There are a million ways to tell a story, but the Hero’s Journey can be theoretically attributed to almost all of them. George Lucas was inspired by the concept of the Hero’s Journey when he made Star Wars. Joseph Campbell arrived at the concept of the journey (or monomyth) while traveling the world and studying comparative mythology and religions. There is a really great video about the Hero’s Journey here: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/what-makes-a-hero-matthew-winkler. I would embed the video but I’d have to upgrade and pay more and I’m just a poor boy (nobody likes me/ he’s just a poor boy/ from a poor family). Is that stuck in your head now? You’re welcome. Check out the video, read The Hero with a Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell, and think about how most of the stories we read and watch can fit into the theory. It’s interesting, but not all will fit. As a writer, it’s good to know how this journey is conveyed because a lot of successful stories follow it in some way, even if it’s just barely. Some more literally than others. Surprisingly, the book I’m working on now can fit into this formula. At least so far.