Ane: For those who have read Debra Dixon's book GMC: Goal, Motivation & Conflict, I
have come to the conclusion that Motivation
is the most important. Motivation engages us. We can relate to character
motivations. They form the foundation of characters that live on in our minds
after the story ends.
Motivation leads to character arc. It’s the WHY of GMC. The
Goal is the WHAT the character wants. Motivation is the WHY he wants it. If we
provide strong motivation, our readers will follow our characters anywhere,
through anything.
A character can behave reprehensibly, in a way we would
normally condemn, but if the motivation is strong enough, we'll forgive the
character and cheer him on. Motivation is what makes us empathize with the
character. If it's important enough, the character won't be able to back away
from it when the conflict gets rough.
Finding the deep, core motivation is imperative for great
characters. Sometimes, you’ll be surprised when you discover that core
motivation. It isn't always nice.
Too often in Christian fiction, our characters are too nice. If the core motivation is
selfishness, but the character isn’t really a selfish person, allow that side
to be seen in small ways. It makes a good character great. It makes them
complex. We want our characters to be complex—deep—real, because that creates the
basis for the character arc.
When I have a new protagonist, I use a Character Interview
(CI). Mine contains way more than physical characteristics. I want to discover
the lie she believes about herself and her deepest, darkest secret. I want to
know her back-story. I want to know her parents’ back-story. Her grandparents’ back-story.
Why? Because the way people are raised affects their view of
themselves and their worldview. If I don’t know my character’s ancestors, I
can’t know my character.
After I get a clue or two into the character from the CI, I
write a stream-of-consciousness back-story. I’m always amazed at the secrets
that come out when writing these. For one manuscript I’m working on, I went
back four generations. I discovered why my characters acted the way they did.
In other words, I found their core motivation.
I just finished teaching the ACFW online course on this
subject, and I know I got under the skin of a few students by continually asking,
“Why?” Too often, we list a goal—a what—as the motivation. You have to keep
asking yourself why they want it, until you get down to the core motivation. Most
of the time, it’s a single word—a basic, human emotion, a desire, a need.
Once you know that, your character comes alive. You
understand why she makes the decisions she does and why she reacts the way she
does. Now her goals make sense. And now she’s on her way to becoming
unforgettable.
