Hero's Journey, Stage 7, Approach

It’s time for your hero to begin turning his or her attention to the goal, that is, what’s it all about? Why I am here? What am I trying to achieve? Where am I going? And how am I going to get there? Who’s going with me? How long will it take?

There are dozens of questions your hero is going to ask at this point, dozens of questions that you’re going to have to begin giving us the answers to.

What’s it all about? This question translates to what’s the quest? What do I get at the end of it all? Your hero may believe they know the answer to the question. I’m going to find my ex-husband and get all that money he stole from me. But in the end, the quest may be something more like: I’m going to find my ex-husband and figure out who I am and how I’m going to move on with my life.

Where am I going? This question is both physical – my ex-husband is in Nashville so I’m going to Tennessee – and emotional. I’m going on a journey to change my life.

How am I going to get there? I’m going to borrow my sister’s car and drive due south. And I’m going to spend those hours on the road listening to country songs and singing along with them until I understand all about the pain of love and a cheating man.

Who’s going with me? My sister, of course, it’s her car. And she’s my big sister who’s going to give me good advice. Don’t drink that tequila. Do kiss that cute boy you’re dancing with.

How long will it take? Just as long as it takes to get to Nashville, Tennessee. And that’s a whole heck of a lot longer than I expected.

But these questions and these initial answers are just the very beginning of this journey. It’s going to get more complicated, more time-consuming, a whole lot more interesting. And that’s what these questions are going to do for you – they’re going to get your hero and your reader thinking about the future, about the possibilities of this journey.

Kate