Monday, May 29, 2006
Motivation...
I was going to write on GMC - Goal, Motivation, and Conflict - but honestly I could not get started ... no obvious pun intended here - I truly did pull open a research book to get started ... but it is already hot in my office and I cannot focus - I am going to buy a fan today I think. I bought a celing fan years ago but apparently when they built the house they didn't put in a beam over the top so it would take some major construstion to have it done... anyhoo...

I have been contemplating the motivations of the characters - most specifically the male characters (as I think I can relate some to the female ones).

I wonder how far do you delve into the psyche of your characters. To really get at the heart of their emotional motivation. Physical motivation is a given - someone's shooting at you, you shoot back or run the other way. Someone's trying to run you down, you throw a brick through their windshield or blow out their tires.

But what about the emotions... What motivates a man's abitlity to love or not...

For instance, what makes a man shy away from a relationship? What makes a man turn on a dime, turn off his emotions, when a woman tells him she cares about him or, God forbid, loves him. That's the hardest questions to answer for me. But do you really need to know the answers to write a strong believable hero?

tell me what you think.....
Written at 9:29 AM by Denise McDonald.
12 comments
12 Comments:
Blogger Amie Stuart said...
My goal is to buy food, soon, my motivation is the hovering vultures in my living room, my conflict is I really want to answer Dennie's question.....back soon =)
May 29, 2006 11:56 AM  
Blogger Denise McDonald said...
LOL! know that...
May 29, 2006 12:53 PM  
Blogger Amie Stuart said...
FWIW I think men ain't that different from women....sorta.

For instance, what makes a man shy away from a relationship?
They get hurt just like we do. Thye carry baggage just like we do. I"m trying very hard to work my way away from "family baggage" because it's a great source of motivation/conflict for characters--too great sometimes in that it's easy to fall back on. A stressful job. A bad previous marriage. A job where he travels a lot. Their father was a drunk and their mother was a prostitute--see what I mean? LOL

What makes a man turn on a dime, turn off his emotions, when a woman tells him she cares about him or, God forbid, loves him. That's the hardest questions to answer for me. But do you really need to know the answers to write a strong believable hero?

Ask Chris? JUST KIDDING!!!! Yes I think you do because it goes back to characterization and that my dear, is king, queen and the whole damned court as far as I'm concerned. If I don't care about your characters, if I don't get them, if they don't feel real to me, you're gone. (you in the general sense). It's tough though becuase guys have to act like guys and talk like guys. Thye have to stay in character--so we realize the profound impact when they act out of character.

I have this one scene (damn I'm writing a book here) in a WIP where the hero has a teenage daughter and he's screwed up and screwed up and screwed up with her and one night he walks out of the dancehall and sees her talking to a boy and he stops and he realizes that a) she's human and b) she's growing up. It's a very profound moment for him (especially as an alpha male --it's also what made the whole 'what is an alpha male' thing click for me).
May 29, 2006 1:16 PM  
Blogger Denise McDonald said...
thank you hun - as usual, you are right on the money!
May 29, 2006 2:43 PM  
Blogger Denise McDonald said...
FWIW -- I did ask him - he just never answered my letter (or e-mails) LOL
May 29, 2006 2:44 PM  
Blogger Amie Stuart said...
Damn his cute little hide!
May 29, 2006 3:44 PM  
Blogger Bailey Stewart said...
I think you've been in the heat too long. LOL Isn't this terrible - can you imagine later on this summer? I'm having to turn my computer off in the afternoons just to cool the room down and I have a ceiling fan.

Okay - I agree with Cece - you do need to know the answers. I have found that Kate Walker's 12-Point Guide to Writing Romance very useful for this. She has some great exercises to help to get to know your characters.
May 29, 2006 8:23 PM  
Blogger Denise McDonald said...
I will have to look for that Eve! Sounds like a good book

as to the heat - yeppa - I ended up loggin out around 3 and turning the fan around to cool off the living room - it is huge w/ high ceilings and no vents that feed directly into it so stays warm in the summer - 'specially w/ sweaty boys running around pillow fighting!
May 29, 2006 9:57 PM  
Blogger Bonnie S. Calhoun said...
I'm sorry it's so warm there! It's very pleasant here! LOL

You go as far into your characters as their role allows...ei minor characters need little motivation, especially if they're throwaway.

And then again how do you want your reader to feel about a certain character...you have to give them enough to create that emotion!

I just created a really bad guy that I make you feel sorry for when he starts out...before you want to rip his heart out!
May 30, 2006 1:15 AM  
Blogger Sandy J said...
I have that book. Sitting very prettily on my shelf. Need to get it down and read it! Also, have been meaning to get The War of Art that Cece recommends
May 30, 2006 8:39 AM  
Blogger Denise McDonald said...
You're right Bonnie!

Sj - I may have to borrow that book- if you can reach it off the shelf - LOL!
May 30, 2006 8:58 AM  
Blogger Amie Stuart said...
I just spent two hours on IM with my CP last night working out this very problem..........god love her I don't know what I'd do without her.

THe Curse of the Perfect Hero
May 30, 2006 9:13 AM  
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