The Heroine’s Journey
My Interpretation
For discussion of other models and how they compare to the hero’s journey, see The Heroine’s Journey vs. the Hero’s Journey.
I see the heroine’s journey as an inner journey to integrate the parts of us we don’t allow ourselves to express for fear we would not be accepted by others.
As mentioned in the previous post, any gender can go on any type of journey. I like to think of the hero’s journey as an outer journey, and the heroine’s journey as an inner journey. We all experience both in life, as we all experience both internal and external challenges. Oftentimes, these can blend together with external problems causing internal ones and vice versa.
Stages of the Heroine’s Journey
The heroine denies an essential part of her nature in order to be accepted by others. She creates coping strategies to hide or compensate for her perceived flaws.
The coping mechanisms become an increasingly heavy burden and start to create larger problems in her life.
She reaches a crisis point where she realizes she cannot continue this way of life without destroying herself.
She tries to find a compromise, ways of coping that don’t deviate too far from her comfort zone, and finds minor, temporary relief.
Problems build up again, threatening to destroy her.
She must choose between total annihilation or bravely surrendering to the beautiful life force of her higher self that is trying to flow through her.
She makes peace with the part of herself she was fighting, allowing it expression, and forgiving herself for suppressing it for so long.
She returns to the world a more authentic and whole version of herself, full of self-compassion and vital life force, and connected to her higher self.
Criticisms of My Method
Yes, I’m criticizing my own method before I’ve even finished creating it. No one model can encompass the entirety of human experience, and it’s important to understand the limitations of any given tool.
My model involves an inner journey that does not take into account how the outside world behaves towards the transformed inner self. Some of the limitations we carry around are valid protective mechanisms in a world that only accepts certain ways of being. Misogyny, racism, transphobia, etc. all exist in the world outside. We only have direct control over the internalized aspects, and so my model only addresses those. A man who integrates his feminine side and allows himself to express feelings will not necessarily be well-received by society.
In order to mitigate the limitations of this model, community is essential. When we share our stories with accepting and supportive others, we connect on a deeper level, understanding that we are not going through the experience alone. We also gain new perspectives in reading others’ stories. You may have a shared experience of anxiety to bond you, for example, but diverge from there. That shared experience allows for greater empathy in the experiences that we don’t share.
How to Use the Heroine’s Journey
The heroine’s journey can be used in writing fiction as an alternative or complement to the hero’s journey. It can also be used for self-transformation by reframing life challenges and providing new perspectives.
My creative journaling course uses the heroine’s journey story structure as the basis for healing and reintegrating your own rejected parts in a creative way using storytelling and artistic expression. We then share our stories in a supportive community, connecting through our common struggles.
What do you think of this model of the heroine’s journey? Do you have your own interpretation? I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
