CHARACTER MOTIVATION THESAURUS

RIGHTING A DEEP WRONG



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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:
Advocating for animals or natural resources
Advocating for a group of people who have suffered mistreatment
Championing a cause (mental health awareness, homelessness, human rights, etc.)
Building a charity or foundation to help others
Investigating a situation and then publicizing one's findings to make an injustice known
Seeking justice on behalf of an individual or family (to restore a reputation, honor them for a sacrifice or heroic deed, etc.)
Making amends for something one feels responsible for (one's white privilege, trying to rectify something one's ancestors did, etc.)
Atoning for something one did in the past that was irresponsible or caused hurt in some way

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: The desire to leave a mark, help others, or improve the world is a universal need for many. If the character has a particular passion and is on a quest to do something meaningful, this goal would drive them to do just that. 
Esteem and Recognition: A character who made a past mistake, or through inaction allowed an injustice to occur, may be driven to reverse this. Doing so allows them to reclaim their own worthiness while making others aware of an important situation so it can be addressed.
Love and Belonging: If a character was in a situation where, to win someone's love or acceptance, they had to first prove their worthiness, them tackling the challenge of righting a wrong would be a good way to do it.
Safety and Security: If the character is part of an ethnicity that is being maligned or mistreated, the need to gain the same security as everyone else would drive them to bring this situation to light so the group can be treated equally in society.

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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CLICHÉS TO AVOID:
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