30 Character Motivations To Kickstart Your Story

Explore 30 character motivations to create memorable characters, drive your plot, and kickstart your next story.

Two Things To Remember About Motivations

Characters drive stories. Without compelling characters who are in trouble and determined to reach a goal, there is no plot. What your characters want—and why they want it—creates conflict, shapes their decisions, and carries your story from the opening scene, through the muddle in the middle, to a satisfying ending.

1. In my post on the qualities of compelling motivations, I said that motivations only work if they matter, and if the character has something to win or lose. There must be consequences if they fail. Motivations should be complex, rational or irrational, but always believable.
2. Our characters need to reach a story goal, and strong motivations give them the desire to achieve it. The best motivations combine physical and emotional elements. For example, a person who wants to beat an addiction (physical) does it to become happier (emotional).

To help you create a strong motivation for your main character, here are 30 character motivations to kickstart your story.

30 Character Motivations To Kickstart Your Story

	Character Motivations	Examples From Literature
1	Getting revenge on someone who wronged them.	The Count of Monte Cristo – Edmond Dantès devotes his life to avenging those who betrayed him.
2	Surviving a natural disaster, war, or catastrophe.	Life of Pi – Pi struggles to survive after a shipwreck.
3	Fighting a life-threatening disease.	The Fault in Our Stars – Hazel Grace Lancaster fights terminal cancer.
4	Recovering from a devastating breakup.	High Fidelity – Rob tries to rebuild his life after Laura leaves him.
5	Saving the world, their town, or their community from destruction.	The Lord of the Rings – Frodo’s quest is to save Middle-earth.
6	Saving someone they love.	The Princess Bride – Westley risks everything to rescue Buttercup.
7	Clearing their name.	Atonement – Briony spends her life trying to atone for falsely accusing Robbie.
8	Saving a failing relationship.	Persuasion – Anne Elliot and Captain Wentworth find their way back to each other.
9	Building a better future for themselves or others.	A Tree Grows in Brooklyn – Francie dreams of escaping poverty through education.
10	Winning the heart of the person they love.	Pride and Prejudice – Darcy and Elizabeth need to overcome misunderstandings to find love.
11	Overcoming an addiction.	Shuggie Bain – Agnes struggles with alcoholism.
12	Winning a high-stakes competition.	The Hunger Games – Katniss must win the Games to survive.
13	Proving themselves by completing an impossible challenge.	The Hobbit – Bilbo proves he is capable of courage and bravery.
14	Escaping captivity.	Room – Ma and Jack must escape the room where they are imprisoned.
15	Escaping imminent danger.	The Call of the Wild – Buck fights to survive in a harsh environment.
16	Finding a person, object, or piece of information before it is too late.	The Da Vinci Code – Robert Langdon races to uncover a hidden secret.
17	Solving a murder or mystery.	The Hound of the Baskervilles – Sherlock Holmes wants to investigate a mysterious death.
18	Landing their dream job.	David Copperfield – David works towards becoming a successful writer.
19	Righting a terrible wrong.	To Kill a Mockingbird – Atticus Finch decides to defend an innocent man against injustice.
20	Discovering the truth.	The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time – Christopher investigates the mystery of who killed his neighbour’s dog.
21	Protecting a dangerous secret.	Rebecca – Maxim de Winter hides the truth about Rebecca’s death.
22	Killing someone to survive, protect another person, or seek revenge.	The Road – The father is prepared to do whatever it takes to protect his son in a dangerous post-apocalyptic world.
23	Having a child.	The Handmaid’s Tale – Fertility drives the central conflict of the story.
24	Starting a revolution against an unjust system.	Mockingjay – Katniss must become the symbol of rebellion.
25	Bringing down a corrupt company or government.	The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo – Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist expose corruption.
26	Stopping a person or organisation before they cause irreparable harm.	Jurassic Park – The characters try to contain a scientific disaster.
27	Seeking redemption for past mistakes.	A Christmas Carol – Scrooge is motivated to change after confronting the harm his choices have caused.
28	Leaving home to start a new life.	Jane Eyre – Jane wants independence and a new future.
29	Returning home after years away.	The Odyssey – Odysseus struggles to return to Ithaca.
30	Repaying a debt or honouring a promise.	A Game of Thrones – Ned Stark’s promises shape his choices and fate.

Remember that you can make these motivations positive or negative, depending on your story.

The Last Word

Great motivations make your characters act, which is what readers want. Action leads to conflict, consequences, and sacrifices, which keep readers invested in the story. When characters overcome obstacles and learn about their strengths and weaknesses, it leads to character development. Readers love this. Try one of these if you want to kickstart your story.

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

by Amanda Patterson
© Amanda Patterson

More posts from Amanda:

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2. 5 Instances When You Need To Tell (Not Show) In Your Writing
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5. How To Write A Gripping Novel: 5 Essential Tips
6. How Many Words Should A Novel Be? A Writer’s Guide To Word Counts
7. What Is A Novel Outline? 5 Strong Reasons To Outline Your Novel Before You Start Writing
8. What Is A Good Daily Word Count? Lessons From 39 Famous Authors
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10. The Author’s Promise: The Two Things Every Writer Owes Their Reader

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