Archetypes are symbols representing specific experiences that are recognized as culturally or even universally potent. Archetypal character arcs explore transformational periods within the human life. Specifically, I teach a cycle of six important archetypal character arcs, alternating between feminine and masculine and chronologically advancing through the human life.

These archetypes are Maiden and Hero (the archetypal journeys of youth, concerned with individuation and independence), Queen and King (the archetypal journeys of maturity, concerned with power and responsibility), and Crone and Mage (the archetypal journeys of elderhood, concerned with the mysteries of life and death). Each archetypal journey represents a crucial initiation within the human experience.

Shadow archetypes, based on Carl Jung's psychological theories, represent the darker, unconscious facets of a character's personality that are often denied or rejected. In storytelling, these archetypes are powerful tools for character development and conflict, driving a character's inner struggles and influencing their actions and choices, thus contributing to a transformational arc.

For instance, a Hero character will grapple with both the passive shadow of the Coward and the aggressive shadow of the Bully. These reflect both the potential for fear and the misuse of power, which the character must confront and integrate to realize full heroic potential. The exploration of this inner conflict results in multi-dimensional characters that are more realistic and relatable, providing opportunities for dramatic tension and plot development.

Any and all genres! Even though the symbolic language of archetypes often evokes the fantasy genre, these archetypes show up in all stories of all types, just as they also show up in all of our personal lives. Examples from many different types of stories are listed throughout the course.

Each archetypal study will offer a concise beat sheet you can use for guidance in crafting your own arc. These beat sheets can be used to bring further nuance to the beat sheets offered in my book Writing Archetypal Character Arcs, which focused more on the external conflict and antagonists. The beat sheets provided in the course show how your characters' inner relationship to the shadow archetypes may evolve over the course of their character arcs.

This is an email course. It will be delivered to your email (the address you use when checking out) once a week. The first lesson will arrive shortly after checkout and subsequent lessons will arrive on the same day of the week in the future.

You will also have access to the course material in your account dashboard. Lessons will become available there at the same time you receive a new email.

Yes! You can access the course whenever you like. You will receive the eight email lessons to your inbox to save and read at your own pace. You will also have access to them in the dashboard of your account, which you can always log in to here.

The course lasts eight weeks. Each lesson provides a lengthy text for you to read and study at your own pace.

Absolutely! Just hit reply on any email you receive and ask me your question. 

Not at all. Although you can think of this course as Archetypes Level 2, since it builds upon the theories and system I’ve discussed previously in my blog series and my book Writing Archetypal Character Arcs, the course is structured to be accessible and enlightening to both seasoned writers and those new to the craft. Your passion for storytelling is the only prerequisite! If you haven’t read anything about archetypes before this, don’t worry. The first lesson will cover the necessary basics to help you access all the juiciness in the subsequent lessons.

Absolutely! The themes and principles covered within the Shadow Archetypes Course transcend the scope of writing to offer valuable lessons and introspective tools for personal development.