Why Do We Need Mythical Adventure Stories for Young Adults?

We Can't Have Enough of The Returning Hero Theme

I once received a rejection letter from an editor at a major publishing company. I'll call this publishing company Larper Nollins. 

Being rejected didn't feel good, but what I remember most is the editor's reason for the rejection: 

"... the 'returning hero' quest in an area in children's fantasy that has been explored comprehensively." 

Complete hogwash. 

The returning hero theme can't be explored comprehensively. It can't be exhausted. We need to keep exploring it in books, movies, games, and everywhere else storytelling happens. The returning hero theme portrays an essential part of the human experience.

That's especially true for young adults.

Mythical Adventure Stories for Young Adults

If you're a young adult, you are dealing with struggles unique to people your age. 

The world is changing all around you because you yourself are changing. 

And the world we live in now is especially challenging all on its own. 

A good young adult mythical adventure story will portray useful attitudes and ways of responding to challenging situations. It may feature a main character who feels too small or weak for the task before them. Often it's a task they didn't ask for or one that is inescapable. But the character rises to the occasion one way or another and becomes the hero they were always meant to be. 

The monsters of life guard the treasure troves of possibility, after all. 

 

Mythical Adventure Stories Contain Useful Information

Mythical adventure stories portray a process that takes place in real life over and over again in large ways and small--the process of becoming a better person by handling challenges creatively. A good fantasy story encourages you to undertake difficult tasks and give yourself to a purpose bigger than yourself.

The best fantasy stories for young adults provide examples of how life itself conspires to help the hero succeed. The help may come in hidden or unexpected ways, but once the hero commits to undertaking the task a whole world of possibilities opens up that can't be discovered in any other way.

That might be one of the most important elements in the best fantasy adventure stores for young adults: how committing to a true purpose creates a life filled with value and meaning. The friendships and struggles found along the way keep the hero on a path of constant discovery. 

Keep Writing Fantasy Adventure

We simply can't have too many high quality mythical adventure stories. The more the better. It's true we should keep finding new ways of portraying this time-honored pattern of life, but we can never have enough of it.

Writers, keep writing fantasy adventure stories. Readers, keep reading them. The adventure never ends. 

Interested in reading some fast-paced YA fantasy adventure?

Try Rise of the Shadow Breather. 

Listen or read on any device for just $0.99 per chapter.