However, this one hinges on one of the climaxes in Words of Radiance. I will do everything in my power not to spoil it for you. I’m incredibly excited to talk about this one.īecause this is one of the most climactic moments in Words of Radiance. But he is does have his own special brew of bravery. This level of internal conflict allows us to see what Bilbo is really made of. Take Bilbo Baggins for example (from The Hobbit):īilbo takes pride in the fact that he is exactly like the other hobbits.Įxcept, when adventure calls, he goes and does a very un-hobbit-ly thing: This allows you to the true depths of your characters. Now, we can start to play those motivations off each other. Why Does Brandon Sanderson Use Conflict between Motivations? even though these same enemies assassinated the old King of Alethkar.ĭalinar believes peace among their peoples is the only way anyone will survive the great forthcoming change. Goal #2 - Dalinar wants to make peaceĪlethkar’s sworn enemies have offered peace.Īnd Dalinar wants to accept. He believes it’s critical to the survival of the Alethi people. The Alethi are a race of great warriors, who believe strength and conquest gives one the right to rule (in fact, that’s how Dalinar and his kin came into power). Let's look at the conflict here: Goal #1 - Dalinar wants to unite Alethkar He was once a great hero, an old soldier, but now he's become… complicated.ĭalinar isn’t quite sure what he is, anymore:
But what about the conflict between those motivations?ĭalinar is the young King’s uncle. When you start to layer on the motivations (not too many, now), names on the page become characters in our heads. Which is fine for your minor characters - but your Protagonists, Antagonists, and supporting cast need to feel like they’re something much more tangible. Why Do You Need Layers of Motivations?ĭo you know anyone in your life who only wants one thing ? That would make them pretty one dimensional. Grant gains a new immediate motivation: to terrify this arrogant child. Alan Grant’s overarching objective is to teach this group of people about his work.īut when the kid acts like a little shit, Dr. Here’s a great example from the 1993 movie, Jurassic Park :ĭr. There are plenty of immediate motivations to draw upon. Even if it means she must move into greater danger and get further from her ultimate goal. To make things worse, her feet are cut up, and she’s not going to survive out here without a fire to warm her. She’s many days away from the nearest town… and it’s pretty rare to see people pass by where she is. The longer it takes, the more likely she is to fail on her massive, world-changing quest. Shallan knows she needs to get to the Shattered Plains. Do they want to run from the jaws of a gigantic, slavering monster?Īn example from Words of Radiance (minor spoilers ahead) :.Is there someone hunting them in an alley?.What is Their Immediate Motivation?įor important characters, this should change multiple times during your story. Need more ideas? Here’s a deeper dive on ways to motivate your characters. Shallan wants to repair her family… and maybe the entire world.Kaladin wants to end the tyranny of the Lighteyes.Some examples from the main characters of The Stormlight Archives series: Something that will drive your plot forward. You want to find something for them to always work towards. What is something they’ve always wanted?.What is something they could never get?.Start with something in your character’s backstory. What is Your Character's Main Motivation? Ready to see how it's done? Image by Michael Whelan. Much of it hinges on the intricate way he motivates these characters. Now, after hundreds of hours of listening to Writing Excuses, and watching Sanderson’s lectures on Youtube, I believe I’ve uncovered the core of his process. I knew I had to figure out how he makes such compelling protagonists. His characters didn't seem to be anything special. But after spending dozens of hours watching them grow, and becoming ridiculously invested in their goals. When I first started reading Sanderson's books , I fell in love with the world (and world-building).
Let me show you how Brandon Sanderson writes compelling characters with powerfully conflicted motivations:Ĥ Simple Steps to Compelling Character Motivations Sanderson writes deceptively simple characters. They're easy to follow, yet surprisingly deep. This dawned on me as I neared the climax of the story: I can't stop telling my friends about Brandon Sanderson's books.īefore I sat down to write this post, I spent the last six hours dedicated to finishing Words of Radiance, the second book in his epic Fantasy Series, The Stormlight Archives.