Oh, Woe Is Me: Strengthening Character Goals

By Janice Hardy, @Janice_Hardy

Characters drive the plot, because they want something badly enough to act to achieve (or avoid) it. But don't make it easy on them.

When I'm plotting a novel, one of the first things I ask is "What does the protagonist want?" It's a critical question to understand my plot and even my novel, because if I don't know the goal, I can't possibly write a novel that illustrates how the character tries to achieve that goal.

And that's what a novel is at the core: a character trying to have their way and get what they want.

What they choose to do is going to create the plot. Why they choose to do it will create the motivations and stakes. Together, characters, motivations, stakes, and plot make readers want to read on. I've found understanding the why make it's a whole lot easier to figure out the what.

At the start of a scene, the character will be facing a problem. It might be the core of the story idea, or the first in a long line of things planned to resolve that conflict. They'll be facing a choice about that problem, because what they do needs to advance the plot, and choices are a great way to do that.

1. Can you make the character do something they don't want to do?

Conflict breeds conflict, which gives you more options to develop plot events. Look into your character's history. Were they ever in a situation that scarred or hurt them? Maybe you can you give them a traumatic event that works to influence this situation?

Using painful backstory is another great way to further flesh out a character and provide additional plotting options.

• Can they be faced with an ethical dilemma that can rock their very being? 
• Can they be forced to act in a way they know is going to be detrimental to someone else? 
• Can they be forced to act in ways that will be detrimental to their own goals? 
• Can you make them uncomfortable and push them out of their comfort zone?

(Here's more on What's My Motivation? Tips on Showing Character Motivations)

2. Can you put the character between a rock and hard place?

Easy choices are boring. If the reader can clearly see which choice the character is going to make, the story becomes predictable. Look for ways that aren't so easy to guess (or get out of). Force characters to make impossible choices--neither option is good, but they have to do something. And of course, the option that gets them closer to what they want, is the one with the worse consequences.

Giving them a hard choice makes the goals harder to accomplish.

• Can you force them to make a bad decision?
• Can you create an impossible situation with no easy out?
• Can you force a choice that will haunt them the rest of the novel?

(Here's more on 7 Ways Your Characters Can Screw up Their Decisions)

3. Can you give each option risks or consequences?

Stakes grab readers, so look for ways in which the decision the character makes has consequences and ramification after that choice is made. Give all the options downsides--even if the character doesn't see them. A risk readers know about but the character doesn't works too, and they can worry the whole time knowing something terrible is hurtling toward them.

High stakes and consequences for a character's action gives weight to their choices about what to do next.

• Do your character choices have consequences?
• Are there consequences even for the "good" or "safe" choices? Should there be?
• Do characters have enough information to make the right choice (which isn't always a good thing)?
• Can they make bad choices based on wrong or incomplete information?

(Here's more on The One-Two Punch: Creating Conflict and Raising the Stakes)

4. Can you demand a sacrifice?

Give the decision a cost, especially if it hurts the story problem and makes it harder for the protagonist to win. Early on in a story they probably won't be willing to make that sacrifice, but later, they'll have little choice. Offering them the same sacrifice at the beginning and end of a story can be an effective technique as well.

Getting what they want shouldn't be easy.

• What are they willing to give up now that they weren't before, and why?
• How much will it cost to achieve this goal?
• Will getting the goal hurt them in other ways?

(Here's more on All Is Lost: Four Kinds of Death in Fiction)

5. Can the action mirror something critical that will come later?

Just like a sacrifice, if there's a theme, or aspect of character growth that needs to occur, maybe you can start the groundwork for it early. If the protagonist will be faced with a similar choice later, perhaps show them making the wrong one early to show growth (or foreshadow failure) for that later moment.

Some goals offer chances to teach the character a lesson.

• What does the character have to learn for the character arc?
• What flaws does the character need to overcome?
• What are the character's bind spots?

(Here's more on Mirroring: An Easy Way to Deepen Your Novel)

6. Can you exploit a fear, flaw, or weakness?

Does the character have a fear you can take advantage of? Maybe it's something they'll need to to overcome to win in the end, or a weakness you need to show early on so you can use it during the dark moment in act three. Maybe it's a flaw that needs to be shown in action so readers can see how that character overcomes that flaw (and probably wins despite it).

Let the goals play to a character's weakness as well as their strengths.

• What fear will cause the characters to make mistakes?
• What situations might cause them to make bad choices?
• How might you push their buttons to get them to act recklessly or foolishly?

(Here's more on Broken, but Still Good: 3 Ways to Create Character Flaws)

Anything can happen in a story, but if you look at the character and consider what they want and what they'll willing to do to get it, your story goals become stronger. They're personal to that character and not just driving plot because plot says X needs to happen now for Y reason.

How do you decide character goals? 

*Originally published May 2010. Last update February 2020.

For more help on plotting or writing a novel check out my Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure.

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Plotting Your Novel: Ideas and Structure is an easy-to-follow guide to writing your novel or fixing a novel that isn’t quite working. 

Available in paperback and ebook formats.

Janice Hardy is the award-winning author of the teen fantasy trilogy The Healing Wars, including The Shifter, Blue Fire, and Darkfall from Balzer+Bray/Harper Collins. The Shifter, was chosen for the 2014 list of "Ten Books All Young Georgians Should Read" from the Georgia Center for the Book.

She also writes the Grace Harper urban fantasy series for adults under the name, J.T. Hardy.

When she's not writing novels, she's teaching other writers how to improve their craft. She's the founder of Fiction University and has written multiple books on writing.

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