I’m still in the midst of my Act 1 scene revisions. It’s going slowly but surely. And I’m learning some things about my protagonist, Grace.
When I was getting critiques on my first novel, an editor wrote WHY in big red letters in several places on the manuscript. At first I thought it was rude and then irritating. But after I got over myself, I realized what she meant. The big red WHY meant, “Why does your character do this?” And it all comes down to desire and motivation.
In every scene, your protagonist wants something. That’s the basis of a scene. It is also the case in an entire story arc. What does the character want? What does she want desperately? Sometimes you can figure it out in a draft, but more than likely, you’ll figure it out in revision rounds.
This is what is happening to me now. I thought I knew what Grace wanted. But now that I’m revising, she’s telling me “Listen, I don’t want that. I want this.”
And that’s what revision is all about. Uncovering the layers of your characters, figuring out what they want and how to portray that desire in your scenes and in your novel. Motivation is the foundation of your character and drives the actions, reactions, and thoughts. And you must be flexible enough to mold the story into something that fits the desire.
That’s how you can make your story stronger.
“Motivation is the foundation of your character and drives the actions, reactions, and thoughts. And you must be flexible enough to mold the story into something that fits the desire.”
So true! This is definitely something I struggle with, especially in early drafts, so I’m trying to make myself more aware of it from the start.
It sounds like your revision is going really well. Good luck with it!
Anna, I struggle with this as well.
For this particular novel, I had to figure out the paranormal elements and rules. Now, I can concentrate on the characters, which is most fun. It’s going to be an interesting revision!