Mythic structure

The Mythic Structure for Writers:

1. Introduce the hero in his Ordinary World
2. The call to adventure
3. Refusing the call
4. Meeting the mentor
5. Crossing the threshold out from the Ordinary World
6. Tests, allies and enemies
7. Approaching the in-most cave, the enemy's fortress, the dragon's lair
8. The ordeal--facing and overcoming the direst challenge.
9. Receiving the reward
10. Taking the reward back to the Ordinary World
11. Final test
12. Completing the journey, transforming the world

This is based on Joseph Cambell's work and I don't find Hero with a Thousand Faces all that convincing--if you push hard enough, you can shove anything into a niche whether it fits or not, and I think Campbell did a lot of that. However, even though not all myths fit his pattern as completely as he claimed, seeing the overall pattern is still useful.