Motivation
What gets you up at an ungodly hour, makes you sit in a chair, and pursue a career as a writer? Or, makes you put a pot of coffee on and type away long after your family has gone to bed? What makes you carry around a notebook and scribble furiously when you get an idea?
Motivation. Your reason for being a writer. For me, it's a desire to have this gig, where I sit in my pjs and make stuff up out of my imagination. It feeds my soul. And I get to be home full-time with the kidlets.
But motivation is also, I think, the key--THE key--to characters. Motivate your character with real reasons--a motivation your readers can believe is true--and your readers can suspend disbelief.
Why would my heroine go into a house where she is CERTAIN a serial killer awaits her? My instinct--your instinct--would be to run the other way. Call the cops. But my heroine knows her father is inside, defenseless and unknowing, and so she rushes in with her detective/friend, regardless of what lays in wait.
That motivation, to me, is real. I would die for any of my children. No questions asked. I hope to never be put in that position, but the fierce attachment is there.
We are motivated to write. Why? Your characters are motivated to take risks. Why? Know thyself. Know thy characters . . . and it's all believable.
Thoughts?
Motivation. Your reason for being a writer. For me, it's a desire to have this gig, where I sit in my pjs and make stuff up out of my imagination. It feeds my soul. And I get to be home full-time with the kidlets.
But motivation is also, I think, the key--THE key--to characters. Motivate your character with real reasons--a motivation your readers can believe is true--and your readers can suspend disbelief.
Why would my heroine go into a house where she is CERTAIN a serial killer awaits her? My instinct--your instinct--would be to run the other way. Call the cops. But my heroine knows her father is inside, defenseless and unknowing, and so she rushes in with her detective/friend, regardless of what lays in wait.
That motivation, to me, is real. I would die for any of my children. No questions asked. I hope to never be put in that position, but the fierce attachment is there.
We are motivated to write. Why? Your characters are motivated to take risks. Why? Know thyself. Know thy characters . . . and it's all believable.
Thoughts?
Labels: character motivation
posted by Erica Orloff at 8:41 AM
9 Comments:
Said so well there's really nothing to add. :P
But a'course you know I'll babble anyway.
The number one reason I've flung books aside is lack of character motivation. When the TSTL gal rushes into a dangerous situation for no reason and with no particular plan aside from getting her into a tight spot where Mr. Too-Good-To-Be-True hero can rescue her it makes me want to hurl!
And sadly, having lived on a fairly steady diet of romance novels lately (in the name of research, ya know) it happens WAY too often!
Hi Lainey:
I hate those TSTL moments, too. And this issue goes deep, I think. Take abusive relationships . . . you can "believe" a woman will stay if you go deep into the back story of her life and find the reasons and deep-seated motivations for why she stays. You can "believe" a woman or a man will rob a bank or do x or y . . . as long as you can understand in their world why they might choose to. Motivation goes to the villain, the hero . . . everyone.
I really, really appreciate a book where the characters (esp. the protagonist) stays "in character" for the entire read. I just finished Tyrell by Coe Booth. Who woul've thought I could feel like a homeless, black, male teen from the projects of NYC? That's how "in character" the book stayed. And that's what I'm aiming for in my writing. To stay true to the characters. It's definitely a challenge.
barrie:
Great advice. Sometimes, I have read things that hop POVs because, I think it somehow proved easier than staying in the character at hand. It's a tough task--particularly if you choose a difficult character. But the end result is definitely worth it.
E
I just finished a book from a line that I truly look forward to and enjoy reading.
The book, by a multi-published author, did not show, depict, represent, or share true character motivation.
The hero behaved in what many Amazon reviewers described as abusive. (Why? I suppose because he could.)
The heroine after being treated so poorly up and decides that if he will allow her to leave and won't continue to control her, she will stay and that she loves him. (Why? No clue. The reader reviews on Amazon don't have any idea either as to how / why /when she came to this miraculous ephiphany.)
I truly was disappointed in the book, which should have been a true grabber as the first in the series, due to it's lackluster depiction of motivation. The book was, well, lacking....
Deepening and revealing plausible motivation would have gone a long way in strengthening the characterization, the plot, and the overall readability of the book.
Great post, Erica!
Hi Kathy:
To me, it's all in layering the back story . . . giving us hints throughout of the motivation and the hidden passions and hurts that make people do what they do.
I agree, it's disappointing when you read a book--or see a movie--and go "huh"? Silly example, but the movie Hitch with Will Smith . . . I spent the ENTIRE movie wondering WHY on earth he would be interested in Eva Mendes's character because she was SUCH a b-word. She was impossible to like. So I didn't get it, didn't care . . .
E
"Know thyself. Know thy characters . . . and it's all believable."
I'm putting this one on a post-it note. :) (A post-it of note. lol.)
Heather:
Wow! I've made a Post-It! :-)
E
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