Christopher Vogler's The Writer's Journey
Stage 9: Reward
Stage 10: The Road Home
Remember family road trips? When you’re finally past the halfway point and it’s nothing but “Are we there yet?” from the backseat? That’s where we are in Christopher Vogler’s “The Writer’s Journey” – four more stages to go on his Hero’s Journey roadmap, and in this episode we’re hitting two big ones. First up is “Rewards,” where our hero catches their breath after surviving Act 2’s major crisis. But don’t get too comfortable, because “The Road Home” is anything but a peaceful cruise. Think less scenic route, more high-speed chase, as old enemies pop up in the rearview mirror. Some call this the climax – we sure do. Buckle up!
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Our Novel Approach to The Writer's Journey
We’ve chosen four novels to analyze while we read Vogler’s book, which will serve as examples to help you on your own journey to writing a novel based on the Hero’s Journey. Here’s what Kim & Renee are reading:
Have you checked out our Hero’s Journey Study Guide? Do you appreciate the Snark Notes (aka, show notes but written under the influence)? Words to Write by is a two woman passion project. A little support goes a long way. You could also drop us a line and let us know how you’re enjoying the podcast.
We're Still Reading This Book, Apparently
That’s right, dear listeners—we’ve covered the meat and are officially skipping the potatoes. Most people probably abandon this book right about here, and honestly? They’re not wrong. But we soldiered on so you don’t have to.
No matter how close we seem to the end, The Reward section of the book does not mark the end of your Hero’s Journey. No, Dear Authors, we still have a few more steps to go. Think of the Reward as a little happy hour appetizer.
Happy New Year! It’s 2025 and somehow we’re still only halfway through this tome. Don’t panic—there’s a really big chunk in the middle that we’re doing something special for, just to plow through. That’s right, dear listeners—we’ve covered the meat and are officially skipping the potatoes. Most people probably abandon this book right about here, and honestly? They’re not wrong. But we soldiered on so you don’t have to.
In this exploration of Christopher Vogler’s “The Writer’s Journey” (yes, we’re still trudging through this literary albatross), Renee and Kim unpack stages nine and ten of the Hero’s Journey framework: The Reward and The Road Home. These crucial but often overlooked components explain why the best stories don’t end immediately after the hero punches the bad guy in the face.
And after this, only two more stages to go! We’ll cover the final steps of the Hero’s Journey in one last episode, then presumably move on to a book that doesn’t make us question our life choices.
Stage Nine: The Reward
The Golden Fleece...that sounds familiar
Yes, you’ve heard of it. No, it’s not a jacket in the REI bargain bin. Yes, you probably read about it in school. No, it’s not in the Odyssey, which is why you failed that test. Yes, it was a Reward – at least in terms of the Hero’s Journey, which Jason (and the Argonauts) stole with Medea’s help. No, it’s not made from recycled plastic bottles. Yes, it does come from a Ram (a winged one). No, Medea is not a new brand. Yes, there probably is a sale going on at REI but Medea is not that brand you heard about from your friend. No, Jason wasn’t all that awesome because Medea did most of the work to get the fleece in the first place. Yes, Jason returned with Medea and the fleece to Iolcus, thus fulfilling his Uncle’s “test” so Jason could become King. No, Pelias didn’t make Jason king, because his Pelias was just trying to get rid of him. Yes, this sounds like something Hamlet’s uncle would do. No, I’m not surprised you know about Hamlet.
Because Your Hero Can't Just Walk Into Mordor and Call It a Day
What happens after your hero survives the big, dramatic, supposedly-climactic battle? Surprise! They don’t get to roll credits and go home. Far from a gentle journey back to suburbia, the final act of a well-crafted story offers new challenges, consequences, and transformations that keep readers glued to the page instead of checking their phones and gentrifying diverse neighborhoods.
Your Hero's Victory Lap
The rewards that heroes receive—whether celebrations, quiet campfire reflections, romantic connections, or claiming what they sought—serve multiple storytelling purposes beyond just making your protagonist feel good about themselves.
Tell Them What They've Won, Bob!
So what types of rewards should your heroes receive for a job well survived? Something that doesn’t suck, certainly.
Party Time (mmmm shawarma): Remember that iconic shawarma scene in The Avengers? That exhausted, thousand-yard stare while mechanically chewing Middle Eastern cuisine? Chef’s kiss Perfect post-battle decompression.
Campfire Scenes: Apparently every movie needs a campfire scene near the end where characters sit around discussing what just happened. It’s like group therapy, but with more flickering shadows and meaningful glances. Pro tip: If you want to see light used as a metaphor for truth and lies, check out Better Call Saul‘s first season.
