Exchange of Realities

A good plot requires conflict. Conflict produces tension. Tension in high quantities can get overwhelming. That’s just realism, right?

But it wouldn’t do to have characters who snap under the pressure the plot puts on them—at least, not without coming back stronger when they need to. Which leads to the question: What is keeping these people going?

A few basic guidelines for these sorts of drives, to keep them believable: One, they have to be as intense as the pressure is, whether they’re shown that way or not. Otherwise, why wouldn’t they break? Two, they need to be extremely important. This doesn’t mean world-shatteringly epic, mind you; not everyone works that way, and not everyone should have to. They just have to matter that much to the character. They don’t have to be tangible, though they can be. And while they may be highly resilient, there should be, if not a breaking point, then at least a wavering point; what’s the fun of a character who never wonders if the chosen drive is really enough?

Now that we’ve got the ground rules out of the way, what sorts of drives can we use?

• Relationships. While romantic relationships (or wanting to create romantic relationships) are the most commonly used for this purpose, they aren’t the only options. Serving as a role model or a protector for a less experienced character, trying to gain or regain the respect of one with more experience or power, or friendship of just about any sort are all at least as strong motivators. Sometimes the relationship being fought for is more abstract: the leader making difficult decisions for the sake of her people and the man who fights to restore his reputation are just as in it for the relationship as any devoted older sibling or lover, even if they can’t put the same name to it. This one has the advantage of a tangible reward, so people can see or envision what they’re working for, but anything tangible can be destroyed.
• Ideals. This can be anything from an image of how the world should be to a single ingrained point of behavior. Revolutionary leaders, patriots of all sorts, and highly driven professionals in difficult positions will often have some sort of ideal as their driving force. Since there’s nothing tangible about ideals, they can’t be destroyed with the proper application of violence, but a good talker might be able to disprove them, and it’s harder to recover from a crisis of belief than to switch focus from relationship to revenge.
• Rewards. Shiny goods, recognition, a shot at leadership—some people are just in it for what they’re going to get out of it. On the plus side, it’s easy to find a new project if people dangle the right carrot over it. But what happens when the reward’s dried up but the job isn’t over, or the task is harder than anticipated but the reward isn’t changing? Is it still worth it?

Then you get drives that are combinations of the above. Revenge is a messy blend of relationship, ideal, and reward; it’s often (though not always) for the sake of a prior relationship, it comes from a general focus on “Make every action have a consequence”, and it has the final goal of seeing the target dead, humiliated, ruined, or otherwise dealing with comeuppance. The ever-popular fighting to find stronger opponents is one part ideal of perfection/superiority, one part the reward of the adrenaline rush. And then there’s religion, which can (but doesn’t always) utilize all three: a familial relationship between its adherents, a possible relationship with the divine, one or more ideals on which to focus, and rewards both natural and supernatural to those who are willing to devote themselves to it. Is it any wonder it’s so hard to get these people to quit?

And who says you can’t have more than one? Unless they’re mutually exclusive, drives can stack pretty well; it’s just a bit odd having more than three.

It isn’t just protagonists who need these sorts of drives, though they’re expected to have them; anyone who’s up against pressure should probably have something. The drive is a valuable dramatic tool for several reasons. One, it makes the characters more realistic; it just doesn’t seem right watching someone who will fight to the death for no reason beyond “The plot made me do it.” Two, it can often bypass conflicts in its own right; rendering a drive irrelevant, or proving that it would be better served by doing something else, can often cause someone to back down from a confrontation. Three, it can give you an idea where a character draws the line: whether the fight’s too hard, the obstacle too big, or (for the protagonists’ allies) these people are far too big jerks to make whatever benefit comes from working with them worth it.

Keep it real. Know what keeps each character going.

More characterization tips and tricks here.