Desire drives us forward, motivates us to overcome obstacles, withstand pain, face discomfort, and make sacrifices. In this blog we're diving into your character's most essential desire: The Red Thread Desire. To identify this desire and really understand it, I've created 5 essential question that will help you on your way.
Defining Wants and Needs
In order to understand desire, let's first look at wants and needs: Wants are desires—things people would like to have or wish to happen. Needs are essentials for human survival. Understanding these differences is crucial for creating compelling characters.
Character desires are essential to your story, so identify them early. I've created five essential questions to help you delve into your characters' desires. These will form a red thread that weaves through your story, connecting scenes and creating clear patterns.
The Red Thread Desire
The following 5 questions will help you identify and understand your character's most essential desire.
1. What Does Your Character Want the Most?
Identify the fundamental desire driving your characters to act. This Red Thread Desire is closely linked to your story's underlying themes and can evolve as the story unfolds. For example, if a young girl wants to bring her sick grandmother homemade vegetable soup, her Red Thread Desire is clear: bringing her grandmother the soup.
2. Why Does Your Character Have This Desire?
Dig into the reason behind the desire by asking “Why?” repeatedly until you reach the core need. This core need is often unconscious and can create stakes and tension in your story. Using Maslow's hierarchy of needs, you can categorize these needs. For instance, Soup Girl wants to bring soup to her grandmother because she fears being alone, linking her desire to the need for safety and belonging.
3. Why Does Your Character Think They Have This Desire?
If your character isn't aware of the real reason behind their desire, create a superficial reason they can justify. This creates depth and potential conflict in your story. For example, Soup Girl might believe bringing soup is her duty, masking her deeper fear of loneliness.
4. Does Your Character Need to Obtain Their Desire?
Characters may change throughout their journey. Decide if they ultimately obtain their desire or discover they needed something else all along. Soup Girl's fixation on the soup might distract her from the real issue: her fear of losing her grandmother and being alone.
5. Has the Desire Been Obtained or Evolved by the End?
Consider where your characters stand at the story's end. Has their journey changed their original desires? For instance, the Soup Girl's desire evolves from bringing soup to finding a remedy for her grandmother. Eventually, she realizes her true need is feeling secure and loved, even after her grandmother passes.
Conclusion
Understanding and exploring your characters' desires adds depth and stakes to your story. By identifying the Red Thread Desire and delving into the reasons behind it, you create compelling character arcs that resonate with readers. Use these insights to weave a rich tapestry of motivations and conflicts, making your story unforgettable.