In a post on Writers in the Storm, Sarah “Sally” Hamer offers advice on exploring what your protagonist really wants. “Almost every story ever told has at least one character who has a specific, definable, understandable goal,” Hamer says. But how do we let our readers know what that is?
The character can say it. Someone else can tell the protagonist. Or the goal might never be expressly stated at all. All of these approaches can work, depending on the nature of the story. In the 1986 version of Little Shop of Horrors, Audrey sings about wanting to live “Somewhere That’s Green” – a suburban home with a 12-inch tv. It’s her moment in the spotlight to state “This is what I want.” This is also the moment in the whole movie when the character is the most honest, Hamer notes.
In Romancing the Stone, Joan Wilder wants to save her sister from the bad guys, then wants to find the titular stone. In The Hunger Games, Katniss wants to keep her sister and mother safe. In Monster’s Inc., Sully wants to be the top Screamer, but has to choose between his own ambition or the good of the many.
The “I want” statement can take many forms and can evolve over the course of a story. It might never be stated aloud, but it should always underscore your protagonist’s choices and actions.
