The Problem with Fun and Games

Chapter 8: The Ignatian Myth & Narrative Project

Let’s get back on that road of trials.

In Jessica Brody’s delightful book on novel writing, Save the Cat! Writes A Novel, she calls this beat of our protagonist’s journey “Fun and Games.” It’s the longest beat of Act 2—a deep-dive exploration of the upside-down world—and as she says, it’s the part of the story where the writer makes good on the promise made to the reader or viewer at the tale’s beginning.

What does that mean? Quite simply, it’s when we deliver on the audience’s expectations of who and what the protagonist is meant to become. It’s Luke learning to become a Jedi; it’s Harry struggling to become a wizard. It’s Dorothy making sense of what it means to be in Oz, and it’s Ariel figuring out what it means to now have human legs.

It’s what we, the viewers, expect of these characters. And it’s fun to read or to watch their exploits through their own strange new worlds. For us, it’s all fun and games.

But for them—our heroes—it’s anything but. Sure, Harry gets a few butter beers now and again, but he also has to battle evil wizards and figure out what new demonic force is trying to overrun his boarding school. For our characters, fun and games means road of trials.

As Jessica Brody writes: “I see a lot of writers get confused by the name of this beat,” she says. “The key to figuring out the Fun and Games beat is realizing that this part of the story might be fun only for the reader. Not necessarily the hero.” (p 47)

I’m struck by this layered perspective on trials. For the person in it, doing the work, learning the ways of the Force or navigating life on land, this stage of the story is both rife with challenge but also exhilarating. Progress is made and we bubble over with confidence, with gratitude, with a sense of I can really do this! But then a setback appears, a new hurdle, and the whole project is called into question.

This is vocation in a nutshell, I think: a constant grappling with who I am, what I can do, and the reality of living it out. This is the road of trials—and a long road it is!

So it’s not all fun and games—at least, not for the character, not for us living in the rawness of that moment. But for the viewer, the reader—as Brody makes clear—this is fun. This is why we picked up the book, why we bought a ticket to the movie! The life of a would-be Jedi, the magical powers of a fledgling wizard—this all looks quite exciting from the comfort of our couch.

In the Ignatian tradition, we have what is called the Presupposition. Ignatius writes, “it is necessary to suppose that every good Christian [though we could just say person] is more ready to put a good interpretation on another’s statement than to condemn it as false.” (SE 22) Essentially, we’re called to give one another the benefit of the doubt, to put the best interpretation on another’s actions or choices; we assume that person is doing their best to journey alongside Christ. Christ is who we encounter and walk with during the Second Week of the Exercises; the Second Week is—as we’ve already discussed—an experience of the upside-down world. And so, that Presupposition should not be forgotten. We should readily, eagerly, extend it to one another—and to ourselves.

But what I want us to think about here, at this point in our sojourn through Ignatian Myth and Narrative, is how easy it is for us to look at the vocation of another and say, “Wow! It’s all fun and games!” We might see the money earned or the lifestyle lived and make assumptions. We compare our own lives: “I don’t have time for fun and games like that other person. If only my life was like theirs, if only I had their challenges!”

Here's the thing: We’re all on our own road of trials; we’re all stumbling forward through our own vocations. Remember that layered perspective. For us looking at another, we see fun and games when what that person likely experiences is the ups and downs of daily life, just like anyone else.

Let’s give one another the benefit of the doubt. Let’s put the best interpretation on one another’s actions. Let’s remember that, in our mythic structure, the proverbial “road of trials” and the beat “fun and games” are the same things. We have fun and we experience trials.

So, let’s give each other grace along the way.

This is the eighth part of a limited series I’m calling The Ignatian Myth & Narrative Project. If you want to get caught up, read:

• Introducing the Ignatian Myth & Narrative Project

• Chapter 1: Why We Begin in Chaos and Shadow

• Chapter 2: Call to Adventure, Call to Sorrow

• Chapter 3: Not All Who Hesitate Are Lost

• Chapter 4: Lies of the Threshold Guardians

• Chapter 4.5: Don’t Fear the Upside-Down World

• Chapter 5: Who We Find On The Other Side

• Chapter 6: The Road is Long and Full of Trials

• Chapter 7: Why We Fight to Make the Bed

And another thing:

• My Life with the Jedi: The Spirituality of Star Wars takes to the podcast circuit! Thanks to Karl and Jason at “The Wampa’s Lair: A Star Wars Podcast” for having me on to talk about Ignatian spirituality and Star Wars (Listen here!), and thanks to Meg over at “Now This Is Lit: A Star Wars Podcast” for both having me on the pod (Listen here!) and for a beautiful audio review of my book (Listen here!).

• Please don’t forget—if you’ve picked up and read a copy of the book, leave a review! It really helps!

• Sometimes I write about other things besides Star Wars: Check out my Ignatian take on Netflix’s adaptation of “Avatar: The Last Airbender.” Read here!

• Finally, the preorder page for the new anthology from “Air and Nothingness Press" entitled We Are All Thieves of Somebody’s Future is LIVE! I have a story I’m really proud of in there, so check it out. Click here!