Crafting an Engaging Origin Story: How You Can Connect with Audiences on a Deeper Level
Let’s play a game of Who am I?
Person 1: Sitting in a crowded café, scribbling my ideas on napkins, I never imagined that those words would give birth to the magical world of…
Person 2: Growing up in rural poverty, I never imagined that one day I would become a media mogul and inspire millions worldwide.
Person 3: I lived in a 400-square-foot bachelor apartment, struggling to make ends meet, when I discovered the power of personal development.
You’re correct if you guessed J.K. Rowling, Oprah Winfrey, and Tony Robbins.
Humor me with one question:
What do Spider-Man, Harry Potter, and Star Wars all share?
You know where I’m going with this (it’s in the title of this article): the celebrities and lead characters all have famous origin stories they repeat on autopilot.
What is an Origin Story?
An origin story is a narrative that reveals a character’s background and early experiences, exploring how they became who they are in the present. It dives into the pivotal moments, challenges, and transformations that shaped their identity, abilities, and motivations.
An origin story is vital to a character’s backstory, providing crucial context and understanding of their journey. It allows audiences to connect with and empathize with the character more deeply.
It establishes the foundation for their actions, beliefs, and personal growth, laying the groundwork for their heroic or transformative arc.
An origin story helps create a more engaging and relatable character, inviting audiences to witness the path that led them to their present state.
In other words, an origin story tells the audience who you are, what you overcame, and why they should listen to you.
So why are we talking about origin stories?
They make you money, a lot of money.
Hear me out; you’ll cash bigger checks when you nail down your story.
The 9 Power Words Gurus Live By
I once attended a seminar where the speaker told the crowd the 9 magic words that have sold millions of dollars of information products:
- Tell Your Story
- Share Your Results
- Sell Your System
Think about it for a moment. Let’s take Robert Kiyosaki, good old Rich Dad boy, and run him through the 9 words.
Tell Your Story — Check. Two dads, one broke, one rich. Rich dad shared the secrets.
Share Your Results — Homeless and living in a car to be financially free a few years later.
Sell Your System — How many purple books have you bought? I have quite a few.
Okay, back to you, well, a history lesson you’ll love.
It’s about the father of a famous framework at the heart of Star Wars, Harry Potter, and dozens of your favorite books and movies.
Joseph Campbell analyzed the hero’s journey in his book “The Hero With a Thousand Faces.” He identified three stages: Departure or Separation, The Initiation, and The Return.
The Hero’s Journey is a narrative framework outlining the typical stages of many heroic stories. It provides a blueprint for crafting compelling and transformative tales.
Let’s go through the stages with some examples from fan-favorite movies.
The Hero’s Journey consists of the following stages:
The Ordinary World: This is where the story starts, at the status quo. We see the hero in his or her everyday life. This world shows them to be human, like you and me. We can empathize with what they are going through.
Departure or Separation:
The Call to Adventure: The hero is presented with a challenge or a calling that disrupts their ordinary world. Luke Skywalker discovers a message from Princess Leia, calling him to join the Rebel Alliance and become a Jedi Knight in Star Wars.
Refusal of the Call: The hero initially hesitates or resists the call due to fear or inadequacy. Sherlock Holmes resists getting involved in solving a complex case until his curiosity and intellect compel him to accept the challenge.
Meeting the Mentor: The hero encounters a wise mentor or guide who offers support, advice, or supernatural help. Batman meets Ra’s al Ghul and trains under the League of Shadows. The wise mentor teaches him the ways of justice and combat.
Crossing the Threshold: The hero decides to embark on the adventure, leaving their familiar surroundings behind. Harry Potter is invited to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. He goes to the world of wizards, leaving behind his boring life.
The Initiation:
Tests, Allies, and Enemies: The hero faces various trials, encounter allies who aid them, and confronts enemies or obstacles. Luke Skywalker faces trials during his Jedi training. He forms alliances with Han Solo and Princess Leia. He confronts enemies like Darth Vader and the Emperor.
Approach to the Inmost Cave: The hero prepares for the confrontation representing their greatest fear or challenge. Sherlock Holmes investigates the clues leading to his nemesis, Professor Moriarty.
Ordeal: The hero experiences a significant test or trial that pushes them to their limits and forces them to confront their weaknesses. Batman confronts the Joker and endures physical and moral challenges that test his resolve and principles.
Reward: After successfully overcoming the ordeal, the hero receives a reward, which could be an object, knowledge, or a realization. Harry Potter successfully retrieves the Philosopher’s Stone, gaining knowledge and protection.
