Barbie's Two Worlds
The "Old World" and the "New World" in storytelling.
Barbie, one of this summer’s biggest hit movies, brings back childhood nostalgia and glam, it also shares a magical tale of two worlds.
If you have not seen it, don’t worry. No spoilers here. (Everything I say here is already revealed in the official trailer.)
If you have seen it, enjoy reliving the experience.
The movie tells the story of Barbie who travels from her innocent world of endless Barbies, plastic houses and immovable high-heeled feet.
Without giving away the entire storyline, our heroine reaches a point where she must travel to the “Real World” of real people, real problems and her real Barbie doll owner.
This journey is literally marked by pink, plastic signs of “Barbie’s World” and the “Real World.”
Throughout the story, Barbie and her boyfriend, Ken, move back and forth between the two worlds.
Photo credits: All photos are from the official Barbie trailer
In storytelling, we actually call this the “Old World” and the “New World.”
The renowned mythologist, Joseph Campbell, introduced these terms in his classic book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces. The archetypal hero lives in his comfortable Old World home, until an incident forces him to search for a resolution, which eventually creates a New World. This is called The Hero’s Journey.
The “Old World” shows the hero’s limitations before going on the journey.
The “New World” shares the hero’s mastery at the end of the journey.
The same formula applies to your book—even if it is a non-fiction business book.
In the books we at Author Bridge write for our authors, we actually share two Hero’s Journeys: the author’s and the readers’.
When we write the author’s story of how he or she became a thought leader on their subject, we share their personal Hero or Heroine’s Journey. The author’s story showcases their Old World as a novice and their New World as a master in their field.
As we proceed to write the book, we start by acknowledging the pain and problems of the readers’ current Old World. Each chapter then takes the reader on a journey of solutions and transformation as they reach new levels of mastery. By the end of the book, the reader has the keys to experience more wealth, health, or happiness. This becomes the reader’s potential New World.
Does this make sense to you?
Do you like it?
So you see, your expert book has much in common with Barbie’s movie story—even if it looks totally different.
Are you in a current Old World of struggle writing your book?
We can take you on a journey towards mastery.
Your life and business will transform in your New World as an author.
Let us help you on your journey.
by Helen Chang, ABM Editorial Director
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