For Writers: What – Because – But

by Ane Mulligan @AneMulligan

I used to struggle with GMC (goal, motivation & conflict). I loved the concept, and quickly jumped on the band wagon. I got the book GMC: Goal Motivation and Conflict, by Debra Dixon. I devoured it. It was an easy read, since she uses movies as examples. 

I had no trouble following Dorothy's GMCs as she traversed Oz. Then I closed the book, made some GMC charts, and sat at my desk to put what I'd learned to use. 

And that's when I disconnected. 

Oh, the conflict part was easy. There's no mixing of signals on that. Anything that kept my protagonist from the goal is conflict. 

Even the goals weren't so hard, once someone explained the external goal is the character's story goal. That made sense. The internal goal took a little head-banging in the beginning, but I'd go back to the book until I got it.

By the way, in the class I took, Debra Dixon explained in Romance (the class was sponsored by a local RWA chapter) the goal is never to get married - or even fall in love. No, in romance, the heroine's goal should be the hero's conflict and vice versa. And it makes sense. I love things that make sense—I can understand them. And put them to use.

So, I had conflict and goal down, external at least. Internal was another story. Every time I tried to find the motivation, I listed another goal. I kept mixing those two things up. 

Being the persistent little scribe that I am, I took another class. This one was a month long, online, and taught by Laurie Schnebly Campbell. It's called Plotting Via Motivation and well worth your time. I'm sure I was her most thick-headed student. Every time I listed a motivation, she told me it was a goal. I'd write what I thought was a motivation. She'd tell me that's a goal.

Why was this so hard for me? Finally, she just started asking, "Why?" 

Ane: "Because she blah blah blah.

Laurie: "Why?"

Ane: Well, because she … more blah blah.

Laurie: "Why?"

I wanted to reach through the computer screen and slap her! But finally, I hit it. My character's deepest core motivation. But was I going to have to go through that exercise with evert POV character for every book? Some of my books have three POV characters!

Then one of my critique partners Michelle Griep called for a brainstorm session. I'd shared all this with her and our other CP as soon as I'd learned it. They embraced it. But Michelle is a smart cookie. She changed those three little words to:

Wants, Because, But

Whoa! That boils all the fat out of that turkey. She was talking my language—simple. Yeah, I know what my character wants. And she wants it because (fill in the blank). But is easy. What stops her from getting it? 

Why didn't I think of that? So how do you manage to find the GMCs in your story? And if you want to borrow our WBBs, be our guest. Michelle gets the credit. 

TWEETABLES

For Writers: What – Because – But. #Writing Tips from @AneMulligan on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Goal, Motivation and Conflict for writers explained by @AneMulligan on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Ane Mulligan has been a voracious reader ever since her mom instilled within her a love of reading at age three, escaping into worlds otherwise unknown. But when Ane saw Mary Martin in PETER PAN,she was struck with a fever from which she never recovered—stage fever. She submerged herself in drama through high school and college. Years later, her two loves collided, and a bestselling, award-winning novelist emerged. She resides in Sugar Hill, GA, with her artist husband and a rascally Rottweiler. Find Ane on her website, Amazon Author page, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterestand The Write Conversation.