Love Scenes: The full-on kiss after surviving certain death. Think Han and Leia, or that famous WWII victory kiss photograph (though technically that one’s more “the war is over” than “act three”).
Taking Possession: Your hero finally gets the thing they came for. Very video gamey—this is why the good armor and weapons are locked behind boss battles. You have to earn that legendary loot through blood, sweat, and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Seizing the Sword (No, Not That Kind)
This is where heroes aggressively take possession of whatever they’ve been seeking through some kind of ritual or challenge. Think Indiana Jones choosing the ‘correct’ Grail out of all of the other cups, or any Dragon Age player finally getting that perfect armor set after defeating the optional super-boss.
Warning: Vogler uses King Kong as his example here, complete with disturbing descriptions of a giant ape… examining… Fay Wray. Unlike some authors we know, we’re not going to treat women as OBJECTS…just know that someone’s editor really dropped the ball on that one.
📢 Hey You! YES, You! 📢
Buy Kim’s book Our Comeback Tour is Slaying Monsters (Boy Bands Fight Dragons series) on Amazon, and check out Renee’s Hero’s Journey Study Guide for the sanity-saving condensed version of all the structural madness that is The Writer’s Journey.
Elixir Theft: The Most Powerful Pickup
The ultimate magical McGuffin—think the Sorcerer’s Stone or Thanos’s Infinity Gauntlet. It’s the most powerful thing imaginable, but it always comes with a price. Reference points: Adam and Eve’s apple, Prometheus stealing fire, the Golden Fleece, W.W. Jacob’s The Monkey’s Paw, or Stephan King’s Pet Cemetery.
Other Reward Flavors
- Initiation: Welcome to the cool kids’ club
- New Perceptions: Neo finally understanding the Matrix, or Sarah saying “You have no power over me” to Jareth in Labyrinth
- Distortions: When surviving death gives your hero a big head (perfect setup for taking them down a notch
- Self-Realization/Epiphany: Sudden understanding about yourself or your situation
Stage 10: The Road Back ($#!t Gets Complicated)
Plot twist: This isn’t just “walking home.” This is often where the real climax happens—Act Three, baby! Think of it as the difference between defeating Smaug and dealing with the Battle of Five Armies that his death sets in motion.
Battle of Smaug (Not the Climax)
Battle of Five Armies (The Real Climax)
Guess Which Road Gets Me to Scotland afore Ye?
Retaliation: If the villain survives, they’re coming back with a vengeance. Or maybe the villain’s friends want payback. This is where your expendable friends archetype finally becomes, well, expendable.
Chase Scenes: The classic end-of-movie chase where heroes are literally running for their lives while everything explodes around them. Add magic for extra points—like ET’s bike chase that suddenly becomes airborne, or any Star Trek episode where they reverse the polarity and press all the buttons at once.
Magic Flight: Chase scene + magic/technology = dopamine hit for readers who’ve been tracking all your Chekhov’s guns finally going off.
Setbacks: Just when everything seems fine, BOOM—the mountain comes down (The Goonies), or the corporate job awaits (The Magicians), or your hero realizes they can never truly go back to their old boring life (The Odyssey).
Kaiju Preservation Society: Blink and You'll Miss It
The book’s “road back” section is only five pages long. They get Bella back to kaiju-world, there’s a brief chase scene with her chasing the helicopter, and… that’s it. Could have used more tension, more danger, maybe an expendable scientist or two. Sometimes modern stories compress these stages, and sometimes it leaves readers feeling like something’s missing.
In this scene, Jamie describes the new state of affairs after a deadly “kidnapping” of Bella, the kaiju. For the reader, this ups the stakes (or at least designs some – you can hear Renee talk about lack of stakes on the podcast) and pits the scientists tasked with preserving kaiju against armed, hired goons who killed Tom and teleported Bella to Canada. We know the plot of the Cave. Next, Scalzi makes the scientists re-commit to their duty to save the kaiju, even if it means dying in the process (of course).
Organic V Formula....FIGHT!
Here’s the thing: the Hero’s Journey works great as a suggestion box, not a recipe. By the time you’re deep into your story, your characters should feel like real people to you, not checkboxes to tick off. The moment you try to force a “reward scene” just because the formula says you need one, readers will see right through it.
That said, if you’re one of those writers with amazing concepts who somehow fumbles the ending, maybe these structural elements can help you stick the landing instead of leaving readers going “Really? THAT’S how it ends?” Here’s lookin’ at you, final episode of Quantum Leap.
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