The Power of Motivation in Your Writing: Understanding Your Character’s Inner Drive

by Zena Dell Lowe @ZenaDellLowe

As writers, we know that character development is essential to crafting a compelling story. But what makes a character truly memorable? In my experience, it all comes down to motivation.

Motivation is the driving force behind a character's actions and decisions. It's what propels them forward and gives them purpose. Understanding your characters' motivations is key to creating a believable and relatable cast of characters. So how do you go about developing your characters' motivations? 

Here are some tips to get you started understanding the inner drive of the characters you write:

1. Understand the psychology of motivation

Motivation is a complex psychological phenomenon that has been studied extensively in the field of psychology. In general, motivation can be thought of as the process that initiates, guides, and maintains goal-oriented behaviors. There are many different theories of motivation, but some of the most well-known include Maslow's hierarchy of needs, self-determination theory, and achievement motivation theory.

Personally, I recommend trying to keep it simple. It essentially comes down to what your character wants and WHY they want it so badly. What does your character think they will gain once they have attained their goal? If your character wants that desired promotion at work, what does he believe that will give him? If he wants to be voted Senior Class President, what does he think he will gain? Maybe what he really wants is to win the girl, and this becomes a way to win her over. If so, why does he believe he’s not worthy of her unless he achieves this victory? Why does he believe she won’t love him back unless he wins? Where are those beliefs coming from? 

Motivation always points back to the fundamental beliefs that your character holds about the world, others, and self.

2. Connect motivation to character backstory

Consequently, the only way to create authentic and believable character motivations is to tie them to the character's backstory. For example, a character who grew up in poverty might be motivated by a desire for financial stability, but to make the story powerful, you want to tie that motivation to the fundamental belief that the character has surrounding that goal, and that means you must tie it to their past. 

What does that character believe will happen once he attains financial stability? He attaches meaning to the idea of financial stability based on what he lacked as a child. So, in that character’s mind, perhaps financial stability means family. It means love and safety and no more chaos and trauma, which is really what that character wants but never had. This is a far more powerful motivation than mere financial gain.

3. Make sure motivation is consistent with character traits and back story

Your characters' motivations should be consistent with their personalities and histories. A timid character is unlikely to be motivated by a desire for power unless the attainment of power holds some other meaning for that character. In other words, you must attach meaning to the object of their desire that is consistent with what that character would REALLY want or need based on their past. You, as the writer, must understand the WHY behind the want in order to maintain a consistent and credible character that the audience wants to see win. 

4. Create internal and external motivations

The key here is to create both internal and external motivations. Internal motivations are those that stem from a character's past, his personality, his primary beliefs, and his values, while external motivations are those that come from the outside world, such as a desire for money or fame. By creating both internal and external motivations, you add depth and complexity to your characters. The external motivation becomes a tangible expression of the character’s primary objective—whatever it is they are pursuing over the course of the telling. The internal motivation, on the other hand, ties into the character’s need—whatever deep wound they have deep down that they’re trying to heal as the story unfolds.

5. Use motivation to drive the plot

Use your character’s motivation to drive the plot forward. The obstacles and challenges that your character faces should be directly tied to their objective goals, which must be directly tied to their motivations—why are they pursuing this goal in the first place? Every action and decision should ultimately be guided by their internal and external desires. Otherwise, your character will not be consistent, sympathetic, or complex enough to keep your readers engaged.

The bottom line is that motivation is a powerful tool for character development. By understanding the psychology of motivation, connecting it to character backstory, making it consistent with character traits, creating both internal and external motivations, and using it to drive the plot, you can create truly compelling and memorable characters. 

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Zena has worked professionally in the entertainment industry for over 20 years as a writer, producer, director, actress, and story consultant. Zena also teaches advanced classes on writing all over the country. As a writer, Zena has won numerous awards for her work. She also has several feature film projects in development through her independent production company, Mission Ranch Films. In addition to her work as a filmmaker, Zena launched The Storyteller’s Mission with Zena Dell Lowe, a podcast designed to serve the whole artist, not just focus on craft. In 2021, Zena launched The Storyteller’s Mission Online Platform, where she offers advanced classes and other key services to writers. Zena loves story and loves to support storytellers. Her passion is to equip artists of all levels to achieve excellence at their craft, so that they will truly have everything they need to change the world for the better through story.

To find out more about Zena or her current courses and projects, check out her websites at WWW.MISSIONRANCHFILMS.COM and WWW.THESTORYTELLERSMISSION.COM