[Discussion] That Damn MacGuffin

[BonesTheRabbit]

Hello ladies and gentlemen!

Lately I've been pondering about how I want to structure the plot of my custom story, and early on I realized that I was sorely lacking a reasonable MacGuffin or introductory quest. As in stands, I have difficulty promoting a sense of "Go through this scary place and do this thing here so you can get to the end" at the start of the story.

In Amnesia, you begin by following a trail of fluid on the ground until a mysterious note tells you of your final goal. In Justine, you're almost immediately greeted by the recorded voice of the story's namesake, explaining that 'they can all be saved' and that you're expected to go through psychological trials.

Unfortunately, neither of these methods make sense for my current plot. The letter to the self method feels far too reminiscent of Amnesia, and I honestly want to avoid a copypasta storyline in that sense. A secondary character speaking to the protagonist early on is difficult, as well. You're not supposed to know who the BBEG is or what he or she is up to until later on, so I can't take that route without doing the whole James Bond cliche of "Let me explain my entire plan to you, and then leave you alive to ruin me~!"

I think it's safe to assume that this is a relatively common muse for many creators, so this thread is meant for folks to brainstorm ideas for MacGuffins for various stories. I want to clarify that I'm not asking anyone to write story aspects specifically for me, and that's part of why I'm leaving the details of my own plot somewhat ambiguous.

So let's hear it then! What kind of initial plot devices have you experienced or used, which drive the protagonist to the ends of the Earth (or wherever else he or she may be) to accomplish a goal? What did you like, what didn't you like? How necessary is a driving force, and how driven should the protagonist be in your mind?