Rally of Writers: Character Desire

Romance novels have given a whole different connotation to the word “desire,” but desire in literature doesn’t have anything to do with intimate relationships or lust. Instead, think of desire as the motivation, goals, wants, etc. Without it, there is no character growth, no forward movement of plot, no obstacles to be overcome. Struggling with your story line? Can’t figure out how to create tension and stakes? Not getting enough from the Proust questionnaire? It probably all comes back to unclear desire lines for your characters. In this session, we’ll learn about the “ladder of desire,” why it’s crucial to every story, how to incorporate it into your manuscripts, and why it’s essential that your antagonists and secondary characters have fully fleshed-out desire lines as well.