I moulded my tale to fit Joseph Campbell's 'Hero's Journey' story structure - otherwise known as the Monomyth. The core phases of this model are as follows:

The story often begins with an introduction to the ordinary life of the hero (protagonist) followed soon after by a 'Call to Action'. Oftentimes this Call to Action is presented by a character of the archetype dubbed 'The Herald'. Sometimes the hero accepts the call on his own accord, other times he is denied it, denies it, or is forced into it.

What follows is a journey from the ordinary into the unknown where the hero must overcome challenges to proceed to the next. Harry Potter's journey to Hogwarts from the Dursley household is his departure into the unknown. Similarly, Katniss Everdeen's departure from her home of District 12 to the arena of The Hunger Games is her departure into the unknown.

Accompanying the hero throughout this journey, though often on the sideline and existing to advise the hero, is the 'mentor'. In Star Wars, Luke's mentor was Obi Wan Kenobi, who pushed him to take the leap and cross the threshold into the unknown.

As the hero progresses through the stages of the journey, they must demonstrate resilience and adapt as necessary. The hero often faces numerous challenges of increasing difficulty as they approach the Inmost Cave.

After fighting monsters, dealing with personal afflictions, or whatever may've been the challenges of the hero, they now find themself at the climax of their journey, often dubbed: 'The Ordeal'. To succeed in this stage, the hero must undergo 'Apotheosis' - the death and rebirth of oneself into that of a higher order.

After succeeding in whatever may've been the culminating challenge of the hero's journey, they are granted 'The Elixir'. This may be something physical, such as a sword or a treasure, or it may be metaphorical in the sense that the hero has atoned with something of a higher order than themself.

What follows, is the hero returning to the ordinary world - that of the mortal, to share their boon with the regular folk... Like as is seen in Robin Hood.

The Hero's Journey is not a one size fits all, and oftentimes, stages of the journey are rearranged, reconfigured or skipped over.