Character Motivation Thesaurus Entry: Stopping an Event from Happening

Human Need Driving the Goal (Inner Motivation): safety and security

Methods for Achieving This Goal:

• Infiltrating enemy ranks to gather information
• Gathering allies by identifying those who would benefit from one’s goal
• Removing, disabling, discrediting, or otherwise undermining any competition
• Seeking out partners or mentors who can offer expertise in an area where one lacks skill or knowledge
• Keeping a low profile so as to avoid detection by one’s enemies (hiding out, disguising oneself, adopting a new persona, etc.)
• Compiling evidence against one’s enemy
• Utilizing one’s natural skills or talents (being a bomb expert, speaking many languages, having the ability to blend in, being an excellent marksman, etc.)
• Learning new skills or abilities that one must master in order to succeed
• Calling in favors to gain resources
• Sharing information with an adversary who has a common interest

Possible Sacrifices or Costs Associated With This Goal: 

• Getting killed in the process, either because of the inherent danger or purposely by those one is opposing
• Those in close proximity (emotional and/or physical) to the hero being threatened or killed
• Losing credibility with loved ones or important people in one’s life due to one’s single-mindedness and passion
• Close relationships being tested when one isn’t available and misses important events (birthdays, parties, soccer games, dance recitals, etc.)
• One’s reputation being ruined by one’s enemies
• Being financially ruined due to paying for one’s quest with one’s personal funds
• Losing one’s job (due to a boss disagreeing with one’s goal, too many absences, distractibility at work, etc.)

Roadblocks Which Could Prevent This Goal from Being Achieved: 

• the person, corporation, race, or group of people one is opposing
• one’s family and friends (trying to dissuade the hero from pursuing such a ridiculous or impossible goal)
• physical boundaries (if one needs to travel)
• financial difficulties that limit one’s resources
• the authorities in a corrupt society
• politics (such as a high-profile corporation that’s partnered with one’s villain opposing the hero in a public fashion and making things difficult for him)
• Prejudice (someone with an axe to grind against a certain people group blocking the hero)
• Emotional wounds from the past resulting in personal fears (of flying, snakes, water, public speaking, leaving one’s home, etc.)
• Incompetent allies
• Physical disabilities and mental illnesses

Talents & Skills That Might Help the Character Achieve This Goal:

A knack for languages

Blending in

Exceptional memory

Parkour

Super strength

See our complete list of talents and skills and find the ones that pertain to your specific story goal here.

Possible Fallout For the Protagonist if This Goal Is Not Met:

• Insecurity over one’s abilities
• A fear of trying to stop anything like this from happening again
• Losing one’s job (if the job is tied to one’s goals of stopping a certain event from happening)
• Being vilified for one’s failure (if one’s goal is a public one)
• Depression
• Losing faith in the system (if one’s failure was due to the interference of others)