I always go through a certain three-part process when it comes to putting a story together in my head. The first part is creating the idea and the theme. What kind of tone will it have? Some stories can be playful and happy, others can be sad and deal with heavy subjects, others can be full of anger and/or regret. But whatever the story is about, I try to flesh that out first. It usually doesn't take very long as it's usually just a vague outline of what the story is about and a few of the events that I want to happen in the long run. The second part is to flesh out the characters for my story. What roles they play and bits and pieces of their personality are sketched out a little bit in my head during part one, but this is when I begin creating who my characters really are, what they look like, what they sound like in my head, etc. Family relations, quirks, hobbies, sense of humor...whatever I need to do to make them feel real enough to assign them the roll of carrying this new story forward. And then comes part three...and this one is important...

...Character motivations.

Put, very simply..what are they there to 'do', and why?

One of the quickest ways to bore your readers into putting your story down is to have a cast of characters with nothing to do. Just milling around an empty parking lot like blind cows in an empty pasture. You have a story to tell. You're trying to get from Point A to Point B, correct? Well how are you planning to do that? And why are your characters so determined to help you make this happen?

Today, we talk about the importance of character motivations. How to display them, how to define them, and how to get them to the finish line without going too far astray.

To begin...take a moment and ponder what your story is actually about? That's the easiest way to get started. Are you writing a love story? A horror story? An action piece? What is it that your characters are looking for. Not just your main characters, but all of them. As I've said in a few articles before...if one of your characters doesn't belong or doesn't have much to do...get them out of there. They will only end up being a distraction from your main plot. And for readers who are actually invested in the main goal of your story, stepping away from it will end up causing more frustration than anything else.

For me...my characters' motivations are mostly surrounding one thing, and one thing only...and that is a feeling of 'lack'. It doesn't matter what I'm writing, what genre, or how long (or short), that story may be. As long as they are lacking something that will make them complete...they will have an instant motivation to go after that. Maybe they lack the bravery to stand up to the high school bully. Maybe they lack the money to help out with the rent this month. Maybe they lack love, or adventure, or closure from a previous relationship, or they lack an escape route from the Island Of Dead Monkeys...whatever. Finding whats missing will motivate them to think about how they can knock down a path towards getting what they want. And once they figure that out...their motivations will guide them from event to event, from obstacle to obstacle, in an attempt to finally seize that goal. (Or not. Every story doesn't have to have a happy ending. But more on that another time...)

Always remember that the personalities that inhabit the world you built for your story should always have a purpose. They should constantly be 'chasing' something. They're trying to find a missing person, or they're looking for a way to get that audition for the lead in theater performance this coming weekend, or they're trying to maintain some kind of big secret...whatever it is that you're writing about, find a motivation that will give your characters focus. That motivation may change or alter itself along the journey it takes your main character to get to where they want to go...but make sure that those changes are still connected to the number one goal, and that you'll have a way to get back on track if you feel yourself swerving all over the road. Concentrate on the character's pursuit, and make it clear and clean and important to the overall theme of the story.

Down below is a very simple animated cartoon. Not a word is spoken, but ask yourself whether or not the motivations of the two main characters are clear. Even though some of them vary a little during its runtime, it keeps heading in the same direction.

The motivation here is fairly straightforward. A kitten and a dog form a friendship and escape to find a better position than the one they're currently a part of. The short film takes a moment to introduce the first main character, then the second...and all of this is done within the first two minutes. It gives you your 'actors', and it sets the tone. Then, shortly after those two things are set up, it's time to reveal their motivation.

