Goal. Motivation. Conflict.These are three of the basic building blocks of a character that drive plot. In other words, what does the character want, why, and what’s stopping them getting it? This is the core of your plot, and when two characters both have the same goal, or otherwise interfere with another’s goal, things start to get really interesting.
GMC charts are used to track all the goals, motivations and conflicts of all the major and important secondary characters. It not only cross-checks that all your characters are doing things for good reasons (and not just because the writer wants them to) but that everyone is sufficiently impeded from getting what they want.
Conflict is essential.
It also helps you to plot, as the chart can help you to spot associations you might not otherwise have made. He wants this, and she wants that, and if she does this, look, it gets in his way…
Here’s what a GMC chart looks like:
| Character | Private Life | Professional Life | Personal Life |
| Astarl | Goal: Deal with her emotional issues about men Motivation: Necessary to heal her dying father Conflict: Has a lot of baggage including a history of child abuse, and rape. | Goal: To leave her life as an assassin Motivation: A lover and a baby make her reconsider her life path Conflict: 1) Risks letting her adopted father die if she does, 2) Her fellow assassins may try to hunt her down and kill her for betraying them 3) Her lover doesn’t know she is an assassin. Goal: Identify and neutralise a bounty hunter in the castle Motivation: If she doesn’t, he will kill her first Conflict: His identity is unknown | Goal: Find a magical artefact to heal her adopted father Motivation: Love Conflict: The artefact is hidden in the castle of a mad duke Goal: Use Aldenon to get access to his key Motivation: Gives access to the room where she thinks the artefact is hidden Conflict: 1) Her fear of men 2) She finds herself genuinely attracted/falling in love Goal: Relationship with Aldenon Motivation: Falling in love Conflict: He has a secret keeping them apart Goal: Help Raylee find the missing girls Motivation: Genuine concern for her new friend and a touch of self-interest Conflict: Limited freedom in the castle and doesn’t want to blow her cover Goal: Kill Danek Motivation: Revenge Conflict: She’s pregnant and her adopted father is protecting Danek |
| Danek | Goal: Wants to be an assassin Motivation: Assassins have more power than spies Conflict: Jeharv won’t agree Goal: Wants to be master of the Order Motivation: Wants more power and sees an opportunity when learns Jeharv is dying Conflict: Astarl is trying to save Jeharv | Goal: To steal the artefact and become immortal Motivation: Largely opportunistic – sees an opportunity to steal the item from Jeharv Conflict: Needs Astarl to find it but taking it from her won’t be easy, and doesn’t want anyone to know he has betrayed them yet. Goal: To distract and ultimately eliminate Astarl. Motivation: To secure the artefact Conflict: Astarl is a canny assassin and not an easy target. |
This is only a short extract showing two characters from my book Deathhawk’s Betrayal, but you can see that not only does each character have multiple goals, but the goals can be categorised according to which part of a character’s life they affect:
- Private life – the character’s innermost life, kept hidden and private – secret fears and desires;
- Professional life – the character’s work; and
- Personal life – The character’s friends, family, living arrangements, personal goals etc.
You can also see from this sample how Danek and Astarl’s goals overlap, which breeds potential for conflicts. You might also see how two otherwise unrelated characters can be linked, so that their goals and motivations clash with one another.
This is only a tool for identifying plot weaknesses and opportunities. Once you’ve gotten this far, it’s up to you where the plot and the characters take you.
GMC charts are tools for plotters more than pantsers. Sure, you can stop halfway through a novel and whip out a GMC chart to see what direction you’re taking, but as a pantser you probably won’t want to do that. A GMC chart can be most useful in the initial stages of planning, midway through a novel to check the direction you’re headed in, and after a first draft has been written and before revisions, to find where plots can be strengthened or linked.
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