Understanding the Difference Between Narrative Motivation and Character Arc
The concept of narrative motivation centers on a character’s external desire versus internal need, creating internal conflict. It is a struggle that is vital in creating a character that resonates with readers, as it mirrors the complex emotional and psychological struggles that real people face. By understanding and incorporating this dynamic into your writing, you can create authentic, intriguing, and relatable characters.
When crafting a character, it is crucial to consider their growth and development throughout the narrative that will push them to resolve the challenges posed by their narrative motivation. This is known as a character arc.
Throughout the story, the protagonist must face situations that challenge their wants and needs, pushing them to question their beliefs, values, and actions. The internal tug-of-war between their desires and the lessons they must learn propels them along their character arc, ultimately leading to personal growth and transformation. By effectively employing narrative motivation, you will create a character that evolves and develops naturally and engagingly for your readers.
The Meaning of Want versus Need
To understand the distinction between want and need, it is crucial to know what each term means. A “want” represents something external to the self your character desires, believing it will improve their happiness. In contrast, a “need” refers to the lesson that characters must learn to overcome their inner struggles or wounds and attain ‘the ultimate boon’ of inner happiness or peace. Like real-world people, characters experience things that cause them to feel unhappy, uneasy, or dissatisfied. Their want is what they believe will liberate them from these problems. In contrast, their need is a more profound issue they must confront and overcome to develop and evolve. It is through the narrative motivation that characters learn and grow, and that process is what makes readers root for them.
Distinguishing Between Want and Need
When crafting your characters, it’s essential to distinguish between their wants and needs. A character’s want is a goal or mission they believe will make them happy, representing an external solution to an internal problem. Their want is intrinsically tied to their wound and runs at the most profound psychological and spiritual level. However, pursuing this want can harm them, disguising their actual need and creating a distraction that initially prevents them from overcoming their inner hurdles.
On the other hand, a character’s need is the process they must undergo to face and overcome their inner demons. This truth will allow them to overcome their inner struggle, which could range from a simple realization to a vital spiritual experience.
The Purpose of Character Conflict
Character conflict serves two essential purposes in your story: for your plot and the reader. The inner conflict created by a character’s wants and needs plays a primary role in how they engage with your novel’s plot. In your story, the protagonist’s goals are defined by their wants at the beginning. However, their actions and plans are challenged by their needs as the story progresses. Eventually, their need becomes the driving force behind how they face the consequences of their actions, driving the plot of your novel. A skillfully crafted plot should reflect the protagonist’s internal conflict, and the tension between their want and needs should be intertwined throughout. This tension will determine how they discover their truth and ultimately embrace their need.
In non-fiction writing, exploring the distinction between want and need is equally essential for creating engaging narratives. When writing biographies, historical accounts, or even memoirs, delving into the wants and needs of the individuals involved can provide readers with a deeper understanding of the subject matter. To flesh out the distinction between want and need in nonfiction characters, authors should consider the driving forces behind their actions and decisions, investigating the intricate balance of desires and needs that shapes their lives. In a memoir, for example, the writer can reflect on their life experiences and identify the wants and needs that have influenced their journey. By examining these aspects of their life, the author can create a more vivid and relatable story for readers, revealing the personal growth and transformation that has taken place over time. Ultimately, incorporating the concept of want versus need into non-fiction writing allows for a richer, more engaging narrative that connects with readers on a deeper level.
But beware: especially with living people, uncovering needs can be a tricky business because most people’s needs are unconscious. I’ve had this experience working as a ghostwriter. Uncovering the inner wounds and fears at the heart of needs more often than not requires careful observation of the individual from the outside looking in. The good news is that, between them and their inner needs, there is a lifetime of self-justification and self-deception, but between you and them is just air. It is not hard to see a person’s inner needs, even when they can’t see them themselves.
Jean-Luc Picard’s Narrative Motivation in Star Trek: First Contact
In Star Trek: First Contact, Captain Jean-Luc Picard’s narrative motivation can be analyzed through the lens of want versus need to create a compelling character arc.
In the film, Picard wants to protect Earth and the Federation from the Borg, a powerful and seemingly unstoppable enemy. He is driven by a strong desire for revenge against the Borg, who had previously assimilated him, turning him into one of their own. His traumatic experience left a deep wound within him, fueling his external goal of defeating the Borg and eradicating their threat. His goal is to destroy the Borg at any cost, believing it will bring him closure and relief from the lingering trauma of his past.
