CHARACTER MOTIVATION THESAURUS

BEING ACKNOWLEDGED OR APPRECIATED BY FAMILY



Never struggle with Show-and-Tell again. Activate your free trial or subscribe to view the Character Motivation Thesaurus in its entirety, or visit the Table of Contents to explore unlocked entries.

CHOOSE MY PLAN

HELPFUL TIP:

To understand why your character is driven toward a certain goal, get to know their positive and negative traits, as well as any significant emotional wounds that might be motivating them. Then you can explore the various kinds of conflict that could block them as they move toward their goal.
FORMS THIS MIGHT TAKE:
Being acknowledged for one's dedication to one's children through volunteerism at school, coaching their teams, etc.
Being recognized by family for one's independence—i.e., a youth who works to pay for his own car, clothing, and tuition
Being appreciated for the time one puts into the house and family
Receiving recognition for sacrificing to meet needs within the family, such as caring for an elderly parent, supporting a family member through medical treatments, or helping a relative out of financial distress
The acknowledgement of one's passion and dedication to a goal (starting a new business, pursuing a career as an artist or musician, or advocating for a cause) despite opposition and setbacks
Being thanked by family members for providing financial security (working multiple jobs, attending night school to retrain for a better job, accepting a position that requires lots of travel or being on call, etc.)

HUMAN NEED DRIVING THE GOAL (INNER MOTIVATION):
There are five basic human needs that, when missing from a character's life, could motivate them to pursue this goal. The following needs are all possibilities, but only one of them should be the primary driver for any given character. For more information on the relationship between human needs and outer motivations, please see​ this ​Character Motivation tutorial.

Esteem and Recognition: A character who is even partly to blame for an estrangement with loved ones may pursue this goal as a way to redeem themselves in the eyes of the family, proving they have changed.
Love and Belonging: A character who is trying to be accepted in a family but is struggling due to biases, prejudice, or another reason may go above and beyond to prove loyalty and dedication, and therefore worthiness. 

HOW THE CHARACTER MAY PREPARE FOR THIS GOAL:
...

POSSIBLE SACRIFICES OR COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS GOAL:
...

ROADBLOCKS WHICH COULD PREVENT THIS GOAL FROM BEING ACHIEVED:
...

TALENTS & SKILLS THAT WILL HELP THE CHARACTER ACHIEVE THIS GOAL:
...

WHAT'S AT STAKE IF THIS GOAL ISN'T MET?
...