What Makes Character Objective The Key To Writing Success?
by Mary Kole | Former literary agent, now a freelance editor, writing teacher, and IP/story developer for major publishers and creators.
What makes character that leaps off the page and into readers’ hearts? Objectives and motivations are the secret sauce to producing solid characters with complexity and ambition. You want to write an active protagonist into your novel, and the tool of character objective is a great way to do that. But what makes character objective so central to story? Let us explain what makes character and how you can use this effective concept to propel your protagonist onward.
What Makes Character Objective So Important?
Character objective is straightforward: It’s what your main character wants more than anything in the world (at least on the surface, which is what separates it from your character need). It’s what makes character tick. Objective is inextricably linked to character motivation, or the reason why the character desires what they do. If you don’t know why your protagonist wants something, you have a serious problem. Why?
Giving your protagonist a strong goal is what makes character choices compelling. Every character ought to have something they want. The desire is riveting, and readers can all relate to it. When a reader understands what a character wants, they are even more eager to support them. And when readers grasp why a protagonist wants whatever it is they’re chasing, that empathy grows. (Making your audience care is essential when writing books that hook the reader.)
What Makes Character Objectives That Fascinate Readers?
Constructing a character objective is complicated. Here are some tips:
State the objective right away, and don’t worry about telling vs showing. Don’t leave your readers hanging. Within the first chapter, make sure the character has an initial objective they’re striving for and which is clear to readers. This can be related to their overarching need and desire as a person, or it can be something short-term. Let’s make sure they want something before the inciting incident. If you haven’t figured out this important part of what makes character tick, don’t continue writing until you get it.
Be specific with the objective, too. “To feel happy” is too vague an objective. It's too broad and it doesn't have a clear way of knowing whether it has been achieved or not (because “happiness” is so abstract). “To help Mom get her job back by impressing her boss” is more specific. Specific information is what makes character motivations work.
Let your character ponder the potential outcomes. Provide detail and complexity to the goal by letting your character ponder the implications. What if they do get Mom’s job back? How can they make the boss take notice? Or, what if the attempt fails? This gives a sense of high stakes.
Create urgency—which is what makes character act—even if they’re scared or don’t want to. Provide a sense of consequences for both victory and defeat, but add depth here, too. Maybe if Mom is hired, it would fix plenty of issues, but then she wouldn’t be home at all times. If Mom isn't chosen for the job, it could lead to a financial crisis for the family. What might that suggest for the character and plot?
What Makes Character Connected to Story
Finally, let the objective become meaningful in terms of the larger story. This is where developing an objective pays off. Let your character think back to it often. Let them daydream about it. Worry over it. Take steps to attain it. This should then be mirrored in plot development. Throw obstacles at your character that put their ability to achieve their objective into doubt.
Start with a clear objective and let your character reach for it. Make it important. Give it layers. This is what makes character action and choice compelling to readers. It will not only help your character feel more interesting, but your story as well.
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