Step One – The Call to Adventure
“Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope.”
So says the tiny hologram of Princess Leia in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. But it’s not the mentioned Jedi master who first receives this plea; instead, it’s a humble farm boy named Luke Skywalker. Luke receives the call to adventure—a call that will see him travel from one side of the galaxy to another, battle an evil empire, and ultimately become a hero.
Maybe you’ve heard your own call to adventure. A call that beckons you to step outside your comfort zone, to do something that you’ve never done before. I felt that way about writing a book.
What about you—are you a storyteller? Do you have an idea for a story that’s been knocking around your head for months? Years? Maybe decades?
Maybe you have a desire to get that story down on paper so you can share it with the world. You want to write a book. But how do you do that? As hard as it can be to start a book, it’s even harder to finish one. It takes consistent effort. It takes time (it took me six years to write my first novel!).
But it is possible! And I’m here to tell you that you can do it!
Why? Because, if you’ve felt the desires I mentioned above, you’ve already completed the first step on your way to writing a book—you’ve “heard the call.”
Your Own Personal Hero’s Journey
In 1949, Joseph Campbell wrote a book called The Hero with a Thousand Faces, detailing a persistent narrative structure that occurred in heroic myths across various cultures. Since then, many writers have used this structure, known as the Hero’s Journey, to guide their stories.
Now, this blog isn’t here as a deep-dive into the elements of the Hero’s Journey or how to use them—there are plenty of good books that do that already. No, I’m here to tell you that, as an aspiring author, you’re on your own personal Hero’s Journey. A creative expedition. A Writer’s Quest.
Because you want to write a book. You’ve heard the call.
One of the first stages in the Hero’s Journey is the “Call to Adventure.” This is the moment when the hero is beckoned from their ordinary routine into a new world of adventure. Think of Bilbo Baggins being recruited to reclaim a lost dwarven treasure. Luke Skywalker leaving Tatooine to save Princess Leia. Harry Potter finding out that he's a wizard.
There are countless examples of heroes who have received the Call to Adventure. Now you can count yourself among them. You’ve heard the call to tell your story, to write your book. The road ahead is full of adventures and challenges, of allies who will help you on your way and enemies who will try to keep you from achieving your aim. It’s a call to a quest that only you can complete. Only you know your story. Only you have the will to bring it to life.
How to Write a Book? Start by Heeding the Call
One of the things I’ve wanted to do with this website is to encourage other writers to complete their creative projects—be that a book, short story, script, or something else. Since I’ve gone through the rewarding and arduous process of completing a novel, I wanted to share what insight I can from my experiences.
So, I’m starting a blog series I’m calling “The Writer’s Quest.” I’ll add to it each month and structure it around the Hero’s Journey that you’ll embark upon when writing your own book. I hope you find it enlightening and encouraging!
Remember, you’ve heard the call. Will you heed it?
Are you ready to heed the call of your Writer's Quest? Then keep going! Check out Part Two of the series here!
Copyright © 2024 by Alan Eckelberry. All rights reserved.
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