Why do you behave the way you do?

For that matter, why do I? If we’re like most people, it probably depends on a lot of different things.

So how about the characters we writers create?

Creating realistic characters often comes from a fair amount of think time, not just writing off-the-cuff. Creating a well-rounded persona for main characters is critical to pull in readers. So let’s look at what drives people- both real and fictional.

Motivation comes from different places. Over my decades as both an instructor of writing and a fiction writer, I’ve realized that there seem to be at least three important kinds of motivation. And they’re all time-related:

1.) Foundational motivation. These are the values you learned early in life; the beliefs and experiences that impacted your actions as a child.

What was expected of you? How were conflicts handled by the people around you? How did you internalize the behavior and words of others and the results they received?

Not everyone will have had cause to think about this. Nevertheless, the answers to these questions probably dictate many of the explanations for your behavior.

2.) Immediate motivation. This is the combination of forces which impact the issue at hand in real time.

What’s happening in the moment? What possible outcomes impact your decision-making? Are you tired? Stressed? Feeling happy or satisfied? Irritated?

Each of these moods can impact our motivations as different circumstances arise. For example, stress can make us push harder or shut down, depending on its intensity and causes. Fear, or the potential real or imagined effects of a stressful situation, can motivate us to do whatever we can to thwart a negative outcome or to put off a conflict and address it another day.

Sometimes, in the heat of the moment, we revert to our ingrained foundational motivations. But at other times, we let our gut instincts take the lead.

3.) Long-term motivation. This is what keeps us headed toward our goals. Maybe it’s a sense of responsibility; maybe it’s the payoff we see on the horizon.

When clear goals are created, bolstered by reasonable steps and guidelines for time management, we can often achieve small gains that push us further. Being encouraged by our early progress builds momentum and helps us continue forward, even when those immediate issues pop up to challenge our plans.

It’s clear that we each have our own unique blend of values, experiences, and conflicts that impact our everyday motivations and consequential actions. 

Thinking about our own motivations can help us intentionally flesh out more memorable characters.

Realistic characters behave in ways that reflect their own motivations, too. And if we understand our characters’ motivations as well as we understand our own, we can write in a way that brings the reader a believable and fully realized person on the page.

Luckily, there are many ways to do this!

Some writers like to create documents with motivations and backstory before they write. Others like to chart them, especially if there are many characters, as in a novel. More visual writers often enjoy drawing and labeling aspects of their characters.

Some writers create motivations as they write, while they are inspired and in the Flow.

However you prefer, just do it. Invest time in knowing your characters’ backstories and motivation before or as you write. Knowing more than just the physical appearance of your characters allows you to be a better storyteller: more authentic and more engaging.

And as always, take a light touch. Waxing poetic or lecturing readers about the character’s background and motivation is usually a drag. Leave something for the reader to infer or discover!

Writing well is hard work. But the results make meeting new characters such a joy!

Here’s a way to get started:

Choose a memorable character from a story, book, or film. 

What are that character’s foundational motivations? Immediate motivations? Long-term motivations? How do you know?

Repeat with a few other characters.

Now consider how you can use those writer strategies to create your own memorable characters, ones whom your readers will relate to and remember!

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