The Ordinary World

Unless you're writing a thriller or an action adventure that begins in the middle of the action, the Ordinary World is an important place to understand. Most writing philosophies and methods, including screenplays incorporate some kind of glimpse at the beginning of a character's journey. Here's why:

It's impossible to gain the full perspective of a character's arc without seeing where he/she came from, both physically and emotionally. Like a rainbow captured in fragments, we can appreciate its beauty, but can't grasp the full scope--the beginning and end--for the full effect. At the story's conclusion, we must know without doubt the character has developed and grown through the trials of the story. If we don't know his beginning, we cannot appreciate the fully -realized character at the end.

The Ordinary World is also important for staging the growth of the larger world surrounding the character. This gives the story higher stakes beyond that of the protagonist(s). Not every character has to save the world from a bomb, but audience want to know this character's growth will resonate beyond the micro-world of the story. Think of it as an arc for setting. Maybe, through the events of the story, the town evolves from one of hatred to acceptance or from a closed-mentality to a wider perspective. The larger world doesn't have to be a town. Any group of people defined throughout the story can show the impact of the character's journey beyond the protagonist. If the reader doesn't see the Ordinary World the hero(ine) occupies, the chance for a resonating message at the end is lost.

Most stories, especially romance, benefit from a less-explosive first scene because it allows us an emotional investment in the character before the inciting incident whisks them along.

Alicia Rasley teaches an amazing course on beginnings. Find her articles about craft on her website.

External and Internal Motivations

Monday begins a workshop I'm very excited be a part of. Alicia Rasley, who has put so much positive writing karma into the atmosphere with her stellar articles on plot and character, is leading a two week intensive workshop on beginnings.

Beginnings had never been an issue for me until this work in progress. Maybe it's because The Night Caller doesn't have that explosive beginning I spend the rest of the novel trying to live up to. Maybe it's because this one is so much more character driven than plot driven, but I find myself having to know how much is enough to engage the reader. And the fact that she could be teaching how to write the yellow pages and I'd still learn from her expertise.

So here's a gem from her on an important distinction between INTERNAL and EXTERNAL character motivation:

EXTERNAL motivations tend to be universal. What will individualize your character is his/her INTERNAL motivations. Your goal as the writer is to gradually reveal the INTERNAL motivations through the events of the plot. The character is not always aware of all the motivations behind his/her actions. It is only through the story's journey the protagonist comes to a place of full enlightenment.

Here are the most common motivations in literature with the * indicating the most prevalent.

EXTERNAL

*self-preservation*

survival/safety

physical comfort/gluttony

pleasure/hedonism

dominance/tyranny

acquisitiveness/greed

curiosity

mastery/perfectionism

reproduction

INTERNAL

*self-protection*

autonomy/isolation

affiliation/conformity

love/lust/ownership

revenge/justice

guilt/denial of guilt

identity/self-centeredness

conflict avoidance

spirituality

growth

ambition/insecurity

vindication/rationalization

To find out more about Alicia Rasley and read her fantastic online articles, visit her links within the sff website.

No matter where you are in your current work, it's always great to remind yourself of your hero and heroine's motivations. List them here. We'd love to read them.