CHARACTER MOTIVATION THESAURUS

HELPING A LOVED ONE RECOGNIZE THEY ARE HURTING THEMSELVES AND OTHERS



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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:

Helping a family member who is struggling with addiction
Helping a loved one fighting depression
Helping a suicidal friend
Helping someone being led astray by bad influences
Helping someone out of an abusive relationship
Helping a friend who is a toxic influence on others
Helping someone whose insecurity or past experiences lead them to make poor decisions

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: If a character has made a mistake and is seeking redemption, they may choose to help vulnerable loved ones as a way of making amends and reclaiming their sense of self-worth and esteem. 
Love and Belonging: A character may be driven to pursue this goal if their current relationship with a partner, parent, or child has degraded. Seeing this loved one on a dark and deadly path (because of addictions, lifestyle choices, untreated mental illness, etc.) will motivate the character to identify and eradicate the cause of the dangerous behavior so the lost love can be restored.
Safety and Security: A character who feels endangered because of a loved one's erratic moods, behavior, and choices will act to keep himself and his loved ones safe, as well as trying to break through to the other character and help them recognize the need for change.

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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