Motivation For Your Characters

Everybody needs motivation, that final push to get you to you're destination.

The runner, who sees the sign that reads, "Keep going! You've got this!" and makes it to the finish line.

The student, whose about to quit studying for the exam,  sees a future for himself, and keeps going.

The mom, tired from work and stress, who comes home to a three year-old who tells her that she loves her. That she is strong.

People need motivation all throughout their life. After all, if you don't have the motivation to get out of bed every morning, you're not exactly living.

Your characters need motivation to get to the end. To reach their goal. If they don't, the story isn't really a story, just an explanation of what they're doing everyday. It falls flat. 

Your MC needs a goal to pursue, otherwise they are just living, and that's very boring for a reader. Imagine if Katniss' sister didn't get chosen for the Hunger Games, Katniss and Prim would've gone home and continued on with their lives. No star crossed lovers, no survival, just living. I have high doubts that that version of the book would go onto become a major motion picture.

Maybe your character needs to reach the mountain and save his brother before the villain kills him. Maybe your MC needs to finish a huge project in order to qualify for the championship game.

What is pressuring your character to work harder? This motivation should be good enough to do three things:

1. Motivate your MC
2. Keep your reader hooked
3. Move your story along

If the motivation you give your character meets these three requirements, keep on doing what you're doing.

If, however, it doesn't meet the requirements, up the consequences. This will help motivate your character to go faster, which will move your story along, and make the reader root for the MC.

What do you think? Does your motivation meet the requirements?