  Drama
This week: Showing a Character’s Motivation Edited by: Joy  
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Tobias Wolff, This Boy's Life
“A wild light came into Frodo's eyes. 'Stand away! Don't touch me!' he cried. 'It is mine, I say. Be off!' His hand strayed to his sword-hilt. But then quickly his voice changed. 'No, no, Sam,' he said sadly. 'But you must understand. It is my burden, and no one else can bear it.”
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Return of the King
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Hello, I am Joy , this week's drama editor. This issue is about showing rather than telling what a character's real motivation is.
Thank you for reading our newsletters and for supplying the editors with feedback and encouragement.
Note: In the editorial, I refer to third person singular as he, to also mean the female gender, because I don't like to use they or he/she. |
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Welcome to the Drama newsletter
The power of a story comes from motivation because motivation binds character to the plot and adapts the events into a story. In other words, character motivation gives credibility to a character's actions and their consequences.
The main character’s motivation is the “why” factor that provides deeper insight into the story. A good dramatic story deals with specific characters, situations, or events. Generalities will weaken the story as do the motivations that are not clearly defined and shown.
The key factors that motivate a character, usually, are emotions that attach themselves to intentions and motivation, finally resulting in the conflict. The reader will not or cannot recognize every motivation in each character as motivations will differ in regard to major or minor characters. Mostly, major characters’ motivations will be stronger and more fascinating than the incidental motivations of the minor characters. Thus, it is up to the writer to clearly show the primary characters' motivations, especially the inner motivations, which the characters may not be aware of, themselves.
The author, if using the third person point of view, may tell what the motivation is, but this is not the best way to write a story since motivation is one of those elements that needs to be shown and not told. A few ways to show motivation can be:
• The character may think to himself of his motivation. In Shakespeare’s Othello, Iago’s main motivation is jealousy, and a sizable portion of this jealousy is his jealousy of his wife from Othello: “.. I hate the Moor. // And it is thought abroad that 'twixt my sheets // 'Has done my office. I know not if't be true; // Yet I, for mere suspicion in that kind, // Will do as if for surety.”
• The character may have his goal dictated to him by the others. Remember Star Wars? “There will be a substantial reward for the one who finds the Millenium Falcon. You are free to use any methods necessary, but I want them alive. No disintegrations." - Darth Vader to Bounty Hunters
• The character may talk about his goal and motivation to others: “Then she came out again to the Munchkins and said: ‘I am anxious to get back to my aunt and uncle, for I am sure they will worry about me. Can you help me find my way?’
The Munchkins and the Witch first looked at one another, and then at Dorothy, and then shook their heads.“
• A character may overhear other characters talk among themselves about his motives or the character finds his motive in the others’ gossip. In Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing Beatrice overhears Hero and Ursula: “But are you sure That Benedick loves Beatrice so entirely?” asks Ursula to which Hero replies, “So says the prince and my new-trothed lord.” And these two go ahead discussing the matter when suddenly Beatrice comes forward in the scene. “What fire is in mine ears? Can this be true? Stand I condemn'd for pride and scorn so much? Contempt, farewell! And maiden pride, adieu! No glory lives behind the back of such. And, Benedick, love on; I will requite thee, Taming my wild heart to thy loving hand”
• A character can demonstrate his motivation through repeated attempts. For example, Virgil’s Aeneas--motivated to find a homeland for his people--makes several attempts and faces adversity without ever losing faith in the will of fate. As a flawed mortal, he even enters the underworld to break a bough from a tree. Then, through several attempts, heartbreaks, and difficulties, he settles his people in a place that later becomes Rome. All this takes place even though the mortal Aeneas constantly wavers between his emotions and his commitment to his goal.
Any one of these five methods can work for a character to show his motivation, but it is up to us writers to choose the best ones for the story we are working on. Even if the characters may not be consciously aware of their real motivations in most cases, their backgrounds and backstories will help them to find the mechanism or the reasons that trigger their resolve and actions. The choices in this matter will make or break the readers’ involvement with the story and their caring deeply about the characters' escapades.
Until next time! 
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 This Issue's Tip: All character changes must come as the plausible consequences of events in the story. When that change happens possibly at or toward the end of the story, the character needs to validate his change in a scene to show that the change is permanent.
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Feedback for "Characters' Judgments to Incite Drama"
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SB Musing 
I gotta say that judgement is a great one to focus on with this Newsletter. Us judging another can make that person into what we perceived them to be. Then we go, "ah ha! I just knew that they were like this." when are judgement kind of made that happen. Sort of like a self-fulfilling prophecy happening in real life.
Thanks for the feedback.
Yes, judgment, whether it is justified or not, can create many new scenes and subplots in a story.
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Quick-Quill 
What a thought provoker!!! I wonder how I can insert this into my new novel? Judgment is something we all do. Sometimes we are caught in it and other times we pass. I'm so interested in applying this to see if it works for me. Thank you again for bringing this out in a very positive way.
Thank you, too, for the input.
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Osirantinous 
Thanks for including my story, Joy, and for a great newsletter. Judgement certainly seems to be something my characters do without me directing them, for good or bad.
Thanks, Os.
Yes, in good stories, characters have their own say whether we writers think of that before they do or not.
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Drama: November 16, 2016 Issue [#7969]
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