Understanding a character’s wants and needs
what are they? how does it affect their actions? how do they affect the outcome of a novel?
There is a difference in what a character “wants” and a character’s “needs.” A story starts out with two characters the protagonist and the antagonist. They both “want” something. They are not happy with their life. Feeling something is missing. They believe if they acquire their “want” everything will be perfect.
But by the end of the novel the protagonist actually does not get what they “want” but they get what they “need” and it ends up saving them. However, the antagonist gets what they “want” and it ends up being their downfall.
In this blog, we will be looking at Understanding a character’s wants and needs..
UNDERSTANDING A CHARACTERS WANTS AND NEEDS
Table of Contents
Both characters feel as though something is missing from their life so they set out to acquire it. Both hero and villain start off on a journey. At this point the hero and villain are the same in a lot of ways. They could be one of the other. One little push could lead the protagonist to being bad.
A lot of time when you read a book about “how to write a novel” you’re told the hero is on a journey, but remember so is the villain. Both feel as though something is missing. They seek it. But what makes a story memorable is how the journey comes to an end. It ends with the protagonist having a chance to obtain their want but through the wisdom of their journey, through the trail and errors they choose to walk away from their want and embrace their need. For example, walking away from money to embrace family.
LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES OR REPEAT THEM
Whereas the villain who while on their journey did not learn from their trials. They took the easy way out and did not confront their problems. Therefore failing to learn their lessons. They ignore the need and only focus on their want. Still believing it’s important. They get it and they continue to live a miserable life. They continue to place their want over their need. Until they start another journey and hopefully find the correct path that time. In a way, a story is a metaphor for reincarnation and the meaning of life. “Learn from your mistakes, or repeat them until you do.”
The meaning of life is finding your “needs,” the things that will truly make you happy. And letting go of your “wants” because you realize through your trial and errors they are not needed to be happy. Realizing material things do not make you happy; it’s about love and family. Most stories are about someone wanting material objects believing it will make them happy. And in the process ignoring their loved ones. But by the end, they realize material goods are not needed, family is more important.
THE HERO HAS TO CHOOSE TO WALK AWAY
However, you have to remember the hero cannot fail to obtain the want because it’s denied to them. They have to choose to walk away from it. It has to be something they can obtain but choose not to.
There is a fine line between the hero and the villain. They are a mirror copy of each other. But it’s their choices that separates them, especially at the end when they have to choose between want and need. Each have the chance to obtain both, but only inner wisdom obtain through the journey will let the protagonist choose wisely.
THE HERO HAS TO HAVE TWO CHOICES
This is what separates Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader. Darth Vader went to the “dark side” by going after his “want”. (to rule over the galaxy) whereas Luke Skywalker had the chance to go to the dark side and chose to focus on freedom and happiness thereby choosing the “need” and giving up the want. It wasn’t like he wanted the dark side and embrace his “want” but it wasn’t offered, in the movie he had a choice between the two and walked away from his want.
In “Raiders of the Lost Ark” Belloq said to Indiana Jones, “You and I are very much alike. Our methods are not differed as much as you pretend. I’m a shadowy reflection of you. It would take only a nudge to make you like me, to push you out of the light.” But by the end of the movie Indiana Jones chooses not to look at the Ark but Belloq does and pays the price. Throughout the movie Indiana Jones was very close to being Belloq. Both of them were working for their government, looking for the Ark. Both had the same want but Indiana Jones turned from his want and found his need, by finding life. Belloq embraced his want and ends his life.
THE READER SHOULD KNOW WHO IS GOOD AND WHO’S BAD
In the beginning of your story you can have the protagonist and the antagonist having the same want, it (doesn’t have to be the exact object, but something similar like power or money) but having one of them choosing their need in the end. So the reader can tell who truly is the good guy and bad guy, because you don’t want to have to tell the reader who’s good and evil. They should see in their behavior.
In “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade”. We see the character of Elsa Schneider having the choice between want and need when reaching for the fallen Holy Grail, but she has been on a “somewhat” journey through the movie, but has not faced any trails and therefore has not learned anything vital. Therefore she hasn’t learned to let go of her wants, she tries reaching for the grail and fails to her death. But when Indiana Jones is reaching for the cup he two could fall to his death but at the last moment his father says, “let it go” meaning let go of your wants and embrace your needs. He then gives up reaching for the grail and in return is able to have his father in his life, thereby achieving his need. The thing he always wanted from the start, the love of his father.
WHAT IS THE METAPHOR IN YOUR STORY
In fact, at the beginning of “The Last Crusade” you have a scene where Dr. Marcus Brody holds the cross of Coronado and Indy says, “You know how long I’ve been looking for that thing?” and Marcus says “Your whole life.” But is this a metaphor for the theme of the movie? Where Indy was not looking for the cross but wanting to connect with his father? Because Jesus made a sacrifice for his father, Indy has to make a sacrifice of letting go of the grail to connect with his father.
You will find when rereading your favorite novels there is a character in the beginning who when talking with the lead character will mention the protagonist’s “need” right before the journey begins. It’s actually flat-out mentioned it in the beginning. You may or may not notice it while reading. Your protagonists may not notice it either. But many great writers will include a character who in the beginning will state the “need” within the first few chapters. This is what happens in the Last Crusade when Dr. Brody is talking to Indy while holding the cross. You may not notice it the first time watching, but your subconscious mind did.
NOTHING SHOULD HAPPEN IN THE FINAL ACT OUT OF LUCK
You cannot have the protagonist in the last chapter being successful in obtaining their “needs” out of luck. There has to be a discovery of knowledge along the journey that brings on the letting go of the want and embracing of the need. Similar to how Luke Skywalker in “Return of the Jedi” was in the brink of embracing his want until seeing his weakened father realizing anger and hate were overtaking him and made him turn to the Emperor and say no, he was not going to embrace his want but except his need. If this had come out of nowhere it would not have made sense.
This is important when writing your novel; you cannot have the protagonist succeed for no reason. In the last chapter the protagonist has to be faced with both “want” and “need” knowing he could embrace his “want”, believing his life will be better for it. Just like how the antagonist is thinking the same thing. But the protagonist has a self-discovery moment where he realizes the “want” has been the thing causing pain in his life. The ignoring of the need was causing him to miss out on happiness. By “seeing the light” the protagonist can turn away from the “want”, no longer wanting it.
THE HERO HAS TO CHOOSE BETWEEN WANT AND NEED
Plus you don’t want the protagonist missing out on choosing between the two because someone came by and took away the “want” leaving only the “need”. Your story should have the protagonist understanding the “need” is more important. Whereas the antagonist has the same two chooses but chooses the “want” because they took the easy path and did not have to go through trials as the protagonists did.
It’s only after the protagonists finds what they need are they able to return to their regular life a better happier person, whereas the antagonist got what they “wanted” and suffers for it.
STORIES ARE DIFFERENT FROM REAL LIFE
Stories we read are different from real life. In our real lives we do not face problems and talk the way they do in a novel. Look at a conversation you have with someone on the phone, imagine it being in a novel. The reader would have a difficult time trying to follow the conversation, because real life and stories in a novel do not mirror each other. So why are we drawn to stories? Because as people we are always wanting to answer the question “what is the meaning to life?”
We want to see others go through the struggle of life and face problems and overcome them and find inner peace, enlightenment. We want to see others overcome their “want” to find their “need”, hoping it can help us discover truth and enlightenment within ourselves. Stories help us find ourselves. We use stories to soul search.
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