How To Develop Your Character's Motivations

Creating compelling characters is one of the cornerstones of good storytelling, and a character's motivation plays a crucial role in making them believable and engaging. A character's motivations are the driving forces behind their actions, decisions, and ultimately their growth throughout the story. Whether your character is a hero striving to save the world, a villain with a personal vendetta, or someone in between, understanding how to develop their motivations will allow you to create multidimensional, relatable, and dynamic characters.

In this article, we will explore the process of developing a character's motivations, from understanding the different types of motivations to how you can use them to enhance the plot and provide depth to your characters.

What Are Character Motivations?

At their core, motivations are the reasons why characters act the way they do. Motivations can stem from internal desires, external pressures, or a combination of both. They are the psychological or emotional drivers that fuel the character's journey. These can be influenced by past experiences, fears, aspirations, relationships, and even the environment around them.

In fiction, motivations are often categorized into two broad categories:

1. External Motivations

These are the tangible goals or needs that drive a character. Examples include:

• A character's desire for power or control (e.g., a king who wants to expand his empire).
• The need to survive (e.g., a person trapped in a dangerous situation trying to escape).
• A character's pursuit of revenge or justice (e.g., a detective hunting down a criminal).

External motivations are often rooted in the world the character inhabits and are linked to the character's actions in the plot.

2. Internal Motivations

These are more abstract, emotional, or psychological drivers. Examples include:

• A character's search for self-identity or understanding (e.g., a character struggling with their past).
• A desire to prove themselves (e.g., a young person aiming to live up to their family's expectations).
• A quest for love, acceptance, or emotional fulfillment (e.g., a character seeking connection after experiencing loneliness).

Internal motivations delve deeper into the psyche of the character and are often tied to their internal growth or transformation throughout the story.

Understanding both external and internal motivations can create a well-rounded character whose actions and decisions resonate with the reader on a deeper level.

Steps to Develop a Character's Motivations

Creating a believable and compelling motivation involves careful thought and consideration. Here are the steps to help you develop your character's motivations:

1. Understand the Character's Backstory

A character's past plays a significant role in shaping their motivations. Their experiences, trauma, victories, losses, relationships, and upbringing all inform their desires and fears. Ask yourself the following questions to uncover your character's motivations:

• What is their past like? Have they experienced any trauma, loss, or significant events that shaped their worldview?
• What does the character want or fear? Are these desires linked to something in their past?
• What relationships have shaped them? How have family, friends, and enemies influenced their desires?
• What values or beliefs guide them? Do they have moral convictions that influence their actions?

For example, a character who grew up in poverty may be motivated by a desire for wealth and security, while someone who has experienced betrayal might be motivated by the need for trust or vengeance.

2. Define What the Character Wants

Once you have a clear understanding of the character's backstory, it's time to define their current desires. Motivations often manifest as a character's goals or what they are striving to achieve. The clearer the goal, the more engaging the character will be to the reader. These goals should be specific and rooted in the character's values.

For example:

• A heroic character might be motivated by a goal to protect their family or to prevent a catastrophe.
• A tragic character might be motivated by a need to redeem themselves for past mistakes.
• A villainous character might seek power, revenge, or control.

Your character's goals can evolve over time, but it is important to keep the initial goal grounded in what they truly want. This goal will serve as the framework for their actions throughout the story.

3. Identify the Stakes Involved

The stakes in a character's motivations are what make the pursuit of their goal meaningful. Stakes raise the tension in the narrative, creating conflict that propels the story forward. What is the character willing to lose or gain if they fail or succeed? The higher the stakes, the more intense the character's motivations will appear.

Ask yourself:

• What's at risk if the character doesn't succeed? This could be their life, their relationships, their reputation, or even the wellbeing of others.
• How much is the character willing to sacrifice to achieve their goal? Are they willing to hurt others or make morally questionable decisions to reach their objective?
• What could the character lose if they fail? Failure can lead to internal or external consequences, from self-doubt to death.

For instance, a character seeking vengeance might be driven by the desire to right a wrong, but the personal cost might be their own moral integrity. High stakes give the motivation weight and make the character's journey more engaging.

4. Introduce Conflict That Challenges the Motivation

Conflict is the heart of storytelling. For a character's motivation to drive the plot forward, they must face obstacles that challenge their pursuit of their goal. The most compelling motivations arise from internal or external conflicts that prevent the character from easily achieving their desires.

• Internal conflict occurs when the character is torn between two desires or experiences inner turmoil. For example, a character who wants to save their family but is forced to choose between them and their own career ambitions faces an internal dilemma.
• External conflict arises from forces outside the character, such as an antagonist, societal pressures, or a dangerous environment. This could include a protagonist whose desire for justice is obstructed by an oppressive system or a hero who must battle an evil force.

The tension between the character's motivation and the forces working against them is what keeps the story dynamic. It ensures that the motivation is not only central to the plot but also filled with challenges that push the character toward growth or failure.

5. Develop the Motivation's Emotional Depth

The most engaging motivations are emotionally complex and tied to deep psychological needs. These motivations often touch on universal human experiences such as fear, love, guilt, or hope. For a character's motivations to feel authentic, they should resonate on an emotional level, making the audience care about their journey.

Consider the following emotional layers:

• Fear of loss or failure: A character motivated by the fear of losing something important (e.g., a loved one, their dignity, their career) may take extreme actions to avoid that outcome.
• The desire for acceptance or belonging: Characters motivated by the need for approval, friendship, or family support will act in ways that reflect their internal insecurities or desires.
• The pursuit of redemption: A character seeking redemption for past mistakes may take on seemingly impossible tasks in the hope of atoning for their wrongs.

These motivations provide depth to the character, making them more human and relatable. Emotional motivations often resonate with audiences because they are rooted in universal human experiences.

6. Allow for Character Evolution

As the story progresses, a character's motivations can evolve. They may learn something new about themselves, face unexpected challenges, or experience growth that alters their goals or values. This evolution is essential for character development and makes the narrative more compelling.

For example:

• A character who initially seeks revenge may, through their journey, realize that forgiveness brings more peace than vengeance.
• A character who pursues fame for personal glory may come to understand the importance of using their platform to help others.

The key is that the change in motivation should feel organic and be the result of the character's experiences. This evolution not only makes the character more dynamic but also keeps the audience engaged in the character's journey.

7. Create Motivations That Tie into the Theme of the Story

The motivation of your character should align with the overarching theme of the story. A character's journey is often symbolic of broader themes like justice, love, identity, or sacrifice. Integrating your character's motivations with the theme will deepen the resonance of the story, making it more impactful and cohesive.

For instance:

• A story about the corrupting nature of power could feature a character whose initial motivation is to gain power, but over time, they begin to realize the moral cost of their ambition.
• A story about forgiveness and healing could feature a character whose motivations evolve from revenge to understanding and reconciliation.

By tying your character's motivations into the story's theme, you ensure that their journey feels purposeful and meaningful.

Conclusion

Developing a character's motivations is an essential part of creating engaging and dynamic characters. Motivations provide the foundation for a character's actions, growth, and challenges, ultimately driving the plot forward. To create authentic and compelling motivations, consider the character's backstory, desires, stakes, conflicts, emotional depth, and how their journey aligns with the broader themes of the story. By carefully crafting these motivations, you can build a character whose journey captivates the audience and leaves a lasting impression.

A well-developed character with strong motivations is one that readers can relate to, root for, or even despise. In the end, it's the motivations that make a character memorable and help the story resonate with those who experience it.

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