CHARACTER MOTIVATION THESAURUS

ESCAPING WIDESPREAD DISASTER



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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:
Fleeing an area to escape a war
Leaving a region to get away from a tyrannical government or regime
A terrorist attack causing a major societal disruption that forces one to flee
The aftereffects of a catastrophic weather event (tornado, hurricane, earthquake, volcanic eruption, super-storm, etc.) making it impossible for one to survive in the area
Fleeing to evade an imminent asteroid or meteor strike
A nuclear explosion (resulting from war or an accident at a nearby power plant) that forces one to leave
A deadly plague that drives the character from their home
The zombie apocalypse forcing a choice: escape or die
A forest fire that is out of control

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.

Safety and Security: When disaster strikes, it is typically immediate. And if it's not, forecasting with accuracy the level of devastation is almost impossible. So fleeing the area is usually the best course of action. Once beyond range of the event and its aftereffects, security resources are easier to obtain, and balance will be restored.
Physiological Needs: Disasters can cause high mortality rates for those who are unprepared or unequipped to deal with them. When a character believes their life is at stake, fleeing is the usually a good idea.

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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