The Survival Challenge: Are You Up For It



Character Motivation

The driving forces behind the actions of the characters may be grouped into eight classes. Occasionally, a bizarre character might not quite fit into one of these classes, but it is rare.

For the following classes, list any characters from Lord of the Flies and other popular characters from books, plays, short stories, movies, etc, that fit the category with a one sentence explanation for each.

1. LOVE & ACCEPTANCE – friendship, romantic love, parental love, respect, affirmation etc.

2. CURIOSITY – This is an excellent motive for a hero’s actions, one usually used at the beginning of a novel or as the sole driving force in a short story. Curiosity is very commonly employed in the mystery story and often in the science fiction novel.

3. SELF-PRESERVATION – This force may be the soundest motivational force there is; aside from a few psychotics with overactive death wishes, everyone wants to live.

4. SELF-SATISFACTION – Much of what we do is directly caused by the need for food, drink, sleep, etc. We work to satisfy these basic drives. Aside from these physical things, self-gratification, pleasure, and physical comfort can be included under this heading.

5. GREED – This vice is usually not a motivation for the hero. Most writers use it to develop the antagonist (he, too, must have some reason for his nastiness). Greed may include a lust for money, power, or fame.

6. SELF-DISCOVERY – Everyone, at some time in his life “comes of age.” There is a point when the perspective of adolescence seems naïve, even stupid, and each man must wrestle with the world and come to terms with it. It is a conscious effort, and exertion of the will and the mind, and it makes a powerful motivating force in fiction if handled carefully.

7. DUTY – to law, divine commands, loyalty/affiliation to an individual, group, idea, or land.

8. REVENGE – the need to avenge another individual, a cause, or themselves.

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*Pro-active – motivating movement TOWARDS something (success is a pro-active motivation because it draws the character forward towards itself)

*Re-active – motivating movement AWAY from something (guilt is a re-active motivation because it propels the person away from itself)

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