However, Picard’s need is to recognize the importance of maintaining his humanity and upholding the values that define him as a Starfleet captain, despite the strong emotions evoked by his experience with the Borg. Throughout the film, Picard faces situations that challenge his beliefs and actions, forcing him to confront the internal struggle between his desire for revenge and the need to preserve his humanity.
As Picard’s character arc unfolds, he begins to question his actions and decisions, ultimately realizing that succumbing to his thirst for revenge would mean losing the essence of who he is. In a pivotal moment, Picard recognizes that his humanity, compassion, and adherence to Starfleet principles make him strong, not his capacity for violence and vengeance. By embracing this truth, Picard can overcome his inner conflict and lead his crew to victory against the Borg while also maintaining the values that define him.
In this example, the narrative motivation of Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: First Contact illustrates the concept of want versus need in a character, providing a rich and engaging character arc that resonates with audiences. By incorporating the concept of want versus need into Picard’s story, the film creates a relatable and thought-provoking narrative that explores the complexity of human emotions and the importance of staying true to one’s values.
Hasting’s Narrative Motivation in my series, The Saga of Hasting the Avenger
In my novels, the Viking Hasting’s narrative motivation can be analyzed through the lens of want versus need to create a compelling character arc.
Hasting’s external desire is to earn reputation as a Viking warrior, following in the footsteps of his ancestors and continuing the legacy of his people. His goal of amassing fame and fortune through raids and conquests is driven by a belief that this path will secure his place among the legendary heroes of Viking lore. It is a desire rooted in his upbringing and the cultural values ingrained in him since childhood, which equate success and happiness with honor, bravery, and material gain.
But, Hasting is also a wounded man. Orphaned as a child and sent into slavery, he is more or less raised by a slave woman named Gida, and he forms a singular attachment to her in the absence of his parents. And since she is not a blood relative, as he grows older, his attachment blurs the line between child, parent, and attraction. His relationship with Gida sets the stage for his internal emotional need: the validation of women.
It’s no wonder, then, that when he meets a young woman and starts to form an attraction toward her, he gets himself into trouble. If his goal is to gain wealth and reputation at all costs, he should ignore her. But he can’t. He needs her validation. And so, when she is captured by roving Norsemen, he rearranges his entire external goal (and the plot) to go and save her, not because he desires to do so, but because he needs to do so. And yet, the question arises: Will he rise up to become a legendary warrior and sea captain, or will he perish trying to save a woman he can’t live without?
Now, it’s your turn:
Defining your novel’s structure worksheet
In the following worksheet, start by carefully considering your character’s narrative motivation, then using it to craft a compelling character arc through the rest of the plot. This is what I call the “bare-bones” list of plot components that make a compelling story, and none of these should be omitted. Personally, I use a much longer format that follows the hero’s journey formula as stipulated by Jungian psychologists, which I will cover in a later article.
I would like to give credit where credit is due: I have borrowed this worksheet from my editor, The Darling Axe, who has helped me tremendously on my writing journey these past years. He has a tremendous wealth of resources on this topic that I encourage you to explore.
- Narrative motivation – What overarching desire drives your protagonist to make choices and take risks? What underlying need, in opposition to this desire, adds to the protagonist’s internal conflict?
- Narrative bridge – Does the story’s beginning ask a question that is answered by the end? (Your protagonist’s goal is the question, and the answer is whether they succeed or fail.)
- Stasis – Describe your protagonist’s normal life leading up to the story’s beginning. What is about to be disrupted?
- The inciting incident – What event disrupts the protagonist’s stasis and kicks off the story?
- Rising action – What are the first steps your protagonist takes toward a goal? What obstacles are in their way?
- The point of no return – What critical choice does the protagonist make early on that locks them into a chain of consequences?
- VII.Rising action – Now that the protagonist is fully committed to their quest, what initial choices do they make in pursuit of their goal? What risks do they take?
- VIII. Midpoint reversal – At about the halfway point, what blindsides your protagonist and takes them in a new direction?
- Rising action – Following the midpoint reversal, what new strategies or tactics does the protagonist employ in pursuit of their goal?
- All is lost – Is there a dark moment leading up to the climax where the protagonist hits rock bottom or where it seems as if what they seek is beyond reach?
- The helping hand – What or who helps the protagonist in their bleakest hour?
- XII. Climax – What has the protagonist learned over the course of the novel that equips them to take on their final challenge? Do they achieve the goal forecast in the beginning (narrative bridge)? Or do they fail while learning something important in the process?
- XIII. Falling action – What is left to resolve after the climax? Are there character conflicts that still need to be addressed? Side-plots that need to be accounted for?