Steven Barnes maps the hero's journey onto Star Wars: A New Hope, showing how Luke's call to adventure, rejection, trials with allies, and leap of faith mirror a writer's own path from deciding to write through facing rejection and relying on others.
Hi, my name is Stephen Barnes, and I'm going to be walking you through part of the basic theoretical structure of life writing, my approach to teaching writing. As you may know, I wrote a Star wars novel, Cestus Deception, so I'm comfortable with that universe. I'm going to be talking about the hero's journey, one of the core structures, one of the core ways of looking at the way ideas are put together in a dramatic or mythical context related to Star wars movie, A New Hope, Star Wars 4. For a lot of us, the real Star wars movie. But I'm going to be going over this. I'm going to be going over it quickly because I want to get it out there. And there will be other discussions on this later. Now, the thing about life writing, or the thing about the hero's journey, the reason life writing uses it, is that the hero's journey not only relates to writing, but to the process of writing and to the life of the writer. And because of the fact that it cross references in all those different ways, I really like it. It's not the only way of looking at these questions, but it's a good one. So let's play with it and see what comes out of it. Now, the first step in the hero's journey is the idea that the hero is confronted with. With a challenge. Now, in the original Star wars movie, we'll just call it Star Wars. Now, this was. Come with me, Luke, and learn the ways of the Force. When Obi Wan says that to Luke Skywalker, in your life, this is the moment at which you have to make a decision. The only decision is to recognize that you have a desire that you have not been able to fulfill. That's enough of a decision to begin to notice that you have this need. Let's relate this to the process of writing books, because I think a lot of you might be interested in writing. So let's say this is the moment when you realize that you want to write a novel. Now, the second step is called the rejection of the challenge. In Star wars, this was the moment which Luke complains to Obi Wan he can't go because he has to help Uncle Owen with the moisture evaporators. This is equivalent to dealing with our own fear and confusion, the things that seem to stand between us and our dreams. The third step is the acceptance of the challenge. In Star wars, this is because Luke Skywalker's uncle and aunt are killed by the stormtroopers, at which point he is free to say, teach me to be a Jedi like my Father. This might be equivalent to someone actually making the decision, the commitment to write a novel within a year. The fourth step of the hero's journey is the road of trials. Now this could literally be a physical traveling Mos Eisley Cantina, that wretched hive of scum and villainy, the planet Alderaan, the Death Star, etc. Etc. In terms of creating a novel, this is your daily writing and researching. The fifth step is the gathering of allies and the gaining of powers. In Star wars, his allies included obi Wan Kenobi, C3PO, Princess Leia, Han Solo, R2D2, Chewbacca. For writer, your allies are found in books. There are other writers, teachers, authors, readers. Step number five, continued. The powers include things like in Star wars, using the Force, using a lightsaber, piloting other fighting skills. Luke's resourcefulness and awareness is basic decency and courage for a writer. Your allies, your powers rather are writing ability, intelligence, energy and honesty. The sixth step is that you confront evil and you are defeated. In Star wars, this is probably the moment at which Obi Wan is killed. For a writer, this is your first major rejection and breakdown. Writer's block. The seventh step is the dark night of the soul. This would take place during the attack on the Death Star. It seemed that all was lost. This is the moment when a writer might say, I'll never sell. I'm no good. The industry is against me. I'm too old. I have nothing to say. Everyone tells me I'm crazy to want this. I suggest give up. Step number eight is the leap of faith. Trust your feelings, Luke. And faith for writers or Jedi, is always one of three. Faith in self, faith in companions, or faith in a higher power. In Star wars, the climax of Star wars, it was faith in all three of those things. The Force flows through Luke. That's faith in himself. Han Solo dives in out of the sun to save him. And Luke has to have faith in a higher power, namely the Force. So that's all of those in one. And that's one of the reasons why George Lucas is a billionaire.
