The Heroine's Journey with Gail Carriger
The heroine’s journey has historically been ignored, cast aside, and devalued, which has lead most of us to idolize and play out the hero’s journey in our own lives.
On today’s episode, Gail Carriger, author of The Heroine’s Journey: For Writers, Readers, and Fans of Pop Fiction, breaks down why and how we can begin to reclaim the heroine’s journey for ourselves.
You’ll hear about the biggest differences in motivation between the hero’s journey and heroine’s journey, as well as the best and worst parts of being a writer and how her writing genre facilitates a greater feeling of connection with readers. We explore the impact of culture on storytelling and narrative, how the hero narrative can feed into the development of toxic masculinity, and the history of how romance writing is critiqued and defined.
If you’re a heroine on the journey who wants to have more self-trust and confidence, this episode is for you.
Show Notes
What Gail was like as a child: a bossy, self-motivated old soul who knew her own mind.
How Gail realized she was a storyteller; rewriting the end of stories her mom read to her.
The kind of stories Gail tells about heroine’s stories, connection, and happy endings.
Her primary motivation as a writer: found family and how that has played out in her life.
What she considers the best part of being a writer: providing comfort and connection.
Why the hardest part of being a writer is the illusion of extreme intimacy and being known.
How the genre of fiction Gail writes leads the audience to feel connected to her.
Why it is important for young people to have adult perspectives outside of their parents.
The distinction between the motivations of the hero’s journey and heroine’s journey.
The Wonder Woman journey as an example of the hero’s journey.
The heroine’s motivation to reconnect and her position of strength in asking for help.
Why a hero operates in isolation, but a heroine is most powerful in community.
The impact of culture on storytelling and narrative and their core mythos.
How the hero narrative can feed into the development of toxic masculinity.
What Break of the Good Girl Myth is about.
The history of romance writing and how it is defined and critiqued.
The harmful trope of “Pussy Salvation” in romance writing.
The prevailing American myth is that you have to do everything by yourself.
TJ Klune’s book on connection and found family, The House in the Cerulean Sea.
Gail’s realization that she is a communal writer and writes best around people.
How Gail’s confidence in herself and trust in her audience has grown over time.
How authors are driven to write non-fiction when they have identified a problem.
Break of the Good Girl Myth by Majo Molfino and where to get it.
References