Part 6 - Facts from the RWA Convention

               ***
One of the most special workshops I attended at the convention "Plotting by Motivation" was presented by Laurie Schnebly Campbell http://booklaurie.com/(Laurie offers many wonderful workshops, many of which I've been fortunate enough to have taken.)
In her classes, she lifts you up and never lets you down - until you totally get her point. I could see a lot of others in the room reacting the same way that I did. OHHH!!! being the most used expression. So many light bulbs blinked on that the room glowed.  Her favorite saying is "WHY?" And by the end of the class, we all knew the importance of asking ourselves that particular question. 

Fact: Motivation is what drives your story and makes your characters credible.
Fact: Goal is something a person wants in the here and now. It drives a person with a time limit in the end, and it's something concrete - like having a baby!
Think of it this way…motivation is behind the goal – a way of being – a long term reason for why they want what they want.For my example - I've used the characters from "Roll the Dice" my new release - September 2012 
My heroine, Aurora – is motivated to overcome her horrible childhood. She needs to feel that she's worthy of a good man's love, and until she finds him, she protects her soft core by coming across as a hard-ass. Why? Because she's never felt lovable.
Aurora's goal – To capture the man who raped her partner. Why? Because her partner loves her and she'll go to any lengths for someone who cares about her.
My hero, Kai – his motivation stems from the adoration his sister and parents showered on him, which means he needs to find this deep kind of affection, this same admiration from a woman he cares about. Why? Because he needs to be admired to be happy.
Kai's goal – he wants to kill the man who raped his sister, which led to her hanging herself. Why? Because the maniac took her out of his life. 
***Once I decided to delve into my characters to the extent of fully understanding their goals and motivations, I knew how to round them out even more. Bring them to life, shall we say. And by doing this exercise, I'm hoping the reader will benefit by a well-plotted story.
 







***Once I decided to delve into my characters to the extent of fully understanding their goals and motivations, I knew how to round them out even more. Bring them to life, shall we say. And by doing this exercise, I'm hoping the reader will benefit by a well-plotted story.


Last Days of Freedom Giveaway Hop!!!
For this Last Days of Freedom Giveaway Hop I will be happy to present one lucky winner with a $10 Amazon Gift certificate and five another with a free e-copy of My Cheeky Angel. All you need to do is leave a comment with your e-mail address.
And...I'll be adding your names to my newsletter list, so I hope you won't mind getting a periodic letter from me telling of new releases and special news!
********