Learning the universal patterns of narratives

The universal patterns of narratives are the common structural elements that can be found in stories across cultures and throughout history. These patterns were first identified by Joseph Campbell, a mythologist and writer, in his book The Hero with a Thousand Faces. Campbell’s work explored the idea of a “monomyth” or a single-story pattern that could be found in myths and stories from around the world.

Many contemporary writers and artists have intentionally integrated Campbell’s theory into their work, including the filmmaker George Lucas, who recognized the impact of Campbell’s mythological theory and incorporated it into the Star Wars films.

Let’s take a look at some of these universal patterns of stories and narratives.

The hero’s journey

This is the most well-known pattern, which involves a hero leaving their ordinary world, going on a journey to overcome challenges and...