The Secret Desires of Characters

I plot.

All the time.

Just for fun.

I have a digital folder full of plots, many of which I’ll probably never use. Several of my writer friends tell me I’m crazy. They’d rather go to the dentist to get a cavity filled than plot their next novel.

But planning out a skeleton of a story is the best part of writing! I can see the whole thing in my head before I even start to write. Seeing the potential in a story gives me a writer’s buzz.

Before I start my 40-point beat sheet, there’s something important I have to figure out first.

What is my character’s want?

The want is the tangible goal that fuels their motivations. It should be possible to achieve, pushing them to take action and chase their dreams. I do this for all the major characters in the story.

Here are a few things to help you find their want:

Passion and Ambition: Does your character dream of becoming an artist, a scientist, or a fearless adventurer? Let their passion guide their actions throughout the story.

Longing for Connection: Does your character yearn for love, friendship, or a sense of belonging? Maybe they seek a deeper connection with family or long to mend broken relationships.

Pursuit of Justice: Does your character have a desire to right the wrongs of the world? Think about what they might be willing to do to make a difference.

Inner Fulfillment: Some characters hope to uncover their true purpose or find inner peace. This might include self-discovery, spiritual growth, or breaking free from social expectations.

Finding your characters’ want will help you come up with ideas for your plot — things you can throw in their way to prevent them from achieving their goal. This could include:

Obstacles and Challenges: Internal and external conflicts will test your characters’ courage, drive the story forward, and help them grow.

Choices and Consequences: The choices they make as they try to achieve their goal should have consequences. It might bring them closer to their desire or lead them down strange paths. But either way, it needs to be significant and meaningful.

Evolution and Transformation: Let your characters evolve as they pursue their wants. Whether they achieve their goals or not, their journey should be transformative.

Next time I’ll talk about how to find your characters’ need. Once you have a deeper idea of who your characters are, you’ll start typing out plots just for fun in no time! 🙂

My Self Publishing Journey

I’ve been studying the craft of writing for about fifteen years (with several years off in the middle of that), taking classes, reading books, and participating in critique groups. I have sent manuscripts out to agents or editors now and then, and received great feedback, with praise such as, “I’m going to kick myself for not taking this story on, but I have to pass,” or, “We loved this story and can tell you are a talented writer, but we don’t have a place for this story right now.”

As the years passed, I realized I wasn’t in love with the traditional publishing industry. My personality type doesn’t do well with high demand, high criticism, or high stress, which is probably why I haven’t put myself out there as much as my friends have over the years.

I never wanted to self-publish. I wanted someone professional to help me take my stories to the next level, and create stunning covers, and put them in stores, and create audio books for me. But I’ve come to realize the past year that I can learn to do all of that professionally, too, and get to enjoy my own books on my shelf instead of in my dropbox.

So I’m going to experiment with a few books. See what it takes to be self-published, see if I enjoy it, see if anyone out there in the over-saturated market might find and love my stories.

And for the first time in years, I’m excited about writing again! I’ve been learning new things as I’ve tried to figure out this website, and how to format my manuscript, and studying a little graphic design. It’s challenging, but I’ve realized I enjoy having control over how it all turns out!

So join me as I share things I’m learning along the way!