Why did you travel? What did you want, search for, desire? The answer to these questions is your quest—the reason for your trip (whether intentional or not, whether known or secret) and the reason readers will want to read your story.
Without a quest, your story is just a bunch of events strung together. Your quest gives your story meaning, and it’s what makes readers want to read to the end of your story. They want to find out if you’ve managed to achieve your quest, and what you learned in the process.
A quest doesn’t have to be earth-shattering. In fact, it can be very, very small. You could be searching for the meaning of life in Phuket, or the secret ingredient in the best pho in Hanoi. The size and scope of the quest doesn’t matter. All that does matter is the meaning you derive from this quest, and how you convey that meaning to your readers.
You can also think of your quest in another way: it can be something tangible or intangible. You could be searching for the perfect amber ring in Prague, or aiming to reconnect with your estranged sister. So dig deep to uncover what it was you were searching for or hoping to get out of your trip, whether concrete or abstract.
Here are some questions to help you determine your quest:
What preoccupied your mind during your trip? Perhaps the thing you most often thought about during your trip is a clue to what you most desired or wanted out of your travel journey.
When you imagined your trip before you went, what did you imagine? Did you imagine yourself connecting with the local people in some way? If so, perhaps your quest was to learn something particular about the local culture.
Thinking about all the things you did on your trip, what excited you the most? Was there a special tour or even a shop you were looking forward to visiting? Perhaps your quest had to do with the focus of that tour, or the special thing you could find in that shop.
What did you know about this place before you arrived, and what did you hope to discover The answer to this question, if there is one, would lead directly to a quest. As soon as you want / hope for / or desire something, you’ve got a quest. And readers are instantly interested to find out whether you got what you wanted or not.
I hope your answers to these questions give you some ideas to identify your quest. Your quest will give your story meaning, and allow you to avoid simply writing a version of, “This happened … and then this happened … and then this happened.”
Quests shape your story.
Introduce your quest in the beginning of your story.
Narrate scenes around the challenges and obstacles you face in achieving your quest. Finally, end your story by telling the reader whether or not you achieved your goal, and what you learned either way.
