There is a website that says their research has "revealed more than 510 stages of the Hero's Journey that you need to know about..."
Five hundred and ten! That's an average of about five steps per script page for a feature film.
They say "Misconceptions about the Hero's Journey abound. We have met educators that have a frightening lack of understanding of it. It is likely that you suffer from similar misconceptions. Your best bet is to unlearn what you have learned; start over. You will not be able to write a successful screenplay unless you do. Because every successful movie and story we have encountered follows this pattern.:
Wait a minute.
Let's assume that the last statement is true (which I doubt--I must be one of those ignorant educators). To go from there to "you will not be able to write a successful screenplay unless you do" is a step too far.
First, there have been many screenwriters who have written great screenplays who never heard of The Hero's Journey. I suppose you could argue that they had an intuitive awareness of it, but I doubt that this would extend to 500 steps.
Second, being able to analyze something isn't the same as being able to create it. A doctor can identify all the organs in a dead body. That doesn't mean he can make it come to life.
I don't know about you, but if I tried to remember 510 stages my head would explode.
And if I tried to apply 510 stages I'd think I was creating a jigsaw puzzle, not a script that lives and breathes and makes people feel something.
(There are loads of screenwriting tips at my other blog: www.ScreenWritingSuccess.com.)
