Yearning

The first time I read Robert Olen Butler's chapter "Yearning," I took it for granted. So characters have to want something. They need goals. I figured that was something that automatically happened as I developed my plot.

However, it turns out, one of my biggest weaknesses as a writer is giving my characters goals. Without character goals (or "yearning" as Butler calls it), the novel lacks structure as do individual scenes. Let's look at two types of character goals.

Story Goal

The plot of the novel must be propelled by a story goal. This is what your protagonist strives for from beginning until the end where he or she either does reach the goal or doesn't. Every scene should in some way get to the next step of reaching the goal. The main conflict in the story comes about as an obstacle between the protagonist and this goal.

Scene Goal

There is a smaller goal for each scene. The protagonist isn't the only one with goals. Each character should have one. Sometimes it is these conflicting goals that can cause obstacles for the protagonist along the way. At each scene establish what the scene goal is and make sure that all of the character's actions reflect their attempt to achieve it.


Motive

A motive is what drives the goal. The goal itself might be something shallow like wanting to get to the school dance despite everything working against her. But there must be a reason that this is important that is connected to the character's fundamental beliefs. For instance, the protagonist wants to get to the school dance because she knows that if she doesn't, it will ruin her reputation, which is essential to her social life at this period in her life. She believes that if she doesn't appear at the dance, she will lose her status as most popular girl in school and ergo lose all her opportunities that her popularity brings like dating, friends, scholarships. A bit melo-dramatic, yes. But you don't need to believe it--the character does.