How to Figure Out What Your Character Wants (and Why It Matters for Your Story)
Author Jessica James breaks down how to figure out what your character wants—and why it matters for your story.
In my personal art consumption, I’ll engage with just about any genre if a writer can make me care about the characters. (For example: I typically steer clear of horror because I’m sensitive to gore and disturbing imagery, but I’m a devoted fan of Stranger Things for its wonderful characters.) Fiction can have the most incredible high-concept premise, beautiful writing, and unique world-building, but if the audience can’t understand why they should root for a character, they’ll likely reach the ending feeling unsatisfied or disconnected… if they stick around for the ending at all.
What makes us root for a character? Knowing what they want—their goal—and why they want it—their motivation.
If we can understand and believe in a character’s goal and motivation, we’ll follow them anywhere the story takes us in hopes that they’ll succeed (or fail, if we’re following a villain or anti-hero). Some of the most memorable stories have the most memorable goals. We follow Frodo to Mount Doom to destroy the One Ring, because we know he feels responsible for this ring that belonged to his uncle, and he undertakes the journey because the fate of the world is at stake. We follow Katniss into the Hunger Games because we understand she’s motivated to save her sister, and the opening chapters make it clear that her survival doesn’t just impact her own life.
Character goals and motivation are such an integral part of storytelling that, in musical theater, the main character often sings something called an “I Want” song. Generally, this song happens before the 20-minute mark, and it is the lens through which the audience views the character throughout the entirety of the show. Some of my favorite examples include, “The Wizard and I” from Wicked, “My Shot” from Hamilton, and “I Hope I Get It” from A Chorus Line. We’re told early what the character wants, and then we spend the next couple of hours watching them seek it.
Goal and motivation in a novel may be a little more subtle than a main character belting their deepest desires in the center of a stage. However, the character’s goal and motivation should be clear to the reader as early as possible, so the reader truly feels the impact of each story beat that either takes them closer to or farther from that thing they want.
It’s a simple idea in theory, but in reality, it can be difficult to parse what a character truly wants (and why) from other plot factors. What really unlocked this concept for me was understanding how goal, motivation, and conflict interact as plot unfolds. These three components—goal, motivation, and conflict—are often discussed together, because of how vital they are to the story.
A character working towards their goal should have a direct impact on the events of the story. Their motivation for wanting that goal connects to the stakes that get the audience invested. Conflict is created by the things in the character’s way preventing them from getting their goal, especially other characters wanting something opposite.
In my debut romance novel, For One Night Only, Valerie is a musician-turned-actress who wants to fix her bad reputation to salvage her acting career. Valerie’s goal—to save her career—motivates her to reunite the band that made her famous to generate some positive press. However, her songwriting partner and ex-lover Caleb ran from fame. Caleb agrees to the band’s reunion because he needs the money, but he’s not happy about returning to the spotlight: His goal is to get this one last show over with and go back to living his quiet life.
I decided on these goals early on in the writing process, when I decided I was writing a love story about two bandmates reuniting for one last show. Giving the two love interests opposite goals and motivations created natural conflict that informed their backstory and the events that take place during the novel due to their actions. Without revealing too many plot details, the conflicts they face include their interpersonal issues and insecurities, as well as external pressures from their record label, the media, and their fans.
We then get to my favorite part—exploring the dichotomy between what a character wants and what they actually need. In For One Night Only, while Valerie and Caleb have opposite goals, the things they actually need are the same: the found family they created with their band—and each other. (It is, after all, a romance!)
In many cases, the thing the character needs is where we leave them at the end of the story. It may or may not be what they thought they wanted at the beginning, but they should arrive at the realization of their need after going through all the conflict that was thrown at them along the way.
Having trouble with goal, motivation, and conflict? I like to start by exploring a series of questions about each component, such as:
- GOAL: What does this character want, and what is their plan to get it? How will their attempts to achieve their goal impact the plot? If there are multiple POV characters, do they want the same thing, or different things?
- MOTIVATION: Why does the character want what they want? What is pushing them to take action now? What are the stakes for the character if they do or don’t achieve their goal? If multiple POV characters have the same goal, are their motivations different?
- CONFLICT: What are the things in the way of what the character wants? How will these obstacles impact the plot? If multiple POV characters have the same goal, will this cause conflict between them, or will they face external conflict together? What is the worst thing that could happen to the character in pursuit of their goal?
I also like to explore the things that will inform where they end up at the end of the novel:
- NEED: What does this character truly need? Why do they need it? Is it different than what they want? How will they realize this?
- RESOLUTION: Will the character achieve their goal in the end? Why or why not? How will they get what they need?
As you answer these questions, you’ll find that many pieces of your story start to fall into place—and if you get stuck while drafting, it may be time to revisit these questions and determine if your character needs a different goal or motivation to reach a satisfying conclusion.
Check out Jessica James' For Our Next Song here:
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