Communities

Writing
Writing
Codidact Meta
Codidact Meta
The Great Outdoors
The Great Outdoors
Photography & Video
Photography & Video
Scientific Speculation
Scientific Speculation
Cooking
Cooking
Electrical Engineering
Electrical Engineering
Judaism
Judaism
Languages & Linguistics
Languages & Linguistics
Software Development
Software Development
Mathematics
Mathematics
Christianity
Christianity
Code Golf
Code Golf
Music
Music
Physics
Physics
Linux Systems
Linux Systems
Power Users
Power Users
Tabletop RPGs
Tabletop RPGs
Community Proposals
Community Proposals
tag:snake search within a tag
answers:0 unanswered questions
user:xxxx search by author id
score:0.5 posts with 0.5+ score
"snake oil" exact phrase
votes:4 posts with 4+ votes
created:<1w created < 1 week ago
post_type:xxxx type of post
Search help
Notifications
Mark all as read See all your notifications »
Q&A

How can I figure out my main character's overall goal?

+1
−0

I'm currently brainstorming a fantasy story, and I love the idea of my main character, but I'm having a hard time pinning down who she is as a person. I know her backstory, her family, her abilities, even her job, but for the life of me I can't figure out what her goal is. I can't figure out what she wants out of her life, and I don't know how to solve my problem. Any suggestions would be super helpful.

History
Why does this post require moderator attention?
You might want to add some details to your flag.
Why should this post be closed?

This post was sourced from https://writers.stackexchange.com/q/26851. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

0 comment threads

2 answers

You are accessing this answer with a direct link, so it's being shown above all other answers regardless of its score. You can return to the normal view.

+0
−0

Story is driven by desire and that which stands in the way of achieving desire. If your character had a strong desire, she would have a goal. If she does not have a strong desire, that means she has everything she wants. Or at least she has everything she is willing to work hard to get.

That's fine. Lots of stories start like that. And the answer is simple enough. Take something away from her, or threaten to: home, loved ones, etc. Bingo, now she has a goal: either to save them or to be revenged on those who took them.

History
Why does this post require moderator attention?
You might want to add some details to your flag.

0 comment threads

+1
−0

Put aside the character for a moment, and ask yourself how you want the story to end. Then work backwards to your character. If she is, in fact, your main character, she will have, or develop, a goal that is congruent with the story goal.

If you can't do this, maybe you should put your "main character" in a different role, and get another main character. For instance, if your "main character" has everything she wants and all the abilities to get them, maybe you should make her the equivalent of a fairy godmother or good witch of the north (that's perfectly fine), and find yourself a "Cinderella" or a "Dorothy."

Readers see a story through the eyes of a main character. Her success/failure ultimately reflects on the story itself. That's why she needs a goal congruent with the story's goal.

History
Why does this post require moderator attention?
You might want to add some details to your flag.

This post was sourced from https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/27967. It is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

0 comment threads

Sign up to answer this question »