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By Zachary Hamby  (Editor’s Note—Zachary Hamby is the author of The Hero’s Guidebook: Creating Your Own Hero’s Journey, as well as Hero Tales from World Mythology: Teaching World Mythology Through Reader’s Theater Script-Stories; Reaching Valhalla: Tales and Sagas from Norse Mythology; Pilgrim’s Progress: A Reader’s Theater Script-Story; John Milton’s Paradis Lost: A Reader’s Theater Script-Story; and numerous other publications such as those on Robin Hood and Tales and Legends of King Arthur. Zachary Hamby and his wife, Rachel M. Hamby, are indeed creative English teachers. Their products can be seen on creativeenglishteacher.com.) Be sure to see end of post for extra helpful information.... Two of the greatest storytellers of all time, J.R.R. Tolkien, author of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, and C.S. Lewis, author of The Chronicles of Narnia, said that stories have a special power—a healing power. It’s easy to get caught up in the struggles of everyday life. As our problems pile up, we forget that there is hope and help available to us. Yet when we enter the imaginary world of a story, it’s like we are healed of a sickness. The hero’s courage inspires our own; the hero’s problem of saving the whole world (or at least part of it) makes our real-life problems seem smaller. We remember to hope. Coming back from the story world, we can see the real world in a new, inspired way. Lewis said that in imaginary stories “we do not retreat from reality; we rediscover it.” It’s no coincidence that the common message in a lot of hero stories is having hope in even the darkest of times. In stories, obstacles are never as impossible as they seem. All giants can fall, and all dragons have a weak spot. If that theme of hope can spill over into real life, it can change everything. These are some of the reasons why human beings respond to stories, but what about the urge within us to write those stories? Tolkien had a theory about that, too: We have a desire to create because we are created beings. To truncate a line from his famous essay “On Fairy Stories,” he says, “We make because we are made in the image and likeness of a Maker.” The very act of creating is a way of emulating our Maker. Tolkien calls this process Sub-creation. This process is not limited to writing, of course. As writers, singers, painters, speakers, we become sub-creators, nowhere near as mighty and talented as God, but using the abilities He gave us to participate in the act of creation. As we create, we do so in praise of our Creator. It’s a beautiful idea, and one that I see as a solution to much of the malaise we find in the world today. Modern people are trained to be consumers, not creators. We listen to songs we do not sing. We view pictures we did not paint. We read words we did not pen. Since the act of creating helps us better understand God, if we do not create, there is a hole in our understanding. As Haggai 1:6 says, “You eat but are not satisfied. You drink but are still thirsty.” (NLT) Our culture is always consuming, but never full. While I believe there are also many practical forms that this creative desire can take: cultivating a garden, building a structure, restoring an old vehicle, cooking a delicious meal, Tolkien’s specific emphasis was on writers who create their own hero stories. Some people have this desire, but they honestly do not know where to begin. How do you tell an entire story? Way back in the fifth grade I was given the opportunity to write a story—any kind of story I wanted—and submit it for a contest. So, naturally, I chose to write a hero story. It was an eight-page epic about a boy who lives in a kingdom that has a gigantic wall all the way around it. Nobody in the kingdom has ever heard of magic or seen magical creatures. They have never thought about there being a wider world beyond their kingdom. Yet one day this boy, who just so happens to live in an orphanage, is visited by a strange, pointy-eared man who tells him the shocking truth: There is a whole world beyond the wall—a world filled with magic and magical creatures—and even more startling: It is the boy’s destiny to journey there! As it turns out, the orphaned boy is actually the son of the King of the Elves, whose own kingdom is in mortal danger. To make a short story even shorter, the boy goes through the wall, leaves the kingdom, and finds adventure. Along the way there are wolves and dragons to fight and princesses to rescue, and it all ends up nicely—and quickly. It was only eight pages long after all. I’m not mentioning this because I think that it is a great story. (It really isn’t.) I’m mentioning it because the story I wrote actually fit the ancient storytelling pattern called the Hero’s Journey, which is found in hero stories from all across the world. Turns out, I had accidentally followed a pattern that is thousands of years old. All I knew is that I liked hero stories and wanted to write one. Since I had read other hero stories like The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, I had subconsciously followed the pattern of those stories. My hero began in an ordinary place, discovered that he had a secret destiny, took advice from a wise mentor, followed the path to adventure, and eventually saved the day. And what was the title of that masterpiece that I wrote? The Journey.  This writing experience in my own life led me to write The Hero’s Guidebook. Rather than accidentally discovering this pattern, I wanted young writers to be fully aware of it—and use it intentionally. In the book, I outline the various stages in the Hero’s Journey, and to illustrate them, I use examples from famous books, movies, and video games. I give readers practical tips for using the Hero’s Journey to begin telling their own stories. This does not mean they need to follow this pattern. They are perfectly welcome to blaze their own trail. But examining this structure will show them the basics of how stories are told—and give them basic inspiration for creating their own. The Hero’s Guidebook also reinforces the idea that life is a journey. While the book is not overtly religious, readers can easily apply the stages to their Christian walk. I believe God has us all on an adventure. He sends us a Call to Adventure, which we are sometimes reluctant to accept. And while He is always with us, this does not always mean smooth sailing. Like the great heroes, we must go through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, but if we remain faithful and true, we will emerge victorious on the other side. Encourage your students to start their own journey today—to be a creator in the image of the ultimate Creator! Additional Helpful Links
 About the Author For the last nineteen years Zachary Hamby has been a high-school English teacher in rural Missouri. Teaching in a high-poverty area, he believes in the power of education to enrich and improve his students' lives. In 2020 Zachary was a finalist for Missouri Teacher of the Year. Zachary is also the author of a variety of textbooks, including The Hero's Guidebook. He maintains the website www.creativeenglishteacher.com, which features innovative classroom resources and a blog with creative teaching ideas. Zachary currently teaches high school English in the Ozarks, where he resides with his wife and two children.  May your time with your children be blessed,  Copyright 2024, newSong Press
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