What's My Motivation? Tips on Showing Character Motivations

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Knowing what motivates a character to act not only makes for a great read, it also makes it easier to plot.

Understanding character motivations is a big part of plotting. Why your characters (especially your protagonist and antagonist) do the things they do determines how your plot unfolds, since they'll have reasons for choosing Option A over Option B.

Of course, showing those motivations without banging a reader over the head can be the hard part. Especially if the reasons aren't clear to the character.

While you don't have to know every single reason why your character does every little thing, if what they do affects the plot or story, it's a good idea to know why they did it. Otherwise, you might end up with a reactionary protagonist or a character who's just acting out plot, but doesn't really care about what happens. Those kinds of characters can leave a story feeling flat and lifeless.
Continue ReadingWritten by Janice Hardy. Fiction-University.com