Workshopping with Rasp: Part 2 of 3

In the first part of this workshop, I talked about how to create compelling characters.  This part will be about what drives them and how to royally ruin their day so you can entertain your readers.  compelling characters are useless without a story.  This is where motivation and conflict come in.

MOTIVATION

What is it?  A state of being that exists when needs or wants are not being fulfilled and the desire to have those needs or wants satisfied.

On a basic level, humans have needs.  I hope we are familiar with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs because that is what I'm about to draw from.  If not, here's a link:  en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%2… .  On the bottom rung, we have physiological needs that must be met for basic survival: breathing, food, water, sex, sleep, homeostasis and excretion.  Aside from sex, that is – that one can be debated all day and night if necessary (not here, though; take it to the forum).  Once you have a roof over your head, a full belly and a place to tinkle, you can move on to the rest.  But even basic physiological needs can turn into a story, or at least a vignette.  The rest of the graph, while some folks may consider them needs, they're more fun to write about as wants.

When all of our basic physical and some of the safety needs of MHON are met, people get comfortable.  Then they get bored.  Generalization?  Maybe.  What we want is always more interesting than what we need.

Example:  When my Bonneville died, I needed a new car.  It technically didn't have to be a NEW car, but at least one that was new to me.  I needed a car to get around town; the bus was not an option, especially where I was working at the time.  I was on the car lot with my folks and they pointed out a Crown Victoria.  Safe, huge, affordable.  But I saw a white Cadillac, a 1992 Sedan Deville.  I had to have it.  I wanted it in the worst way.  I couldn't afford it but I didn't care, it was what I wanted.  I loved that car until it died two years later.  I would have been perfectly fine with the Crown Vic but I didn't want it.  I didn't need the Cadillac.  I wanted it.  I was motivated by this superficial desire to buy a car I could not afford and ended up being a lemon.  If I had done the practical thing, I'd still be driving that Crown Vic.

Does this make an interesting story?  No.  It illustrates the difference between a need and a want.

Anyway, think about characters that come from privilege:  soap operas and the Kardashians leap to mind.  They have their physiological and safety-related needs met ten times over.  So what's left?  That turns the other needs in MHON into wants and to a point, obsessions, when their wants aren't met.  Of course, "regular" people go through this, too, but when people have unlimited resources to chase their obsessions, they are only limited by their imaginations about what they will do to get what they want.

Veruca Salt didn't need the goose who laid golden eggs.  She wanted one.  And she wanted it now.  See where it got her?

Motivation not only can be more it SHOULD be more than "what does my character want".  That's where you should start for sure, but with some active thought put into it, you can take it further.  

What does my character want to avoid?  
What does my character want to accomplish?
What does my character want to learn?
What does my character want to buy?
What does my character want to destroy?

So what?  Try the same concept but with who, when, where, why and how.  

Who does my character want to avoid?
When does my character want to accomplish (something)?
Where does my character want to learn?
Why does my character want to buy (something)?
How does my character want to destroy (something)?

By asking a simple question, a plot can start to take shape.  To see it all the way to the end, continue to ask "why" until you run out of answers.  That is how you get to the bottom of things, not only in your stories but in life.


Now that we've asked the questions based on your character's wants, how do we throw a monkey wrench into the works?  Conflict.


CONFLICT

We're familiar with the five major types of conflict, oui?  Please say oui.

Man Vs. Man
Man Vs. Nature
Man Vs. Self
Man Vs. Society
Man Vs. God/Supernatural

Two other "newer" types include:

Man Vs. Machine/Technology
Man Vs. Destiny

We've played with these before (screamprompts.deviantart.com/j…).  Without conflict, there is no real reason to read the story.  We want to see someone overcome their problems, even if it's them struggling with their own demons.  I wrote a story once where there was no conflict.  I didn't notice until danielzklein pointed it out to me and I was forever changed.  I can't remember what the story was but he said it was boring and bullshit because there was no conflict.  I remember feeling insulted until I realized he was right.  

Conflict is something that makes it difficult/impossible for your character to accomplish his goal, which is to fulfill their motivation:
  Your character wants to reconcile their relationship with their estranged mother?  Well, her new husband doesn't want you coming anywhere near her.  
  Your character wants to get her book published?  She's got 300 rejection letters stapled to the wall by her computer.  
  Your character wants to go on a road trip from Seattle to Miami?  Not with a car that just blew the transmission.  

