Motivations

Definition

Motivations are the driving forces behind a character's actions and decisions throughout a narrative. These can stem from internal desires, external pressures, or a combination of both, and they play a crucial role in shaping character arcs over time. Understanding a character's motivations helps to create depth and authenticity, allowing audiences to connect with their journeys.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Motivations can be classified as intrinsic (driven by internal desires) or extrinsic (influenced by external factors), and both types can significantly affect character development.
2. A character's motivations often evolve throughout the story, reflecting changes in their circumstances, relationships, or self-awareness.
3. Clear motivations are essential for creating relatable characters; audiences are more likely to invest emotionally in characters whose goals and struggles resonate with them.
4. Understanding a character's motivations can help writers create more engaging plots by aligning narrative conflicts with the character's goals.
5. In long arcs, motivations may be revisited or redefined as characters face new challenges, which can lead to richer storytelling and more dynamic character growth.

Review Questions

• How do motivations influence a character's decisions and actions throughout their arc?
  • Motivations are fundamental in shaping how a character reacts to different situations and challenges they encounter. They serve as the rationale behind each decision, guiding the character's journey. As characters confront obstacles, their motivations may drive them to evolve, leading to new choices that can either align with their original desires or challenge them to reconsider their goals.
• Analyze how a character's backstory might affect their motivations over long arcs in a story.
  • A character's backstory provides essential context for understanding their motivations and behaviors. Events from their past can instill certain fears, desires, or ideals that influence how they approach challenges in the present. As the narrative unfolds, the impact of this backstory can be revealed through the character's actions and decisions, illustrating how past experiences continue to shape their motivations and drive growth throughout the story.
• Evaluate the importance of intrinsic versus extrinsic motivations in developing complex characters across long arcs.
  • Intrinsic and extrinsic motivations each play vital roles in creating layered characters. Intrinsic motivations, driven by personal desires and values, often lead to profound personal growth and self-discovery. In contrast, extrinsic motivations are shaped by external pressures such as societal expectations or relationships. Balancing both types in a long arc allows for a rich exploration of a character’s internal struggles alongside their interactions with the world around them, ultimately leading to a more compelling narrative that resonates deeply with audiences.

Related terms

Character Arc: The transformation or inner journey of a character over the course of a story, often reflecting their growth or change in perspective.

Conflict: The struggle between opposing forces in a narrative, which can be internal (within a character) or external (between characters or between a character and their environment).

Backstory: The history and background of a character that informs their current motivations and behaviors, providing context for their choices.