The Quest in Question

By now your story is nearly complete. You have some very interesting, complex, intricate sentences. You have paragraphs that indicate the structure of your story. You have an Introduction that does what introductions are supposed to do: be interesting and informative. You have a Conclusion that does what conclusions are supposed to do: unify the story and leave the reader with something, usually an image, that will remain in the reader's mind, something lasting that will help readers recall the story. You have a Body to the story that is filled with the details that make the story not only your story but enable readers to be involved mentally and emotionally in the creation of a story that matters to them. What else is there to your story?

To answer this question we need to return to the beginning of these exercises where I made statements about this story being a quest. I drew your attention to Star Wars and the quest of the hero, Luke Skywalker. The Star Wars story developed out of a series of lectures given by Joseph Campbell, his story called The Hero With a Thousand Faces. Campbell's lectures were about a basic pattern that inheres in the stories we are most familiar with, the world's most loved stories. The hero is always a different person, but the hero is in many ways the same since the hero undergoes a quest that though different shares similar characteristics of all heroic quests.

These characteristics are few in number, and that is probably one reason why they are so universal. What are they? One is simply that the hero leaves, often is forced to leave, a comfortable place and venture off into the unknown. Luke does this when his home is destroyed by Imperial Storm Troopers, and he reluctantly joins the Rebellion. Another characteristic is that the Hero needs the assistance of a Guide. The Jedi Knight, Obiwan Kenobi, is Luke's guide. The Hero usually has to cross over a threshold, a line that marks the life left behind and the life yet to be lived. Luke leaves a whole planet and searches for another. The Hero encounters difficulties (dragons, monsters, Storm Troopers but also the "inner" monsters of self-doubt, despair, insecurities, etc.). With the help of the guide or the guide's advice the Hero is victorious. The Hero returns home (or to something that is a new home), and the Hero is a different person. A significant change has taken place.

What these characteristics indicate is a Pattern. This pattern is the Heroic Quest Pattern, and stories that are made with this pattern satisfy us; if they didn't, we wouldn't have so many stories made this way. And this was Campbell's point. And this is why George Lucas used this pattern to tell his story. And this is why the story was such a popular success. Even children respond positively to this pattern.

A child may not understand the language of the Homeric epic, but a child can understand the basic story of Ulysses because the child understands the pattern: Ulysses reluctantly leaves home (he pretends to be crazy to avoid being drafted into the army raised by Agamemnon), he crosses the "threshold" of his island home; he encounters all sorts of difficulties and, with the help of various guides, is victorious; he returns home changed, so much so that even his wife doesn't recognize him until after he performs his last heroic deed, killing the parasitic suitors of his wife who have invaded his home.

What about stories, though, that are not Heroic Quests?

Let's look at some of them to see if this pattern is not also a significant part of the story.

What about the most basic story of Christianity?

Doesn't the life of Christ conform to this pattern?

What about the average story seen on television?

How many popular adventure stories have the main character leave the comfort of home (or secure job or familiar lifestyle) to face some unknown, strange and dangerous situation, overcome difficulties with the assistance of some guide (often a child or a person not usually considered important), return home with new insight, understanding, or in some way forever changed?

Look at your own story. What elements of the Heroic Quest story are contained in it? Perhaps the more elements of this most basic story are also in your story is one reason why your story is interesting. Contents is very important. But the form of your story, the pattern that it reveals and takes part in is also very important.

Now you should have some understanding and some mastery of the key elements of Story. You know Form (the Quest Pattern, the basic communication structure of Introduction, Body, and Conclusion); you know Content (the details that tell enough to get the reader involved but not so much as to exclude the reader from imagining more); and you know how to write individual sentences with style: you can often match the style of the sentence with the sense of what you are expressing.

You are ready to write the final version of your story. You have only written one half of the complete story. But, by being here, you have yet to complete the story. You may never write the completed story, but you will live it. And someday you may decide to write it. And if you do, it will be a story that readers will find interesting for it will be uniquely your story, but it will belong to us all. Good luck!

Your story must take into account the structure of WORDS, SENTENCES, PARAGRAPHS, and BASIC THEME STRUCTURE. The combination of all of these elements and your mastery of the way all of these elements fit together will determine your ability to not only communicate with readers but to communicate effectively, communicate with Style.

A FINAL REMINDER

Introduction = Interest & Information

Body Paragraphs = Details, Details, Details

Conclusion = Unity & Lasting Image

Go to Exercise Ten

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