Conflict causes your desire to fulfill the motivation to become stronger.  No man's gonna keep me from my mother!  Random House doesn't want my book, eh?  We'll see about that!  I'll get to Miami even if I have to steal a car to get there!  

The last damn thing anyone wants to read is a character that curls up in a ball and hides from the world when they don't get what they want.  You want to read about a character that does whatever it takes for them to get what they want.  We want to see what your characters are made of; we want to see someone succeed against all odds.


TIME FOR A REALITY CHECK FROM BIG MEAN MEANIE RASP

The following is said to help, not hurt or anger.  There comes a time when we have to get real with ourselves because the less honest we are with ourselves, the longer it will take to make progress.  So if you find yourself becoming upset with where I'm about to go next, ask yourself why, and then take a look at how you're treading water in the kiddie pool when you could be surfing with sharks.

And yes, it does pertain to this workshop.

Your characters are dear to you.  I understand this.  Some of you might not be able to bear the idea of anything bad ever happening to them because that would mean YOU were the one who hurt them, not some evil predator or invisible entity bent on ruining their day.  Three words:  GET OVER IT.

These characters are not real people.  You cannot hang out with them at the mall or the bar.  You control them, they don't control you.  You are in charge of their fate.  They are not writing the story, YOU ARE.  They are at your beck and call, they do what you say.  Don't be the writer who says their characters are out of control and do "what they want".  This is simply not the case.  YOU are in control.  They don't exist.

That said, it's okay to love your characters.  It's okay for them to be dear to your heart.  You've spent a lot of time fleshing them out and maybe "they" even have fans.  But I'm here to tell you that it's also okay to hurt them.  Sometimes they have to die.  Whether they are a main or supporting character, the threat of death, dismemberment, loss of freedom, etc, should be a very real motivation in your character's life and in turn, the story.  Would I ever kill Angie or Nina?  If I had to, yes.  

Example:  I recently read a story here where the main character sacrificed their life so a loved one could live.  They did it without flinching.  They ended the story with the protagonist dying not as a martyr but as a hero.  To be honest, the story could not have ended any other way and been as powerful.  It was masterful.  They understood that though this character had to die, they died for a reason, and a good reason.  You know what?  This writer can make another character to love and start the process all over again.


YOUR CHALLENGE, SHOULD YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT

And I highly recommend you do for one major reason – you will have a treasure chest of motivations and their conflicts to choose from.  How many?  Between 50 and 60.  Boom.  It's pretty involved and it will totally be on your honor to finish it – showing them to me is up to you but I will take a look at anything you send.

For each "need" of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, come up with a motivation to want and need each "need".  After you do that, think about which conflict is represented; some might have more than one conflict.  You don't need to have a character in mind to do this.  Just concentrate on getting the hang of what it takes to motivate someone to do something to get what they need or want.  The resulting stories might end up as vignettes or full pieces.

EXAMPLE:  One of Maslow's physiological needs is excretion.  Excretion can be pee, poop, tears, vomit and to a dark extent, ejaculation.

  The main character finished, after working on it all day, a Dr. Pepper Double Gulp from 7-11 before leaving work.  Their commute home is a simple five mile drive down the highway so even though they could have taken a whiz before leaving, they knew they'd be home soon enough.  The NEED TO PEE didn't occur until they found themselves stuck in standstill gridlock that the radio says will be at least two hours long because of a lane closure due to a fatal accident.
  Conflict = man vs society

  The main character hates his overbearing jerk of a boss.  The boss asks the MC to take his Bentley to be detailed on the MC's time.  In a show of passive-aggressiveness, the MC takes the car to be washed and detailed and after he parks it in the boss' designated space, he pees all over the floorboards of the backseat.  With this one, the build-up of resentment and unhappiness the MC feels toward the boss should be enough to justify his desire to pee in his boss' car.
  Conflict = man vs man


To wrap up part two and get you thinking about part three, here's a very early (or very late) birthday present...

Begin with drama and end with a moment of change.  

There.  Your excuse about not knowing how to start a story is gone forever.  Now go be amazing.  I'll see you for part three before the end of the month.

  Kalen-Bloodstone was amazing enough to condense my yaddayaddayadda into something instantly useful that you should all check out!  kalen-bloodstone.deviantart.co…

Edit 6-27-2012
When I have the last part drawn up, I will have it here for you all to see.  Once that's done, I will be turning this workshop into a deviation for any future reference.  I hope you all have been enjoying it so far!

part 3:  raspil.deviantart.com/journal/…