Motivation

Definition

Motivation refers to the driving force behind a character's actions, decisions, and growth throughout a story. Understanding motivation is crucial for creating authentic and relatable characters who evolve in believable ways as they navigate their journeys, providing depth and resonance to their experiences.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Motivation can be intrinsic, stemming from personal beliefs or desires, or extrinsic, driven by external factors like relationships or societal expectations.
2. A character's motivation is often linked to their backstory, providing context for their actions and decisions in the present.
3. Characters with clear motivations tend to be more relatable and engaging, as audiences can empathize with their struggles and aspirations.
4. Motivation can evolve over time, allowing for dynamic character development as they confront challenges and learn from their experiences.
5. Effective scene structure hinges on motivation; scenes should reflect characters' motivations, enhancing pacing and tension within the narrative.

Review Questions

• How does a character's motivation contribute to their development across a narrative?
  • A character's motivation is crucial for their development as it drives their actions and decisions, influencing how they respond to challenges. As characters confront obstacles related to their motivations, they undergo growth that shapes their identity. This interplay between motivation and development helps create compelling arcs that resonate with the audience.
• In what ways can motivation affect character consistency and growth throughout a story?
  • Motivation is key to maintaining character consistency; it serves as a guiding principle for their actions and decisions. When characters act in alignment with their motivations, they appear more authentic and relatable. However, as circumstances change, motivations can shift, enabling characters to grow and adapt while still staying true to their core values.
• Evaluate how understanding a character's motivation can enhance the feedback process during script development.
  • Understanding a character's motivation is essential for effective feedback because it informs evaluators about whether characters are acting consistently with their established goals. If a character's actions seem out of sync with their motivations, it could signal issues in the script that need addressing. By focusing on motivation in feedback sessions, writers can ensure that characters resonate with audiences while effectively progressing through the story.

Related terms

Desire: Desire represents a character's specific wants or needs that fuel their motivation and influence their choices throughout the narrative.

Conflict: Conflict refers to the challenges or obstacles a character faces, often arising from their motivations, which creates tension and drives the story forward.

Arc: Arc describes the transformation a character undergoes over the course of a story, often driven by their motivations and how they respond to external and internal conflicts.