Write Your Novel Step by Step
Step 41
Characters’ Personal Goals
Personal Goals are the motivating reasons your characters care about and/or participate in the effort to achieve or prevent the overall goal. In other words, they see the main story goal as a means to an end, not as an end itself.
Although a personal goal for each character is not absolutely essential, at some point your readers are going to wonder what is driving each character to brave the trials and obstacles. If you haven’t supplied a believable motivation, it will stand out as a story hole.
Referring to the descriptions you wrote about what your story would be like if told through the eyes of each of your characters and about their personal issues, describe what each of your characters might have for a personal goal that would lead them to participate in the effort to achieve the central story goal.
