by Kevin_McGill

Maybe it was the long Saturdays filled with hiking through the Sierra Nevada foothills, looking for long-lost Native American artifacts or the steady diet of Indiana Jones and Superman comics, but quest narrative is in my bones. I find something true about a group of people so possessed by an object or cause, that they're willing to lay their life down to find it.

The quest narrative is the oldest and most recognizable narrative structure. The earliest example is The Odyssey, which was written by Greek author Homer in 8th century, B.C. Odysseus's quest is simple—to get home. It is the trials, friends, and enemies he meets along the way that makes it a powerful story, even today. This form of storytelling is such a part of our human experience that Joseph Campbell did a thorough analysis of it called The Hero's Journey. Quest narrative is such a part of our society that writers include many of its elements without even recognizing it. To my surprise, after I had finished my first book, I stumbled over Joseph Campbell's book and realized that I had followed the story structure unintentionally.

The Call
The quest begins with a hero who is looking for something. It can be the holy grail as in Indiana Jones and The Raiders of The Lost Ark, or Sorcerer's Stone in Harry Potter. Many call this the MacGuffin. This is the person, place, or object that drives the hero to strike out and begin their story. In the call, we usually meet a mentor, such as Hagrid. This individual affirms the hero's capacity to take the journey and sets the hero on the right course. When Hagrid first meets Harry, he says those iconic words, "You're a wizard, Harry," affirming his capacity. Hagrid then brings Harry to Diagonal Alley and, eventually, to Hogwarts, sending him in the direction to fulfill his quest.

The Journey
When Frodo is given the task to destroy the ring of power, he does not step out of his front door and onto Mount Doom. He has to journey a long way to get there. Along the course, the hero must face any number of dangers or challenges that prepare him or her for the final battle or struggle. They could be temptations to prove her character, puzzles—that when solved—prepare her mind, or simply care for a group of people she did not really love before. Wonder Woman fights a number of smaller battles that force her to defend humans before she is ready for the big show-down at the end where she must make the ultimate sacrifice to defend all humankind.

Arrival and Frustration
At this point in the story, the hero(es) has journeyed thousands of miles, gained abilities, friends, and built character. They are ready to take on the big baddie at the end. They can see their destination; it is within their grasp. Something though stops them in their tracks and makes them really ask if they have what it takes. Usually, the hero fails in some big way, and the reader believes there is no way they can overcome. The hero might even talk about giving up. When Dorothy arrives in the Emerald City, it seems her quest is coming to a close. But just when we think she is about to walk in, meet the wizard, and go home, she is stopped at the door and told to go away. There's more work to be done.

The Final Ordeal
This is the great showdown. While victory is not certain, our hero and her band of plucky friends are ready to defeat the baddie. Typically, the friends play their part to weaken the enemy's defenses, but the final victory is left to the hero. In the end, only Harry Potter can defeat Voldemort.

Denouement
The denouement, which is a French word that means "untied", is the whole reason for the hero's journey. This is the final scene where the thing the hero wanted comes to pass, while what the villain wanted doesn't—in fact the villain usually receives their punishment. For the hero, this ending needs to be satisfying. Odysseus wanted home and his family, and that is what he got. Harry Potter wanted a normal life surrounded by friends and a magical community—the final scene where he is sending his child on a train to Hogwarts gives him that.

This, in a nutshell, is the hero's journey. One can see why it's the most common and used narrative structure. It reflects our own lives. We too want something beyond what we have, seek friends to go with us on the journey, fear that we will never overcome our villains, and hope for a denouement, to receive what we've always wanted. We are all hero's trying to fulfill our quests. Your stories show us the way.

Example of Fantasy Quest on Wattpad:
Nikolas and Company by Kevin_McGill

Synopsis:

A horde of dark creatures chase a mermaid and her husband to their underwater fortress. Only fourteen-year-old Nikolas and his friends can save them.
Happy to escape an apocalyptic future with its refugee camps and nannydrones, Nick convinces his friends to make the journey through time to save the Merfolk. However, on arrival Nikolas begins to suspect the Merfolk are hiding something...sinister. Nikolas wants his friends to have a better life, but he may have led them into even greater peril.
And it will be all his fault.
Nikolas and Company: The Merman and The Moon Forgotten, follows Nick's boisterous and heart-felt journey as he seeks to save the Merfolk and his friends from the creature most foul. If "The Doctor" took the kids from "Stranger Things" on an adventure to a fantastic version of the moon, you'd get Nikolas and Company.

More on Fantasy Quest:

The hero's journey | Jesse Vaughan | TEDxRVA

https://youtu.be/IkJ-ZGQaeak

The Heroic Quest | Joseph Hughes | Missouri State University

https://youtu.be/xlRiFR61wZg

Descent into Hell: The Hero's Quest in Myth and Film | James J. Clauss, Ph.D., Professor of Classics, University of Washington

https://youtu.be/fXj7UjSL_ec