Step Two – Meeting the Mentor
“I will take the Ring,” [Frodo] said, “though I do not know the way.”
In The Fellowship of the Ring, Frodo Baggins carried the One Ring all the way from the Shire to Rivendell, avoiding a myriad of dangers. He believes his journey is at its end, that his quest is complete. But it soon becomes clear that the representatives of the elves, dwarves, and men will do nothing but bicker and argue, each distrusting the other to carry Sauron’s ring of power.
Finally, Frodo steps in. To break the deadlock, he offers to carry the ring once more—this time, all the way to Mordor. It’s a powerful moment. Frodo doesn’t even know the way to Mordor, but he’s willing to sacrifice his safety and comfort to do what is right.
In the movie adaptation, Gandalf is the next to speak (“I will help you bear this burden, Frodo Baggins…”). Gandalf is the primary Mentor figure in The Lord of the Rings, as Joseph Campbell would define it.
Frodo’s spirit was willing to take on the burden of the One Ring, but he needed some guidance to help him on his way. If you are in a similar spot with writing a book, I hope to provide you with some guidance to help you on your journey.
So, if you’ll allow me to be the Gandalf to your Frodo, the first piece of advice I’d share is to…
Make Your Map
Depending on the type of writer you are, you may have had a joyous reaction or a visceral disgust to the above heading. Some writers like to plan their every move and detail their characters down to the tiniest trait before setting pen to paper. Others prefer to see where the muse takes them, with as little understanding of where they’re going as anyone else.
No matter where you fall on that continuum, making a map for how your story will (or might) progress is imperative. It can be as simple or detailed as you want to make it, but the point is to document where you think your story should go. Know where to start and where you plan to finish—and, if you’ve thought of them, add in some of the stops that could happen in between.
This will create the narrative thread of your story so that, when you start writing your book, you can continue to push on toward your goal. Even if you end up taking many detours, you can have your destination in mind.
Now, your story might change as you write and rewrite it. I promise you, there will be a lot to discover along the way, that you will only find through the writing process. You may even find yourself at a different destination than you originally intended by the time you’re done.
And that’s okay! It’s your story, and you have every right to change your plan as you go along. And you should change it, if you feel in your heart that it’s what your story needs to be. But it’s hard to get started on a trip without at least an initial idea of where you’re going.
Six Story Questions
So: think of it as a map. A magical map, even—one that changes to match your story, your journey. Here are the map’s components, the six simple questions to answer to get started on your quest:
Who is your main character?
Where do they start?
What’s something big that happens to them along the way?
What’s another big thing that happens to them along the way?
And what’s another big thing that happens to them along the way?
Where do they end up?
Once you have answered these six simple questions, you’ll have a rough skeleton of your plot. There will be plenty of other things to ask yourself as you go (e.g., who is the antagonist, etc.), but this will get you started. You’ll have your map—Point A to B to C to D.
Still, a map leaves much unsaid. What interesting characters, situations, and circumstances that lie between its bounds are a surprise to discover. How you fill in the rest of the journey is up to you.
Plan…But Not to Excess
If you fall more on the “planning” side of the writer spectrum, don’t let me dissuade you from doing what you love. That’s actually where I am as a writer. I like detailing characters, histories, and plot points. Maybe you want to frame your story idea within a particular story structure, such as the Three-Act Structure or the Story Grid.
That’s great! But don’t let your planning come at the expense of actually writing the story you want to tell. For planners, there’s a fine line between preparation and procrastination. You can never totally, one hundred percent prepare for something, especially if it’s as organic as writing. As I mentioned above, you’ll discover so much as you write, even if you’ve planned extensively.
Remember: you’ll never complete your quest if you never set out on it in the first place! So, let the journey begin!
Missed Part One? Check it out here!
Copyright © 2024 by Alan Eckelberry. All rights reserved.
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