"Strong reasons make strong actions."
William Shakespeare

That's one of my favorite lines from Shakespeare. Whenver I have a problem figuring out why one of my character wants something or is doing something I think of those five words.

It can be a simple motivation. Say a guy is desperately horny and he wants to have sex. His whole motivation for going to a bar or a party or calling women he's slept with or calling a hooker or taking whatever action he needs to take is to find a woman to have sex with.

Or it can be complex. A woman goes to law school and wants to become a prosecuting attorney because her father was killed by a mobster. And she witnessed the murder. And it traumatized her. And it made her want to rid the world of bad guys. So she figured she could be a cop or a lawyer. She decides being a lawyer gives her more clout. And she puts everything else in her life aside in the pursuit of her goal of being a prosecuting attorney. (This was Bruce Wayne's motivation for becoming crimefighter Batman).

One of the biggest problems screenwriters face is nailing down a strong reason (or reasons) why their characters take a certain direction.

Once you've pinpointed it (or them) you'll be on your way.

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