The Dark Night
1) Confronted with challenge
2) Reject
3) Accept
4) Road of trials
5) Allies and powers
6) Defeat
7) Dark night
Leap of faith
9) Victory
10) Student becomes teacher.
This is the structure of the Hero's Journey used in Lifewriting, both for story structure, the process of creating a story, and life in general. Any story can be mapped on it, and so far as I can see, any life issue can be addressed with it. It seems to be the combined wisdom of all the world's elders, boiled down. Those who don’t think this or that story or movie can be plotted on it are just thinking inflexibly.
The "Dark Night" is a step that is always there, and always painful. It seems difficult to move from one level of excellence or success to another without hitting this point, probably because if you DON'T fail you will just coast along.
The STAR WARS book is squarely in this zone: there is a mass of text, covering events which, handled well, will make a wonderful book. But I wouldn't let ANYONE look at it right now, not even Tananarive. In maybe a month or 45 days I WILL have a draft I'd let her look at.
Where I am now is in the valley of the shadow. I can't see the "sunlight" of the original idea. All I see is a mess that has to be dealt with. And the fear is there. It is ALWAYS there at this point, with every story, every script, every book. EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
The difference? This ain't my first rodeo. I KNOW that I'm going to hit this place. So its like running 2 1/2 miles, and entering oxygen debt. I know that at about the 3 mile mark…something will happen. Something will shift, and suddenly I'm in "second wind" which just means a higher gear of functioning.
Arguing with a loved one can be similar. You hit a point where it feels like there is no compromise and no resolution. There is a fear of loss. But wisdom is pattern recognition, and after the 10th time of cycling through, you are still afraid…but you are not "afraid of the fear."
So yes, I will continue to soldier on, just doing the work, trapped in the shadow, and telling the little fear phantoms to #$%%% themselves. Daddy has to work.
And, unless this time is unique, I will probably emerge from this toward the end of October, and will start remembering what excited me, and see the finish line, and see all kinda wonderful grace notes, and ways to deepen character, and ways to knit themes together in happy ways.
It will all be worth it. I tell myself.
This is purely a "leap of faith" in myself: that I'm wise enough to know what I can and cannot write, and how long it will take me to do it, and the resources I will require. Its never failed me yet.
Always a first time, though….
Damn. Did I say that out loud?
