Published: April 30, 2025
Here’s where I’m at on my writing journey: I’m deep into the heroine’s journey arc right now, making huge strides in the rewrite of my novel. My goal is to have it ready for beta readers by the end of May.

When I first drafted my novel over a decade ago, I had no idea what a story arc even was. I had a girl, a boy, a complicated friendship, and a lot of feelings. I managed to hit 50,000 words, purely on vibes alone.

Then I put it away for years.

When I finally picked it back up, determined to finish this thing for real, I did what any good student does: I studied. First stop? The Hero’s Journey. I tried to plug my characters into all the classic beats—call to adventure, crossing the threshold, slaying the dragon—but something always felt off. My main character wasn’t trying to save the world. She was just trying to survive her junior year of high school.

So, I tried the Three Act Structure next. You know—setup, conflict, resolution. It gave me a bit more clarity, but I still couldn’t shake the feeling that I was trying to force a very emotional, very internal story into an outline built for action movies.

Then, I stumbled onto something called The Heroine’s Journey.

And suddenly? Things clicked.

Why This Arc Fits This Story:

Let me be clear: when I say “heroine,” I don’t mean just the female version of a hero. This is a different type of journeyaltogether.

Instead of a battle to defeat an outside enemy, the Heroine’s Journey is about what happens inside. It’s the emotional, often messy arc of losing yourself and then figuring out who you really are. It’s about the breakdown before the breakthrough. About trusting your gut again after it steered you wrong. About choosing connection when isolation felt safer.

That’s the story I’ve been trying to tell all along. I just didn’t have the language for it until now.

Why It Fits This Story:

My book follows a girl who’s always done what’s expected of her—until she doesn’t. She starts listening to someone new, someone exciting, and in doing so, she begins making decisions that go against who she’s always been. These choices ultimately lead to heartbreak and force her to confront what she’s given up.

But the “battle” in her story isn’t a sword fight or a showdown. It’s the emotional toll that comes from realizing she’s lost herself along the way. After the heartbreak, she has to face the consequences of what she gave up in the name of love and figure out how to rebuild her sense of self.

The Heroine’s Journey makes space for that kind of story. One where healing is the win. Where reconnecting with your best friend is the climax. Where you don’t come back stronger—you come back wiser. Braver. More yourself than you’ve ever been.

In this case, she didn’t return to who she was—she discovered who she could be, once she stopped following everyone else’s rules.

What I’ve Learned:

Sometimes the story you’re writing knows what it is—even if you don’t. It took me over a decade, two wrong arcs, and one very overdue heartbreak scene to realize: this wasn’t about a hero’s adventure.

This was about a heroine’s becoming.

So, no, my word count hasn’t changed much lately—but that’s because I’m deep in the heroine’s journey, too. Reworking scenes. Rebuilding the emotional core of this story. Letting my main character stop shrinking and finally start standing. My goal is to have it beta-reader ready by the end of May—so if you’re interested, let me know. I’d love to have a few trusted eyes on it before the next leg of the journey begins.