Save the Cat! Writes a Novel

The most effective character goals or wants are concrete and tangible. The reader should be able to know if and when your hero gets what they want.

the end, the want is only half the story. Heroes aren’t complete until they also have a need.

Plot, structure, and character transformation.

these wants are just Band-Aids covering a deeper problem. Something that probably relates back to those pesky little flaws and problems we talked about earlier.

Which of my main characters is most like my reader?

all main characters should have compelling and complete character arcs, but whose is the biggest? Who has the furthest to go? Who has the most to gain from being the hero of this novel? And who is the most resistant to the change?

The key is all in the pacing. A well-paced novel with visual elements, compelling character growth, and an airtight structure can step into the ring with any blockbuster film—and win.

The word “plot” on its own is pretty useless. It’s just a series of events that happen in a story. But structure is the order in which those events happen and, maybe even more importantly, the timing of when they happen. Then you add in a character who needs to change and does change by the end, and presto! You’ve got a story worth telling.

Your hero’s want or goal is an integral part of what’s called the A Story.