Last time we talked about what the character wants (which is a tangible goal that appears to be obtainable – something like, you want to be popular). Today we’ll unravel the power of a character’s needs (something intangible/emotional – such as, you need to find people who truly love you for who you are).
Most characters know what they want, or think they want, at the start of the story. But most characters don’t recognize what their true need is. When your character eventually ends up having a dark night of the soul, it’s usually because they lost what they thought they wanted. And that’s often when they realize what they truly need. Unfortunately, because writers are evil villains, the character probably won’t get what they need until the end of the story.
So how do you decide what they need – and what they’ll lose because of it? To find your characters’ emotional needs, we need to consider a few things:
Healing and Redemption: What are your character’s emotional scars? What do they need to heal, or find closure for? Find the things that haunt them and drive their actions, as they desperately seek peace.
Self-Identity and Acceptance: Does your character struggle with self-doubt, or feel like they don’t belong? Do they need to find acceptance in a judgmental world? Let their search for self-identity guide them.
Freedom and Autonomy: Does your character feel trapped by social expectations or their own fears? Use this information to help them fight for freedom.
Connection and Belonging: Does your character yearn for love, friendship, or a sense of belonging? Use this to transform them as they learn to form authentic relationships.
Once you’ve discovered your characters’ emotional need, now you can weave it into your plot. It should fuel their actions and propel them forward.
Before the story ends, your character needs lose what they need (for example, you became popular, grew close to the girl who is perfect for you, then turn into a jerk due to your newfound popularity and then publicly lose the girl). This will force your character to reevaluate their values and grow. It should challenge their beliefs, push them to their limits, and set the stage for their ultimate transformation.
This exposes their vulnerabilities and forces them to confront their internal conflicts. And while they may lose what they need, it is through this loss that they find the strength to evolve and grow (such as, after losing the girl of your dreams due to your jerky behavior, you see that you can stand up for nerds who were just like you at the start of your journey, thus making the girl you love to respect you again).
By weaving emotional needs into our plot, we create a story that resonates with readers on a deeper level, evoking empathy, and sparking introspection.
Next time we can talk about our character’s deepest fears (and yes, this goes deeper than just spiders or snakes), and how to weave that into a strong, interesting plot.
Gaylene Wilson 