The goal can change but it has to be more urgent.
Smaller goals lead to the bigger goal.
Getting somewhere mentally and physically
Call to Adventure…Damned if you do…damned if you don’t….or suckie, suckie.
Every character needs to want something to make the pages Snapple and pop.
Conflict is two dogs and one bone.
External—Plot
Internal—Feel it
Start conflict at the beginning.
There is a reason they will be called to adventure. They have to go themselves.
Internal: Walk in with their problem. Make it hard to deal with the plot. Baggage they come with. Everything should work to develop the book. How they hold themselves and stand.
Character and reader live through a scene.
Five Key Scenes: Meeting. First, kiss. Love scene. Dark moment. Resolution.
Theme: What is your character going to learn? It has to mean something to you, the writer.
She had it—she wants it back. She has to grow the hell up.
Can I feel it? Can I see it? Is the material I can work with? Is this something I can see? Is this a good business choice?
What’s mine is mine and what’s everyone else’s is up for grabs.
Choose the weapon: What he fights with at the end of the book. Learn to use what he has in a different way.
Promise to deliver. Give characters a chance to come face to face with their dreams. Self-realization: Impact the characters. Pick the threads to unravel the knot. Face to face with your dreams can be scary. Give your characters a reason to rethink themselves. What is the end of this character? Can he/she go on the rest of their lives? Show signs of possible growth. If you plant an acorn you can reasonably expect an oak.
Goal, Motivation and Conflict: The Building Blocks of Good Fiction
