the visuals. As I listened to this lecture, I felt further reluctance to watch movies. They’re all made with the same formula! (or most of them) The first 10% is seeing the ordinary world and the call to action. Other parts include meeting the mentor, encountering tests, the supreme ordeal, and return with the elixir. These parts were first defined by Joseph Campbell. He studied mythology and found consistency in all myths in all cultures. Apparently all humans always want the same story.

During the 1970s George Lucas used these ideas when he wrote the first Star Wars movie. During the 1980s Christopher Vogler wrote a memo organizing Campbell’s ideas into guidance for movie making. Vogler worked for Disney at the time. Vogler later turned his memo into a book “The Writer’s Journey.” I was bothered by Vogler’s claim for credit. He talked as if he were “the first one” to consider using Campbell’s ideas for movie making. He never mentioned that Lucas used them earlier. On Vogler’s website (mentioned below) he states “I had discovered the work of mythologist Joseph Campbell a few years earlier while studying cinema at the University of Southern California. I was sure I saw Campbells ideas being put to work in the first of the Star Wars movies and wrote a term paper for a class in which I attempted to identify the mythic patterns that made that film such a huge success.” This rubs me wrong. Lucas clearly stated that he used Campbell’s work when he wrote Star Wars. Vogler’s comments are pompous. My distaste is the reason I did not give this 5 stars. But the subject matter is excellent. Most of the examples are from three films: The Firm, Shrek, and Titanic. I was surprised that the speakers didn’t use Star Wars as an example.

This audiobook is a good way to learn about Campbell’s ideas. The authors talk about the hero’s outer journey, his inner journey, and major character types. Hauge defines four character types: hero, reflection (friend), nemesis, and romance character (or the object of hero’s pursuit). Vogler’s website (thewritersjourney com) has a helpful summary of the outer journey and eight character types. (My thoughts, not in the lecture: Since all plots are the same, it is critical to have unique, engaging, and fascinating characters. This seminar does not discuss that.)

A couple of Hauge comments. The inner journey is to find your essence. At the end of the workshop, Hauge summarizes with three arcs that consistently occur in American movies - three transformations the character needs to make.
1. risk being who you truly are
2. risk connecting to other people (romantically or other)
3. stand up and do what is right, the honest thing, to stand up for the truth.
He says “love encompasses all of these. All great movies are love stories.”

NARRATORS:
The narrators are the authors. Their voices were fine.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

23 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Great Book for Wannabees & Moviephiles

Michael Hauge and Christopher Vogler have been perfecting their screenwriting methodologies for many years... This is the first time, that i know of, where they have combined their systems... Giving you two expert perspectives...

There are many books on screenwriting out there... This is one of the best... relatively simple explanations of the basic and advanced principles of writing stories for film. This book does not cover formatting, but story development...

If you've got an idea for a moive... but aren't sure... this book will help you find out...

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

16 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

More Michael Hauge

Mr. Hauge's theory on Identity vs Essence really sparked a torrent of ideas on me - and now I want to know more.

Unfortunately, 2 of the 3 hours (seem to be) all Mr. Vogler and his application of the Hero's Journey. But once you 'know' about the Hero's Journey, I don't find there's much more here to gain.

Not sure the price is right however. But take it from me, Michael Hauge is where it's at if you want to write screenplays or novels.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Helpful to first time author.

I am nearly finished writing my first time 'non-fiction' book and I will be incorporating a lot of these points into it after first draft. Their advice doesn't just apply to fiction. Glad I bought it.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

Worth Listening for an introduction to writing

I give this a 2-star rating based on a parochial level of story analysis that can be found in any screenwriting basic-structure how-to manual. That being said, you do need to start somewhere and this could be helpful, but it is limited in examples and expanded explanations of approach, theory, and context. It also loses a star because the audio quality is almost unbearable, very poorly recorded. Vogler and Hauge are great at what they do, though.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

6 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Multiple books in one

This covers three act structure, heroes journey and character arcs well and is entertaining aswell

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars

Very helpful

This is a great read for anybody who loves writing fiction. The lessons apply specifically to play/script writing, but can effortlessly be applied to any kind of story, no matter the scope. I would recomend this (and I have) to anyone who has an interest of writing any kind of fiction work. Period.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Another winner for writers

This mini books captures two great teachers and like Vogler's Using Myth, I took notes all the way through. If you are learning to write fiction, run, don't walk, to get your copy. Kudos Audible and please do more of these as many of us can't get out to the conferences.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent

This audio lecture is essential for all writers. You will learn everything you need to know to great story.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Informative, and it inspires creative vision.

I love to listen to this. It inspires me every time that I do. He's got the truth of the job down perfectly! Thank you

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful