Wrede on Writing: Tips, Hints, and Opinions on Writing by Wrede Patricia C

Author:Wrede, Patricia C. [Wrede, Patricia C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: REFERENCE/Writing Skills
Publisher: Diversion Books
Published: 2013-12-01T05:00:00+00:00

Character Motivation

People (and therefore characters) have reasons for everything they do. Sometimes those reasons are simple and obvious (the clerk at the Walgreens counter rings up your purchase because that’s his job); other times, the reasons are complicated and unclear, with roots that reach far back into a person’s past. One way or another, though, there’s always a “because” in there somewhere—because she promised, because he likes working with his hands, because they enjoy a challenge, because he’s afraid of pain/spiders/dogs/the dark, because she had a bad experience when she was eight, because, because, because.

The reasons people do things can be simple—because it’s the only way to survive—or they can be complex—partly because she’s ambitious, but partly because she likes the challenge, and partly because she really does want to help. They can be external—because that squeaky door hinge is going to drive her crazy if she doesn’t oil it—or they can be internal—because he can’t stand the thought of being betrayed again. They can be a desire to get or achieve something—because he wants that position, that ship, that girl; because she wants to become the best magician ever—or they can be a desire to avoid something—because she doesn’t want to go to jail, because he doesn’t want to feel pain, because they don’t want the kingdom overrun. Motivations can be obvious—because the dragon is right there; run away!—or they can be obscure—because he reminds her of a second cousin she hasn’t seen in thirty years and has never mentioned to her traveling companions.

It is, however, very important to remember that “because the plot says they have to” is not a motivation.

The plot is what the story looks like from the outside. The characters are inside the story; the plot may say they have to do X, but in order for that action to look and feel believable to readers, the characters have to have their own reasons for doing what they do. And those reasons have to be consistent with what the reader knows (or will learn) about the characters in the course of the book, or the reader very likely won’t believe in the character (and by extension, the plot).

Not all reasons have to be spelled out extensively, any more than every action the character takes has to be described in grim detail. Yes, George got up, showered and shaved, combed his hair, dressed, and had breakfast; 99.9 percent of the time, the author doesn’t need to mention that, much less go into detail about the position of the bed, the temperature of the shower, or the type of soap. About the same percentage of the time, the author doesn’t need to mention why George does these things—habit, fastidiousness, childhood training—because neither the actions nor the reason behind them is particularly important to the story, the character, or the reader.

Generally speaking, the spear-carriers and walk-ons, the grocery store bagger, cab driver, palace guard, maid, messenger, who appear just long enough to bag the groceries, ferry the character

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