Christopher Vogler The Writers Journey
handle the situation. C a m p b e l l h a d described how heroes often encounter these
"unfamiliar yet strangely intimate forces, some of which severely threaten" them.
T h e Guardians seem to p o p u p at the various thresholds of the journey, the nar
row and dangerous passages from one stage of life to the next. Campbell showed
the many ways in which heroes can deal with T h r e s h o l d Guardians. Instead of
attacking these seemingly hostile powers head-on, journeyers learn to outwit them
or join forces with them, absorbing their energy rather than being destroyed by it.
I realized that this Threshold Guardian's apparent attack was potentially a
blessing, not a curse. I had thought of challenging the critic to a duel (laptops at
twenty p a c e s ) but now reconsidered. W i t h a slight change in attitude I could turn
his hostility to my benefit. I contacted the critic and invited h i m to talk over our
differences o f opinion at the seminar
annaabi.ee 