The Return:
The Road Back: The hero begins returning to their ordinary world, often encountering further obstacles or temptations. Luke Skywalker joins the final battle against the Empire. He faces many obstacles and temptations while trying to bring peace to the galaxy.
Resurrection: The hero faces a final and climactic challenge, experiencing a metaphorical death and rebirth. Sherlock Holmes faces a life-threatening situation against Professor Moriarty. They have a pivotal battle of wits and survival.
Return with the Elixir: The hero returns to their ordinary world, bringing back the elixir. This transformative thing benefits their community or themselves. Harry Potter returns to Hogwarts with the knowledge and tools to confront Lord Voldemort. He leads the fight against darkness and wins.
These stages, with examples from Star Wars, Sherlock Holmes, Batman, and Harry Potter, provide a narrative structure that audiences love because it allows them to connect with the hero on a deeper level.
Creating Your Hero’s Journey
You can create engaging and impactful narratives by understanding and incorporating these stages into storytelling.
You don’t have to go through all 12 stages in crafting your story. Justin Welsh, the former C-Suite employee turned solopreneur, has a framework for telling your origin story.
He condensed the stages of the Hero’s Journey into 7 steps.
Let me take you through his framework. I will then share how you can combine these two frameworks to craft a compelling origin story. The below summarizes and leverages the language Justin used from his thread here: Justin’s thread.
Step 1: The Obstacle — Everyone has faced obstacles in their lives. Identify a significant obstacle you overcame.
Step 2: The Internal Struggle — Describe the internal struggles and emotions you experienced due to the obstacle. Use words like fearful, insecure, or anxious.
Step 3: The External Struggles — Highlight the visible or tangible challenges you encountered, such as financial difficulties, job loss, or unfavorable living conditions.
Step 4: The Change Event — Identify the pivotal moment or decision that propelled you from your struggle toward transformation.
Step 5: The Spark — Describe the magical moment when you realized everything was about to change. Capture the shift from feeling disconnected to reinvigorated.
Step 6: The Guide — Introduce the person or mentor who was crucial in uplifting you and helping you realize your true potential.
Step 7: The Result — Highlight the continued success and achievements leading up to your present situation. Emphasize growth and accomplishment.
You can see how elements of Campbell’s structure get weaved into the 7 steps. Justin’s version is much easier to work with. One caveat, Justin jumped right into the obstacle part. You can start with the status quo as a lead into the steps.
Your Friendly Neighborhood Origin Story
Let me leave you with a famous example of an origin story. A Spider-Man fan growing up, I heard this one countless times. Have a quick read, then get writing your own!
As Peter Parker, also known as Spider-Man, I had a fairly ordinary life growing up in Queens, New York. I was just a shy and nerdy high school student navigating the challenges of adolescence like any other teenager. But everything changed one fateful day when a radioactive spider bit me during a school field trip to Oscorp Industries.
Soon after the incident, I began to notice incredible changes within myself. I developed superhuman strength, agility, and the ability to cling to walls. It was both thrilling and overwhelming, but I knew that with great power came great responsibility. Inspired by the loss of my Uncle Ben and his wise words, I decided to use my newfound abilities to protect the innocent and uphold justice.
I made a red and blue suit and became Spider-Man, the friendly neighborhood superhero. Balancing my secret identity with my studies and personal relationships proved challenging. Still, I couldn’t ignore the call to use my powers for good. I faced numerous villains and personal sacrifices along the way. Still, I never wavered in my commitment to protect the people of New York City.
Through my journey as Spider-Man, I learned valuable lessons about courage, sacrifice, and the importance of using one’s abilities to make a positive impact. With each web-slinging adventure, I strive to honor the memory of Uncle Ben and inspire others to embrace their own inner hero.
Wrapping Things Up
Okay, call me a Spider-man nerd, but I hope you can see how we tell the origin story by weaving in familiar parts of the Hero’s Journey: The call to adventure, refusal of the call, crossing the threshold, at the start of his journey. In each comic book, Peter faces challenges and enemies to overcome.
The origin story only has part of the arc of Luke Skywalker in Star Wars. Still, I love it because of the “great responsibility” line and how ordinary he was at the start of his journey.
You, too, need to weave this ordinary to extraordinary results into your story. It hooks an audience and gets them to see themselves in you.
Your Turn
Whether you use the 12 steps from Campbell or the 7 steps from Welsh, it’s time to pull out a pad and pen and start writing down the moments that make up your hero’s journey.
With enough practice, you can recite it the next time you’re asked the dreaded question, “So, tell us a little about you.”
When you’re finished, the audience will get hooked and anxious to hear more from you (and buy what you have to sell).
See you soon, hero.
