A couple weeks ago, I posted the first installment of this series, which was about how characters are created as you write. I shared how it can be useful to do character exercises before you write your novel, but that most of the time I find it more beneficial to experience my characters in the storyworld. That’s where I really come to know them, not just know about them.

But even though I don’t get too caught up in figuring out all the character details ahead of time, there’s one thing I’ve learned is super helpful to pay attention to in the first draft: character motivations.

Setting up the motives behind the decisions your characters are making is critical for writing a book that makes sense, and character motivation is one of the hardest things to fix in edits. If you’re going to pick an element of characterization to get fussy about as you write your draft, this is the one I would recommend.

Have you ever heard that adults (and I’m guessing teenagers too) make an estimated 35,000 decisions every day? That number is huge, but think about how many choices you’ve made in the last 5 minutes and you’ll see how quickly those choices can add up. We all make a lot of decisions, and your characters do too.

Or they should. Far too many manuscripts have characters that drift along, letting the story happen to them. You might know people like this in real life, who take no initiative, blame others for their problems, and just generally float along with the current of life. They’re probably not your favorite people to spend time with, and readers feel the same way.

Readers want to read about characters who are making decisions. Characters who have agency in their own lives. As an author, paying attention not just to what decisions your characters are making, but also to what’s motivating each decision is a critical piece of building compelling characters.

One of the most frustrating things as a reader is when character decisions make no sense, so let’s talk about decision-making and four filters we use when faced with a choice

Filter one: Our experiences

We each have a history that guides our thinking, for better or worse, and so should your characters. This is why writing teachers push you to think about what your characters have been through (also called backstory), because this shapes not just how your characters view the world, but also how they decide to move through it.

Creating diverse backstories for your characters is also the key to helping your characters sound different from each other. Not all of the backstory details need to be spelled out in the story, and unless we’re dealing with one of your main characters, it’s more likely many details will be just for your knowledge. Even still, knowing the answers to the questions below will definitely help you shape the characters’ voices and decisions. I recommend actually writing out the answers, especially for important characters, and writing in first person as opposed to answering as the author.

• What is your family of origin like?
• What were you raised to value?
• What one word or phrase would you use to describe your childhood?
• What’s the hardest thing you’ve ever gone through?
• What were you most afraid of as a child? As a teenager? In your early-twenties? (And so forth, depending on your character’s age.)
• What are some of your happiest memories?
• What haunts you?
• What regrets do you have?

Let’s say one of your characters grew up in a home full of divorce. He will likely make different decisions about dating than a character who grew up surrounded by happily married couples.

Or if your character was raised to value hard work and financial independence, she’ll make different life choices than one who was raised to value happiness and creativity.

Filter two: Our current circumstances

Your characters’ current seasons of life are guiding their decisions. I make different choices now in my season of having three kids under my roof than I did in my early twenties when I had zero children. You probably make decisions differently now than you did five years ago. As our seasons change, our priorities change.

So while a character’s background plays a critical role in their decision making, so do their current circumstances. If your character had to answer these questions right now, what would he or she say?

• What are you afraid of right now?
• What feels stressful right now?
• Who do you feel you can trust right now?
• What’s the hardest part of this season of your life and what’s the best part?
• What are you looking forward to in the coming days or weeks?

One struggle for me as I try to make good choices is dealing with my Right Now Self. Right Now Stephanie wants to be comfortable. She wants to be fed and well-rested. Right Now Stephanie really doesn’t want to exercise or do anything too hard. In the future, yes, she would love to accomplish and conquer things, but Right Now Stephanie prefers to be cozy and comfy. And since Right Now Stephanie is here all the time, she often gets the strongest vote in what I do.

Your character likely has the same “right now” bias going on. If your character is looking forward to getting home from work so they can take a nap, they won’t want to go on that adventure you’re offering them on the drive home. To your reader, it will feel inauthentic for your character to say yes to it . . . unless you motivate them correctly.

Readers can connect with a character who just wants to go home and take a nap. We don’t feel inspired by them, but we understand them. Keeping the “current circumstances” filter in mind as your character wrestles with hard choices will help make them relatable.

Filter three: Our future hopes and dreams

So, how do we push characters through their current circumstances to do hard things? Goals and stakes. When they have a goal, they have something to strive for. And with stakes, they have a good reason to pursue the goal even when pursuing the goal feels hard.

I’m motivated to sit down at my desk 5 days a week and write because I have a goal of being a bestselling author. I’m motivated to be a good parent because bratty kids are annoying. I’m motivated to run 2-3 times a week because I feel better when I do. My goals (and the consequences of not meeting those goals) motivates me to ignore Right Now Stephanie and put on my running shoes. You can use this filter to motivate your characters in big and small ways.

Here are some examples of goals and stakes from a variety of genres:

The Inheritance Games: Avery’s goal is to understand why she was chosen to inherit the fortune of a billionaire that she had never met. This is an interesting one because even if Avery doesn’t figure out why, she can still be an heiress. But because the readers share Avery’s curiosity, the idea of never finding out why feels maddening to us too!

The Hunger Games: This one is a bit more straight forward. Katniss’s goal is to win the Games so she doesn’t die (those are big stakes!) and also to make sure her family is provided for.

Scorpio Races: Puck wants to win the Scorpio Races so she can keep her family together. Interestingly, the other main character has the same goal as Puck, but different stakes for losing.

One of Us Is Lying: This book is told from four different POVs, and they’re all suspects in the murder of a classmate. The goal for all the characters in this book is to solve Simon’s murder, and because all of them have a reason to have wanted him dead, any one of them could be charged with the crime.

Motivating a character who has a goal is much easier. When you have a goal, you make decisions based on achieving that goal. In good stories, characters have not just the surface goal, but longings buried deep inside as well.

Filter four: Our deep longings

There are longings that drive us that we don’t always recognize or name. Your character may not understand how or why they want something like power, acceptance, or unconditional love, but they do.

One of my deep longings is for approval. This desire has definitely guided some decisions in my life. Sometimes I knew that and other times I didn’t.

As your characters are making decisions, they’ll be motivated by their deep longings. These are often born from the character’s history, so if you’re not sure about what your character deeply longs for, maybe start there. You can decide how aware they are of this motivator. Here are a few examples:

Harry Potter longs for belonging. (If you’re a Harry Potter person, one way to think of this question is, “What would your character see if they looked in the Mirror of Erised?”)

Rapunzel longs for freedom.

Anna from Frozen longs for true love, but more specifically she longs to not be lonely. Elsa longs to be true to who she is.

Next Wednesday, I’ll be back here talking about a character’s conscious decision-making process and how to show that on the page.

Which of these filters do you use the most with your characters?

Stephanie Morrill writes books about girls who are on an adventure to discover their unique place in the world. She is the author of several contemporary young adult series, as well as two historical young adult novels, The Lost Girl of Astor Street and Within These Lines. Within These Lines was a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard selection, as well as a YALSA 2020 Best Fiction for Young Adults pick. Since 2010, Stephanie has been encouraging the next generation of writers at her website, GoTeenWriters.com, which has been on the Writer’s Digest Best Websites for Writers list since 2017. She lives in the Kansas City area, where she loves plotting big and small adventures to enjoy with her husband and three children. You can connect with Stephanie and learn more about her books at StephanieMorrill.com, Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.