In the last article, the topic of adventure and traveling in literature was discussed. Tolkien serves as a reminder of how effective a story with a journey can be. Character developments can be delved into, the world of the book can be explained in greater detail and with ease, and the over all story line remains rather the same. Receive an objective, travel to a destination to meet that objective, and conclude that objective however the characters can.
The fact that there have been a lot of stories that talk about the journey, there are a list of pros and cons as to how a journey story can be taken in by a reader.
Pro: Journey stories are easy for the reader to follow along with.
Con: Stories that have journeys can easily fall into predictability, creating a lack of anticipation for the reader.
Pro: Making characters go on a quest is an easy way for a writer to describe the world around them, and an easy way for the reader to become more in tune with the characters’ world.
Con: It’s easy for a writer to include too much detail, which can make the reader’s attention drift or give them sense overload.
Pro: The buildup to the final conflict is often intense and long awaited, making for an exciting conclusion to a book.
Con: If the conclusion takes too long to get to, the reader will probably develop frustration to the longevity of the journey.
So, for all the writers out there who are either planning an adventure story, in the midst of writing one or just like seeing how they work as books, keep these points of advice in mind. Hopefully they will provide some help to whoever needs it.
For more information on Tolkien and how he shaped the quest book into what we see today, check out http://www.tolkien-online.com.
Readers can use this list as well to decode what they like best or what they don’t like very much at all about adventure stories. Either way, keep on reading!
Till next time, dear readers.
Comments