Now, while I may have said that those motivations may change and vary throughout the animation...they are still heading towards a similar goal. Especially with the young kitten being so afraid of its threatening new neighbor on the other side of the fence. The kitten's not really big enough to frighten anybody off (despite many attempts to try), and there aren't any other major options available except to run and hide. However, when the kitten sees the dog suffering, a very slight connection is made. And that slightly alters the kitten's motivation. Now, it's still going to the exact same place and heading in the right direction, but the kitten's current motivation switches over to wanting to help the dog feel better, and the only way to do that is to maybe overcome some of his fear. Once that goal is accomplished, the motivation changes again, and the abusive owner comes back out to see an empty yard as the motivation becomes the need for a hasty escape. Now, remember...these are all in tune with the theme of the animation and the main goal of your characters. 'Make a new friend, escape, better your position'...that's where all of your roads are leaning, even though they may seem like a random series of adventures, they're not. The characters are simply growing, and deciding to work together to get to Point B, just like you imagined they would in the first place.

Now, the changing motivations in this next scene work a little bit different in this next scene. While the two main characters had a simple shared goal that they could work together to reach in the first clip...the second clip is a lot more chaotic. Firstly, because you're dealing with more than just two main characters. But second...all of the characters have their own personal motivations, and they are coming into direct conflict with one another. For some writers, this can be a bit more difficult to pull off. And for others...hehehe, it can be a LOT more fun.

In this scene, the main character of the movie is actually a nine year old boy named, Cologero, who's living with his parents in a small apartment...and downstairs at this restaurant and bar is a notoriously dangerous mobster type that seems rich and fearless and practically runs the entire neighborhood.

Take a look at this scene, and see how the different character motivations play out for the boy, his father, his mom, and the mobster...

Now, one of the things that I absolutely love about this scene is that every single character that's involved is trying to benefit by doing, what they really believe, is the right thing. You've got a kid who's torn between two of his heroes and likes being able to be showered with attention and money. You've got a father who loves his son, but it's his job to protect him and keep him as far away from that criminal life as he possibly can. You've got a mother who wants the same thing, but the family is struggling and that money would really help them out in their time of need, even if it came from a bad place. And then you've got Sonny downstairs, who actually treats the boy really well, teaches him some important lessons about life, and tries to inspire him to be better throughout the film, and he likes having him around. So he showers him with cash and gifts and praise every chance he gets. However...obviously...all of these motivations can't co-exist in the same space. They criss-cross and they crash into one another, making for a very volatile situation. This can be highly entertaining for your readers as they begin to see the value in both sides of the argument, and maybe even begin to pick sides.

That's something that I learned a lot about from reading comic books growing up. Stories like "Civil War", or the heated discussions between Professor X and Magneto from the "X-Men" comics, or the battles between Daredevil and the Punisher...I always found myself just kind of watching their conflict like a tennis match, and maybe thinking, "I think I agree with this side of the argument a bit more than that one...but they're not wrong." Being able to pull off conflicting motivations that aren't your typical 'good guy/bad guy' fodder for the brain can be a little challenging sometimes, but you can do it with some practice. The more you practice, the more it becomes a natural part of your writing instinct. Just keep it in mind that the conflict of your main character should still be heading towards his or her main goal in the story...even when all other motivations are working against them.

So, if you want to create a certain level of momentum in your writing, stay focused on the motivations of your main characters. Everything that your characters say or do should have a definitive reason for doing so. And that reason should tie into some part of who they are as a character. What are they after? What are they lacking? Why would they do that? Maybe they're afraid to get close to anybody because they've been hurt so many times before. Maybe they need to find a way out to the Grand Canyon...and later you find out that the main character's mother had passed away recently and was cremated...and all she ever wanted in life was to see the Grand Canyon. Maybe someone is looking for a special, magical, sword because it's the only thing that he can use to exact justice on the evil warlord that killed his brother. Whether you reveal the motivation in the beginning of your story, somewhere in the middle, or not until the very end as some kind of big secret or plot twist...make sure that you, as the writer, always have your eyes on the prize and can follow that star to your final destination. Varying motivations and all.

Anyway, I hope that this makes some kind of sense. Hehehe! Sometimes it's hard to put these concepts into words, but I'll keep doing my best. You've got my word on that!

Take care! And I'll seezya next time!