I was thinking about the kind of motivations that we give to our characters, and it occurred to me that they're often much larger than life. Now, I believe in writing larger than life. I sometimes wonder, though, if we rely on motivations as a crutch, an easy way to communicate something deep about a person.
For instance, as I think about the EMT's I know, this list is a pretty good sampling of the reasons they do what they do:
1) They live in small towns where there's nothing else to do.
2) They're trauma junkies that like adrenaline
3) They had dreams of medical careers that got short-circuited.
4) They have jobs that leave them unsatisfied and so volunteer with EMS for satisfaction.
5) They want to tap into a family or community tradition.
6) They hope to end up as nurses, and they hope EMS helps with that.
7) They jumped ship from the pharmaceutical industry and landed in EMS.
8) They're volunteer firemen and required to get EMT certification.
9) They just always wanted to be on an ambulance.
10) They're people-oriented and like helping people.
As writers, if we explore a character's motivation for being an EMT we are more likely to ascribe something like one of these:
1) They have a God complex.
2) They're trying to make up for something horrible by doing something wonderful.
3) They're full of courage and EMS is just a safe outlet.
4) They could be doctors but have chosen to serve in the field for immediate impact.
5) They use EMS as a way to meet people to kill / stalk / rob / get married to.
I think a career and motivation in this case become a prop or a tool by which we can simplify the communication to the reader of what is more likely to be worked out subtly in person's personality. On the other hand, we don't real life so I'm not exactly saying we need to give our characters ordinary, boring motivations for things. If anything, I'm just suggesting that we approach motivation more delicately than we often do.
I'm not sure. What do you all think?
.Nevets.
I think it's all about making them believable, but just a little bit more interesting than most real people are.
ReplyDeleteIf characters set off my "I call no way" detector, then I'm out, no matter how good the writing is. I have to get attached to characters or stories mean nothing to me.
I think you're right, though, that a lot of characters are over the top, and it takes skill and a good sense of balance to land somewhere between too boringly real and too ridiculous to be believed.
My 2 cents.
~bru
Well, I must say that your second group of motivations would make for some interesting stories.
ReplyDeleteSo I guess there's my answer! I'd start with something with group 2 and throw in a few from group 1. That would make a pretty rounded character.
It is a fine line, isn't it, between making them interesting and making them unbelievable. I'm dancing that dance at the moment with my evil dude, and trying to work out backstory for him so he is more believable :O
ReplyDeleteRach
Now that's a hard balance to find. How to make a character believable and realistic without making the rest of it seem "dull" or anything like that.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting and thought proing post Nevets. I will definiteyly have to give this some thought.
ReplyDeletethought provoking post...sorry
ReplyDelete@Bru - The real secret for me is that I almost never directly address motivation, because I find that in real life it's pretty elusive and it feels forced to me to focus on it at all. I cheat rather than balance. hahaha
ReplyDelete@Jennifer - That's probably a great way to do it. Soften the edge of the crazy stuff with some more normal things.
@Rachael - I think a lot of authors have that problem with evil characters. I have more of a struggle understanding what drives my good characters, simply because it's so easy for goodness to come across as cheesy in literature.
@G'Eagle - I know, right? We want readers to be able to identify with our characters, but also to be interested in them. It's a challenge.
@Anne - Great! I love provoking thought! :-D
This is so true. We have to remember the motivations. My brother-in-law was a volunteer firefighter in a small town and I think those were his motivations as well.
ReplyDeleteCD
As for me, I don't see any reason why a good, interesting story couldn't be written based upon something from your first list, that is, the things that you find motivate real EMTs.
ReplyDeleteNevets - what's an EMT? Is it an American thing, or am I being very ignorant? Maybe it's an American shopping trolley? or cheese grater? (for anyone else who reads this, you're not meant to understand it. Nevets and I have a trolley and cheese grater thing going at the moment).
ReplyDeleteMy protagonist creates beauty from worn, discarded, unwanted, and broken things. She does this because she sees herself as all of these things. My antagonist creates "art" out of the things he breaks or finds broken. He simply enjoys the process, the satisfaction, the power of domination, even in small ways....ordinary people both, driven by ordinary flaws, ambitions, and self perceptions, with extraordinary results....
ReplyDelete@Clarissa - Good for your BIL! I don't envy the volunteer fire guys. Such a grueling job.
ReplyDelete@Michael - I think that's very true, actually. I think a lot of times we writers think that there's nothing exciting and dramatic in ordinary, real people. Pretty silly really.
@Frances - The short version is that an EMT is an emergency medical technician, which is (in Indiana) somewhere in between the ambulance technician and the paramedic in the UK. They do respond to cheese-grater accidents, but they can't put in an IV... And they use patient trolleys, I suppose. :)
@TWC - Your characters sound beautifully intriguing!