Anonymous asked: I was hoping someone could provide me with some good books that are based around characters going around journeys. The only ones I have are The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. I need to learn how to write such a book as a story I have in mind involves going on a journey through a country/continent. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thanks!

A few things there:

1. There is a difference between the journeys. Characters journey for different reasons. For example, Ronald B. Tobias outlines five major plot types that could or must involve a journey:
   • Quest. Character-oriented story, the protagonist searches for something and winds up changing him/herself.
   • Adventure. Plot-oriented, this features a goal-oriented series of events.
   • Pursuit. This is the typical Chase Plot. Definitely action-oriented.
   • Rescue. Another easy to recognize action-oriented plot.
   • Escape. A variation on the Rescue is when the protagonist escapes on his/her own.
2. Your journeying character(s) may encounter different types of people. Try to write those people with some dignity. Check out Gee, I don’t know how to research writing Characters of Color tastefully and Language Creation for some help there.
3. Don’t forget the DRT formula when thinking about how far, how long, or how fast your character(s) will need to go to achieve your plot.

   “Distance” word problems, often also called “uniform rate” problems, involve something traveling at some fixed and steady (“uniform”) pace (“rate” or “speed”), or else moving at some average speed. Whenever you read a problem that involves “how fast”, “how far”, or “for how long”, you should think of the distance equation, d = rt, where d stands for distance, r stands for the (constant or average) rate of speed, and t stands for time. (x)

   Travel takes time, especially across great distances. Bear that in mind as you write, and maybe even do the math to get the distance, time, and rate just right.

Alright, I’ve said my piece. Without further ado, here are some really amazing stories with journeys in them:

• The Dark Tower Series by Stephen King
• The Stand by Stephen King (texelations)
• The Chronicles of Narnia by C. S. Lewis
• The Time Quintet by Madeleine L’Engle
• The Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix
• The Tuzla Run by Robert Davidson
• The Riftwar Saga by Raymond E Feist (dearmrhiddleston)
• The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
• The Queen’s Thief Series by Megan Whalen Turner
• The Princess Bride by William Goldman
• Gentlemen of the Road: A Tale of Adventure by Michael Chabon
• The Sword of Truth Series by Terry Goodkind 
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy
• Little, Big by John Crowley (dearmrhiddleston)
• The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon
• The His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman
• Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
• The Percy Jackson and the Olympians Series by Rick Riordan
• The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
• The Saga of the Exiles by Julian May (dearmrhiddleston)
• The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Series by Douglas Adams
• The Belgariad Series by David Eddings
• The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J. K. Rowling (livelovecraft) (NOTE: This is the final book of the seven-part series.)
• American Gods by Neil Gaiman
• The Space Odyssey Series by Arthur C. Clarke
• Journey to the River Sea by Eva Ibbotson
• East of the Sun & West of the Moon by Mercer Mayer
• Deep Creek by Dana Hand
• The Earthsea Trilogy by Ursula K. Le Guin
• The John Carter of Mars/Barsoom Series by Edgar Rice Burroughs
• The Dark Elf Trilogy by R. A. Salvatore

Old School:

• The Odyssey by Homer
• Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass by Lewis Carroll
• Watership Down by Richard Adams
• The Aeneid by Virgil
• Gulliver’s Travels by Jonathan Swift
• The Oz Books by L. Frank Baum
• The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
• Jason and the Golden Fleece by Apollonius of Rhodes
• The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer 
• Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
• Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne

NOTE: The Lord of the Rings Trilogy and The Hobbit are both missing from this list because the anon who requested it mentioned them specifically and asked for books like them.

More Book Lists of Use:

• Best Fictional Journey
• Long Journey on Foot
• Quests
• The Best Epic Fantasy
• Outdoor Survival Fantasy

Other Useful Links for You on Plots:

• Gee, I don’t know how to research writing Characters of Color tastefully (linked in article)
• Language Creation (linked in article)
• Plot Theories: A Tale of Two (Actually One) “Towns”
• Plot Theories: RPGs Have All the Best Plots
• Plot Theories: Ronald B. Tobias Rolls a D20 (of Plot Types) (linked in article)
• This Is a Towel: Beginning and Developing Plot
• Ten Fantasy Clichés That Should Be Put to Rest

Thank you for your question, and good luck with your story!

-C

What are your favorite books or series that feature a journey?