CHARACTER MOTIVATION THESAURUS

OVERCOMING A FEAR (KIDLIT)



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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:
Moving past a fear of the dark
Learning to swim despite a fear of water or what is in the water
Learning that dogs (or other animals) are not to be feared
Being able to go on stage with confidence
Learning to climb or vising a higher-altitude location that one could previous not visit
Moving past a fear of thunder, storms, or specific types of storms
Navigating successfully without getting lost (a new school, the forest, taking a route from school to home, etc.)
Discovering new people shouldn't be feared
Staying home alone for the first time
Traveling away from home and enjoying it
Getting past a fear of monsters, ghosts, or other imaginary creatures
Moving past a fear of illness
Reducing one's fear of death
Not letting a fear of germs control one's life and happiness
Moving past the fear of being left behind
Learning to not let fears about losing one's family to take over
Getting over a fear of being alone

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.

Self-Actualization: If a character is wanting to pursue an important interest or dream that this fear is holding them back from, it will prompt them to work toward overcoming the fear.
Esteem and Recognition: If the child character wants to have an easier time making friends and feels this fear is holding them back, or they want to prove that they are stronger than family members (or they themselves believe), they would work to overcome this fear.
Love and belonging: If love and acceptance from a parent or important adult is being withheld, a child character may seek to overcome this fear to win approval.
Safety and Security: Safety is paramount as a child, and so if they feel a fear is making them feel unsafe it may push them to overcome it.
Physiological Needs: If the character is in a situation where their primal needs are triggered (the need food, water, shelter, etc.) the need for these will be stronger than a fear that might keep them from what they need, like a fear of germs, of strangers, of being lost, etc.)

HOW THE CHARACTER MAY PREPARE FOR THIS GOAL:
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POSSIBLE SACRIFICES OR COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS GOAL:
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ROADBLOCKS WHICH COULD PREVENT THIS GOAL FROM BEING ACHIEVED:
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TALENTS & SKILLS THAT WILL HELP THE CHARACTER ACHIEVE THIS GOAL:
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WHAT'S AT STAKE IF THIS GOAL ISN'T MET?
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