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Q&A How many pages should cover the Ordinary World of the Protagonist?

This is a bit of a Your Mileage May Vary questions as it's based solely upon the story and the protagonist, and you as an author. As such, the answer is firmly "It Depends" In the end though, the ...

posted 7y ago by Thomo‭  ·  last activity 5y ago by System‭

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#3: Attribution notice added by user avatar System‭ · 2019-12-08T07:12:46Z (almost 5 years ago)
Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/31034
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
#2: Initial revision by user avatar Thomo‭ · 2019-12-08T07:12:46Z (almost 5 years ago)
This is a bit of a Your Mileage May Vary questions as it's based solely upon the story and the protagonist, and you as an author. As such, the answer is firmly "It Depends"

In the end though, the point behind establishing the Ordinary World, is that the reader can identify what is at stake, and what the protagonist loses as part of the inciting incident. It provides an anchor point so they can recognize the tension within the story and why what's happening is extraordinary.

It's part of what helps the reader connect to the character and the Quest, and builds that emotional response and reason for the Hero's Journey.

It's also important to note that the Ordinary World isn't necessarily a physical place, but more the normality of life for the protagonist.

As helpful as The Hero's Journey is as a guide, it is a guide only. Books can not always be written to an exacting formula, and must be as flexible as the story demands.

#1: Imported from external source by user avatar System‭ · 2017-10-24T22:35:34Z (about 7 years ago)
Original score: 1