What does your character want? This is an important question to answer because it determines what your protagonist hopes to achieve by the story’s end. If the goal, or outer motivation, is written well, readers will identify fairly quickly what the overall story goal’s going to be and they’ll know what to root for. But how do you know what outer motivation to choose?
If you read enough books, you’ll see the same goals being used for different characters in new scenarios. This thesaurus explores common outer motivations so you can see your options and what those goals might look like on a deeper level..
Goal (Outer Motivation): Being Acknowledged & Appreciated by Family
Forms This Might Take:
- The character being acknowledged for their dedication to their children (through volunteering at school, coaching teams, driving to practices, fundraising, etc.)
- Being acknowledged by family for their independence (such as a youth who works, pays for their own car, clothing, tuition, etc.) rather than expecting family to pay their way
- Being acknowledged for their passion and dedication to a goal despite opposition and setbacks (starting up a new business, trying to break in as an artist or musician, working to keep a homeless shelter or charitable organization afloat through hard times, advocating for a cause) …
Human Need Driving the Goal (Inner Motivation): Esteem and Recognition
How the Character May Prepare for this Goal
- Living by example (being a good role model, appreciating others for what they do and showing it, offering praise that is deserved
- Pointing out what the character is doing and why as a ‘team decision’ to an unappreciative or upset spouse (such as acknowledging that long hours at work means they aren’t around as much but it’s paying the mortgage and allows the kids to be on sports teams or follow their passions, which is what the spouse also wants)
- Not getting sucked into petty family drama and instead turning the other cheek or diffusing it as best as they can …
Possible Sacrifices
- Strained relationships between family members who are self-absorbed or who struggle with change
- Having to cut out toxic relationships (which could lead to family feuds as members pick sides)…
Roadblocks Which Could Prevent This Goal from Being Achieved:
- Toxic family members who sabotage the character’s efforts or try to dismantle their self esteem to “keep them in line”
- A financial crisis
- A health crisis in the family
- Competitive family members who are always trying to “one-up” the character …
Talents & Skills That Will Help the Character Achieve This Goal:
- Good Listening Skills
- Strong Reasoning Skills
- Gaining the Trust of Others
- Empathy …
Possible Fallout For the Protagonist if This Goal Is Not Met:
- Broken family relationships with those who refuse to validate the character’s value and contributions (a falling out with parents, refusing to speak to a sibling, cutting an aunt out of their life, etc.)
- Damaging relationships unintentionally because of the emotional strain (yelling at the kids, snapping at a partner) because of friction with other family members and situations …
We hope you’ve found this sample useful. To access the complete entry and our full range of thesauruses, head over to One Stop for Writers.
What does your character want, and how far will they go to achieve it?
On the surface, the protagonist’s goal seems to be the most important, but the inner motivation driving your character toward this goal (despite pain, suffering, fear, setbacks, and sacrifice) is what really draws readers in. Understanding the four cornerstones of character arc and how they frame a story is paramount for today’s writers. To help with this, we have integrated this Character Motivation Thesaurus into our online library at One Stop For Writers.
Each entry has been enhanced to provide even more information about your character’s motivation and is cross-referenced with our other thesauruses for easy searchability. We’ve also included a must-see tutorial on Character Motivation.
Interested in seeing these expanded entries? Head on over and take advantage of our FREE TRIAL!
Angela is a writing coach, international speaker, and bestselling author who loves to travel, teach, empower writers, and pay-it-forward. She also is a founder of One Stop For Writers, a portal to powerful, innovative tools to help writers elevate their storytelling.
What does the clause, “Until death do us part”, or “Until dissolved by death”, mean?
Oh how I wish it were this simple, right? Unfortunately in the family dynamic there is a lot of dysfunction to go around. We often take those closest to us for granted the most!