Why?
More Than a Crooked Letter at the End of the Alphabet.
My characters come to me first. I see them in the periphery of my mind, fully formed in period dress. They are in the middle of doing or saying something.
In my most recent novel I saw my heroine tackle an orderly in the middle of a Civil War hospital ward.
In another, the hero stood in the shadows doing nothing, his face hidden.
For my first novel I saw the hero lying in bed. He said, “Meggie, me back hurts.”
In my second the heroine, dressed as a boy said, “What the hell do you want now, lawman?”
The first step in my process to understanding the goals and motivations of my characters is to ask the question, “Why?” “Why did you tackle that guy?” “Why are you hiding?” “What happened to your back?” “Why would a heroine talk that way?”
With every answer I ask another why. Eventually, I discover the root of their motivation.
For example, say we have a character named Sam. Sam is a single man, in good shape, 32–35 years old and he has just found the map to a stash of Civil War gold. It’s a good goal. Everyone can relate to his desire to find the money. The adventure promises to have lots of action during his quest for the gold.
Now the writer can throw obstacles at Sam (which create the conflict)to prevent him from finding the treasure. The villain also wants the treasure and tries to keep Sam from getting it first.
It’s a pretty basic story. Interesting. And many readers will keep reading to see what happens, but it’s a predictable read and easy to put down.
Let’s ask Sam why he really wants that treasure.
Me: Why do you want the gold? Money? Prestige?
Sam: I want the money.
Me: Why endure all the struggle and expense(more obstacles which add to the conflict), finding that gold will entail?
Sam: I want to help out my parents. Pay off the mortgage on their farm. (the external goal)
An excellent reason to want the money. Now Sam is no longer a selfish person in this treasure hunt. Other people are involved. People the author has hopefully introduced the reader to. People we now care about, people who will be hurt if Sam doesn’t find the treasure.
Me: Most people don’t go out of their way like that, risk so much to help their parents. Why is it so important? (the motivation must be equal to or stronger than the risk, or cost of reaching that goal)
Sam: Because the farm has been in my father’s family for generations and my parents don’t want to lose it.
We like Sam because he is doing the right thing. But it is still a predictable story and Sam is still a somewhat boring, though likeable character.
Me: Why hasn’t the mortgage been paid long before now? (question of believability)
Sam: Because ten years ago I got in trouble and went to prison. My parents had to mortgage the farm to raise bail and pay for an attorney.
Me: Why can’t you get a job or work on the farm and pay them back?
Sam: Because the bank will foreclose soon. (Ticking clock adds tension)
Me: But what if you can’t find the treasure in time?
Sam: If I fail they’ll lose everything. This is my fault. I have to fix it or they’ll hate me. (internal goal)
This is the thing that drives him to push past all the obstacles. Can you see how asking why has revealed Sam’s internal motivation; the real reason he needs to find the treasure? This emotional connection between the character and your reader is what compels your reader to stick with your character until the end of the book.
You can even take it further and ask hard questions.
What would your character sacrifice to achieve their goal? Would Sam risk breaking the law again in order to get that treasure? Would Sam lie, cheat, steal, hurt his best friend? Don’t be afraid to push your characters.
Now what might happen if Sam doesn’t reach his goal and his family looses the farm. He has to face his fear. Will his family still love him? How will he perceive himself as a man? As their son?
Maybe seeing his family keep the farm is worth the cost of prison.
What is the emotional wound that drives your character?
Are they afraid of failing? Why? Do they fear losing the respect of a parent or spouse? Why? Dig deep. Write a list of things that might create the most anxiety in your character and pick the one that jumps out at you. Next, think about your back story. How did that wound come to be? How does it drive you character toward their goal or keep them from reaching it?
Ratchet up the internal and external fears as you build toward the climax. And don’t explain everything in an info dump of back story right at the beginning. Let the reader figure it out. Raise questions in the reader’s mind.
Gradually escalate the characters reaction in proportion to the situation. You don’t want to show John, who is afraid of small spaces, hyperventilating and curling into the fetal position while getting into an elevator in chapter one. Save his strongest reaction for the end of the story when John must confront his fear and crawl through a narrow tunnel in order to save the city from the terrorist bomb.
If you write romance, the significant partner to your protagonist needs a fleshed out story as well. And don’t forget the antagonist. What motivates them to thwart your character from reaching their goal?
The answers to these questions are what keep your characters from being predictable and falling flat on the page. They add layers the reader can identify with.
Once your reader understands the stakes, they’ll be right there when your character’s heart races and their palms sweat. Tension builds. Your reader keeps turning pages to find out what happens next, and you’ll have created a book they can’t put down.
