How Character Motivation Creates Meaning

In my teaching, I focus a lot on helping editors understand how character, plot, and setting work together. These are the tools with which authors build stories. But there’s another we shouldn’t overlook: theme. Readers read stories not merely to find out what happens but to understand what it means.

I often talk about the importance of plot events having causality—they should happen for a reason. It is through those reasons that meaning can be found.

That Sam steals the medicine from the pharmacy because he loves his son and wants him to live shows us one type of meaning, perhaps that people will do things they wouldn’t have thought possible to save the people they love.

That Sam steals the medicine from the pharmacy because he loves his son and wants him to live and can’t afford the medicine because he lost his job shows us another type of meaning.

That Sam steals the medicine . . . because he lost his health insurance when he lost his job shows us a slightly different type of meaning.

That Sam steals the medicine . . . because greedy pharmaceutical companies charge astronomical fees for medicines shows us still another type of meaning.

Note that the motivations I just described are related. And a story could explore more than one of them. That exploration is key: a theme isn’t just dumped on the reader’s head on page 1. It is something that comes to the surface over time.

When authors are not paying enough attention to the reasons—the why of the characters—they risk shortchanging meaning, regardless of how well they’ve explored plot, character, and setting.

Many times authors don’t set out to explore a specific theme or to convey a specific message, but as an observer of the ms, you will often have enough distance from the work to be able to pick out some connected threads that seem to underlie the story events.

You can help the author surface these threads, highlighting the meaning they give to the story. Often you can help the author strengthen or tweak a character motivation in order to create more meaning.

Save 25% on On-Demand Classes

Newsletter exclusive!

On-Demand classes are instructor-led classes that you can take one-on-one, at your convenience. They work the same way as regular instructor-led classes, with homework due each week. The instructor provides feedback on your assignments and answers questions about the lessons.

On-Demand classes are ideal for those who have scheduling conflicts with the group class times.

All you have to do is purchase the class and arrange deadlines with the instructor (reach out to me, Jennifer, and I’ll connect you with the instructor if it’s not me).

Through March 10, 2025, take 25% off all on-demand classes! Use the coupon code: ONDEMAND

Find on-demand classes here.

Questions? Info@ClubEdFreelancers.com

Editing for Character Development – Starts March 17!

$330 (Members: $297) | How to edit for character development | 4 weeks | Instructor-led | Intermediate

In a well-written novel, the characters – especially the main character – will seem like real people who engage the reader’s attention if not the reader’s empathy. Authors often need our help in figuring out what to do about flat characters or unengaging protagonists.

The character must face obstacles to their story goals. Often, but not always, the character must also face the chance, even the need, to change over the course of the story. This character arc is hard to get right.

This class will help you help the author. We’ll cover:

• What goes into creating a rounded character

• Common tools authors can use to create rounded characters, such as character sketches

• The intersection between character, plot, and setting

• Creating effective character goals and motivations (which impact conflict)

• How dialogue and action create character

• Using perspective and point-of-view to shape character

• What to do when the character doesn’t change

• Making the character’s impact on the story world part of the character arc

• and more!

Each week includes a new lesson and a new assignment to be submitted for the instructor’s feedback along with online discussions about developmental issues.

Intermediate classes are intended for those with some developmental editing experience or who have taken the Beginning + Intermediate DE for Fiction classes or the self-paced DE 1 through 6 classes.

The class is entirely online and asynchronous (you don’t have to be in any particular place at any particular time to participate) but weekly assignments are due by specific deadlines.

For more information and to register, click here.

For Members

The next marketing challenge will be held April 7 – May 2, 2025.

And don’t forget the discount on the marketing webinar replays! You’ll find that in the membership program classroom.

Upcoming Classes

Classes starting soon:

• Editing for Character Development, starts Mar 17, 2025

• Call to Adventure: Editing the Opening, starts Mar 24, 2025 (two week class)

• Beginning Line Editing for Fiction, starts Mar 24, 2025

• Editorial Toolkit: Book Doctoring and Ghostwriting, starts Mar 26, 2025

• Editing for World-Building and Setting, starts Apr 21

About Jennifer Lawler

I help editors figure out what the hell they’re doing.

If you’re an aspiring, new, or established book editor or story coach, I can probably help you learn how to do the work better and more profitably.

Through Club Ed, I offer developmental editing classes, a freelance editor membership program/support group, and a slightly bony shoulder to cry on.

I’ve worked as an editor for more than twenty years. I learned how to edit in the trenches of traditional publishing with its insane deadlines, pitiless competition, and crushing bureaucracy. To that I added a Ph.D in English literature with a specialization in medieval literature because of a long story.

Editorial clients have included Simon & Schuster, Girl Friday Productions, Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, Barnes and Noble Custom Publishing, and others, along with many independent authors. 

For fiction self-paced classes, click here.

For fiction instructor-led classes, click here

For nonfiction self-paced classes, click here

For nonfiction instructor-led classes, click here

For on-demand instructor-led classes, fiction and nonfiction, click here