Motivation in writing
Motivation is a big deal with actors, if talk shows are to be believed. They are important to writers, but often an overlooked aspect in the action genre. Often it is enough to portray ‘gotta survive’ or ‘asskicker by nature’ and go on.
But to my way of thinking you need to describe or refer to the man (woman, teen, whatever) before the action began to put the reader in tune with the character. In the epic Black Company saga Croaker’s obsession with The Lady, the history of the Company, and the survival of the Black Company set the entire tone of the series. In my novel The Zone, (a searing tale available for a very reasonable price) despite being in the midst of a zombie outbreak Martin’s mind is still on the incident that ended his career, and on his failings as a father.
Nor does motivation have to be literally explainable. In The Zone and in Payload, both Martin and Marvin cannot clearly articulate their basis for choices because a large portion of the reasons are pure emotion. Martin tries to explain it as the result of his parenting and his need to be his father’s equal, but falls short. There are things that are understood or felt ‘in the bone’, and I do not think it is wrong to express that. I believe most readers will understand the concept.
In my Phantom Badger series (a gripping read starting at 0.99 for the first novel) I spend a great effort to detail the whys of how the Badgers became Badgers. Some are very heroic or complex reasons; others are quite ordinary. Never fear the ordinary; not everyone has to be an ex-SEAL CIA Black Ops nuclear physicist. Ordinary people are capable of very extraordinary things, as history shows us.
As always, I like to look to history for examples: Abraham Lincoln was a fairish small town attorney and politician before specific events led to him becoming President at the cusp of our nation’s darkest time. Adolph Hitler (not a role model, but certainly a biography which should be reviewed) was homeless when he joined an obscure fringe political party. Dwight D. Eisenhower was a penniless young man working to put his brother through college (the plan was that each brother in turn would support the other’s education costs) when a friend advised him of free education via the military. He applied for either West Point or Annapolis, and was accepted to West Point.
My point is that being at the right time with the right drive can cause people of ordinary backgrounds to achieve incredible things (both good and evil).
So look to your motivations in your writing. It isn’t a bad idea to keep an eye on them in your real life, as well.
