Lack of Motivation

Without motivations, characters have no reason to do the often dangerous things they do in a novel. The stronger the motivations, the more readers will care about what happens. Here are some articles on developing character motivations to capture reader attention.

A sampling of articles on adding motivation

• Decisions, Decisions: Character Choices That Matter
• Don't Like it? Tough! Making Characters Make Tough Choices
• Two Questions to Ask for Stronger Character Goals and Motivations
• Keeping Goals and Motivations Fresh
• What's My Motivation? Tips on Showing Character Motivations
• Are Your Characters Motivated?
• Why Am I Doing This Again? Plotting Through “What’s Next?” Part Two
• Why Ask Why? Because Your Readers Will

See all articles on motivation