Your character wants something. You wrote it down. So did every character in every workshop draft on earth.
The misdiagnosisThe misdiagnosis is that one want is enough. That if you know the goal, you know the character.
The real diagnosisOne want is a sketch. Three wants is a person. The Three Wants framework excavates the wants beneath the want. The goal. The method. The secret. The third one is the one the character does not admit to themselves.
The Three Wants
| Want | Visibility | Reveals |
|---|---|---|
| Want One — The Goal | Stated openly | Drives plot |
| Want Two — The Method | Visible by act two | Reveals wound |
| Want Three — The Hidden Want | Almost never stated | Makes them human |
Three Questions To Find Want Three
- What would the character do if no one were watching?
- What did they want at twelve and never got?
- What would they sacrifice the goal to protect?
A character with one want is a plot device. A character with three wants is a person you cannot put down.
Write three wants for every character with more than three scenes. Want three goes in the writer’s notebook, not the manuscript. The reader feels it without seeing it.
The dare (not assignment)Pick three characters. Write each one's three wants. Want three stays private. Watch how their next scene changes.
Image promptThree objects on a velvet cloth — a watch, a folded letter, a small key. Painterly, slightly dim. Purple and dark blue. No people.
— The Book Maven
