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Storypod – Where storytelling is about doing, not just learning. Step into Storytelling Immersion—a world where characters come to life, worlds unfold, and plots twist and turn as we dive deep into the art of story. Unlike traditional guides, Storypod is a “learn-by-listening” experience. Through storytelling games, character-building exercises, media discussions, and creative Q&A, each episode immerses you in the craft of storytelling.
This isn’t a textbook on “how to,” but a playground for creators, thinkers, and lovers of story to explore, experiment, and let ideas spark and grow. Whether you’re here to refine your skills or simply to revel in the magic of storytelling, Storypod is your space to create, learn, and be inspired.
Come on in, bestie. Welcome to Storypod, where we do the doing of story development together. Brought to you by Creative BFF. Listen, Linda. Can I be real with you?
Ashley:I have a little disclaimer. The audio quality of this podcast, this episode is a little bit rough. Okay? I wasn't in my normal recording space. Okay?
Ashley:There's a, you know, bits and bobs and knickknacks and doodads and lots of little imperfections, but I hope that you will still be able to enjoy the content as I continue to get my audio life together on this podcast. But in any case, thank you for joining me, and here's the episode. Welcome. Welcome. Welcome to the CBFF Story Pod podcast.
Ashley:Thank you so much for joining me. I have something that I find to be so fun that, that we're going to be doing today, which is answering a story question. Now, my ideal way of handling this would be that an audience member would send me a question about their story or a character or, you know, world building, whatever aspect, and then I would answer it, with what I think would be the way to solve the question here on the podcast. But until you and I find each other, I will have to find another way to find questions. And so we are going to Reddit to a writer sub to answer one of the questions there, and that will be where I find these questions until such time as you and I find each other and you are submitting questions to be answered.
Ashley:So without further ado, here is the question for today. So this question comes from the r slash character development Reddit, subreddit. It's from Dahlia Jane Doe, and the question is about motivation. So Dahlia writes, I'm attempting to develop characters, their traits, and their backgrounds, but I keep finding myself struggling with the motivation aspect. What do you all do that I could try for myself?
Ashley:I almost wish I had someone to help keep me accountable, honestly. Listen, girl. If you need somebody, you can call me up. Number 1, 1st and foremost, who you gonna call? Ashley from CBFF.
Ashley:I would love to help you. But what I do when I'm coming up with a motivation for a character in the vein of it determining how they act, why they make the choices that they make, why you know, what's behind their decisions. I my first point of reference is in the wound that I've developed for them in their backstory. A lot of it comes from their backstory. If they need to keep a job, they want a job, and they have a frantic stress and anxiety around keeping a job, why do they why do they have that?
Ashley:What in their backstory would make them feel that way about a job that they can't just be like, well, if this one doesn't work out, then I will get another job or I'll just make it work some other kind of way. And so why would this person, for example, do everything they can to keep this particular job to the point of maybe killing somebody? Or that's kinda dark, but to the point of maybe harming themselves, to it being detrimental to themselves and to their relationships, what is at the the root of that? And usually, especially if there's a negative spin to it, a negative outcome, Usually, I find that motivation in their their wound, in their backstory. And that's typically also where I go for their need, you know, beyond just the surface want that they have, the maybe the goal they have at the start of the story that can change later on.
Ashley:The the need that they have that maybe they don't know that they have, which maybe is self actualization or loving relationship or to protect themselves and their loved ones, whatever the case may be, those were ones I think that are coming out of, like, the 5 basic human needs. I didn't list all of them, and maybe I even was incorrect on some of those, but that's kind of what I was drawing from when I was giving those examples. Whether it's a need they know or they don't know they have, I also typically find its root in the backstory, in their wound, the whatever the experience is that they had that kind of has formed a core nugget of their personality that informs how they react to things, how they treat people, how they view certain things that happen in their life, or within the story, how they handle the conflicts, the choices that they make, how they speak to themselves, to others, about themselves, about others, things like that. So that's usually where I go first for motivation is the wound, the core kind of traumatic back story event. And it doesn't have to be a major crazy traumatic back story event.
Ashley:It could be something that to anyone else may not seem that huge. Like for example, one of my clients, was writing a story that involved some brothers and things like that. And one of the brothers, their core wound and it's it's like a it's, you know, it's 4 young adults and 4teens. So it's not not that a young adult or teen story an audience can't have like a more traumatic thing, but the issue that my client came up with, the traumatic wound that they had in the past for this character was at a very young age, their best and only friend ended up having to move away because of something that they did, kind of that was related to something about them. And so that was a major thing even though it's, you know, kids have friends who move away, can have friends who move away all the time.
Ashley:Plenty of people have experienced it. And while it's something that's sad and disappointing and we don't like, eventually you kind of get over it. Right? Pretty much. Most people.
Ashley:Right? I think I might imagine. Or perhaps you have to have therapy for it depending on how close the friend was to you. But for this character, it then formed motivation around how they create relationships or avoid relationships, how they and this is a story where the characters have certain abilities, you know, how they view their own abilities because it was tied to their ability that this person end up kind of moving away without even a word. And, of course, the person was a child, so they didn't have any choice in the matter, but that's neither here nor there.
Ashley:So it it fundamentally changed both how they relate to other characters as well as how they view their own abilities, which becomes important for the story later on. And that came out of this wound even though it's a wound that wasn't necessarily traumatic for most people or many people. I won't say most. I have no idea how anybody else would handle it. But for them, it was a big deal.
Ashley:So that would be my answer to the question. That's where I typically start to try to find motivations. How do you guys do it? Do you have different places where you go mining and digging for motivation? If you do, let me know.
Ashley:Or is is that how you do it? Do you have a better way of even explaining what I just said and answering Dalia's question, I believe her name was. Let me see. Yeah. Dalia Jane Doe.
Ashley:And with that, that's all I have to say about it, girl. What do you have to say? What do you think? Okay. So that's it for this little story snack.
Ashley:This little story snack pack tip snack pack. Yeah. Thank you for joining me and I look forward to chatting with you next time. Bye.