Quests Can be Internal as well as External Fantasy Quests Can be Internal as well as External

Think of your favorite fantasy book How do these stores tend to go? Can you find patterns in the obstacles characters face? Does the character always accomplish what they want right away? Do they stay home or are they forced to leave?

Think of your favorite fantasy book How do these stores tend to go? Can you find patterns in the obstacles characters face? Does the character always accomplish what they want right away? Do they stay home or are they forced to leave? THEY DON’T JUST FACE ONE PROBLEM, THEY FACE A SERIES OF PROBLEMS THEY OFTEN LEAVE THEIR HOMES AND GO ON A JOURNEY

Teaching point Today I want to teach you that experienced fantasy readers know that most fantasy stories follow a quest structure.

Quest Structures Various types of quests Could involve rescuing a captive or a sacred object (Shrek). Could ask the hero to destroy the villain or a dangerous object (Harry Potter). It could be that the hero has gotten into another world or place, and the quest is the journey out of that place (Narnia or Alice in Wonderland).

Quest Structure in the Thief of always Harvey’s External Quest to Save the Children and destroy the house Go to the house Escape the house Find his home Go back to the house Destroy Mr. Hood’s creatures Destroy Mr. Hood Get back home

Quest Structure in the Thief of always Harvey’s Internal Quest Dealing with boredom Choosing gifts and activities Missing his parents Resisting greed Tackling evil Showing courage and sacrifice

Now you Try this with your book club book! Think of the main character and what he/she is most trying to accomplish. When thinking about external quest, consider this task not as just one problem, but as a series of smaller obstacles. When thinking about internal quest, consider what’s inside the character that gets in the way– what internal flaws or conflicts do they need to overcome?

Sophisticated readers of fantasy Research the setting (What kind of place is it?). Ask about power– who has it, evidence, kinds of power. Learn alongside the main character. Keep track of multiple problems. Suspend judgement about characters and places. Read metaphorically by Considering the “dragons” characters face Applying life lessons learned in fiction to their own lives. Considering internal as well as external quest structures