It’s the thing that holds a book together or causes it to fall apart. It’s the thing that writers will tell you is the essential piece to making your characters realistic. In my opinion, it’s one of the hardest things in the world to get right.
It’s motivation.
“Excuse me, excuse me. What’s MY motivation?” The characters in your books (not unlike those high-maintenance diva-like actors) need motivation in order to be true and convincing. We need to know what’s causing them to be happy, or seek revenge, or act petty, or have sex.
Some motivations are simple: I am hungry, therefore, I will eat my supper.
Some motivations are not simple, and those are the ones with which I am most concerned. Let me give you an example from real life. Continue reading
