3 Act Structure & 12 Step Hero's Journey Word Count Calculator
Enter your word count goal (no commas, periods, etc) for your story below and then hit the "Calculate" button. You'll be presented with word count goals based on the standard Three Act Structure combined with the Twelve Step Hero's Journey. The "Section Count" column shows how many words (approximately) that step in the Hero's Journey should be in order to keep on track towards your word count goal within the normal 25%/50%/25% structure of the standard Three Act Structure. The "Running Total" column shows approximately how many words you should have total in your story by the time you finish writing that step of the Hero's Journey. You can use this table as a sort of ruler or guideline to make sure you're creating a cohesive story that doesn't drag on too long in spots or that does not devote enough attention to areas that it should. I hope this helps with your stories. Remember though, this is only a guide and you should feel free to deviate from the line!
| Enter your Word Count Goal here: | ||
| Act I (25%) | ||
| Section Count | Running Total | |
| 1. Ordinary World (5%) | ||
| 2. Call To Adventure (5%) | ||
| 3. Refusal Of The Call (5%) | ||
| 4. Meeting The Mentor (5%) | ||
| 5. Crossing The Threshold (5%) | ||
| Act II (50%) | ||
| Section Count | Running Total | |
| 6. Tests, Allies, Enemies (12.5%) | ||
| 7. Approach To The Inmost Cave (12.5%) | ||
| 8. Supreme Ordeal (12.5%) | ||
| 9. Reward (12.5%) | ||
| Act III (25%) | ||
| Section Count | Running Total | |
| 10. The Road Back (8.33%) | ||
| 11. Resurrection (8.33%) | ||
| 12. Return With The Elixir (8.33%) | ||
You can find a great guide explaining the steps of The Hero's Journey here.