I first encountered Lord of the Rings while I was in high school and J.R.R. Tolkien was still alive. Like most people in the United States I had never heard of him before. However, my friends were enthused about a trio of dog eared paperback books they passed around. It was a good way to keep oneself occupied during the less interesting classes. I couldn’t get the first book from anyone who had the set, so I started with the second, and then finished the third book. I was so enamored with this tale, I went back and read the first book. It still thrilled me, even though I knew how it would end. I wouldn’t get hold of a copy of The Hobbit until much later.

Much, much later a friend of mine who had a desk cluttered with Star Wars memorabilia, and raved about each movie, admitted that she never finished Lord of the Rings because she just couldn’t get into it.  Obviously, you can’t write the perfect quest for all people, because their expectations differ. But most quests, even those not in fantasy or science fiction, share similarities. First is that the trip is not aimless, but has a goal, whether it is reached or not. In some twists, the treasure that the adventurers seek is not the one they find. Some things are more valuable than wealth.

The following are some standard quest goals:

• A fabled treasure or magic object that imbues the owner with tremendous power (probably the most common)
•  A rare substance which can stop a plague or prevent another kind of disaster (also common)
• A special person that the main character needs to gain power, prevent a pending disaster or stop the homeland from dying. (a combination of the those just mentioned)
• A new homeland because the old one is dying or overrun by a hoard. This is the typical post apocalyptic journey (also common).

Less frequently found is the protagonist who seeks a group of people to give who need his knowledge and power to prevent some of the previously mentioned disasters. So the idea of taking an item to its destruction, as in Lord of the Rings, or finding an item that must be destroyed is not used as often either–at least before Tolkien’s time. 

No matter what quest is chosen, the writer usually indicates the value of the quest before the characters start trekking for weeks on end. Which brings us to the next problem. What kind of trials and obstacles will your characters face? This requires a variety and not just repeated battles. The danger can come from surviving dangerous terrain, severe weather, wild animals, or the deceit of friends as well.

How do you find inspiration for all of these ideas? Borrow events, from the present, from past history and from mythology. Myths are not always restricted to ancient civilizations. People secretly have a grand desire to be strong enough to be in charge of their destiny like an ancient hero or a future scientific whiz. People continue to be  enthralled by anything that promises great fame, fortune and power. But, what if all those wonderful things people wanted were destroying humanity? Then, the brave hero must go on a quest into a new world to find a solution to that problem.

You would have another quest to write.