Assignment 2.7: Motivation Web Assignment

45–60 minutes

Learning Targets

I can create original characters with backstories, motivations, and flaws that make them feel real.

Your Task

Create a motivation web for the character you've been developing. This visual-analytical assignment asks you to map your character's goals, connect them to the wound and want from their backstory, and identify where goals conflict with each other.

Directions

  1. Create a motivation web diagram (hand-drawn, digital, or text-based outline) with your character's name at the center.
  2. Inner ring: Write your character's core want (from the Wound—this is the deepest driving force).
  3. Middle ring: Write 2–3 deep goals (emotional needs connected to the wound).
  4. Outer ring: Write 3–4 surface goals (visible pursuits in the story).
  5. Fear ring: Write 3-4 fears. For each fear, explain: the fear itself, where it comes from (its origin in the character's backstory), and how it influences their behavior. Fears are the shadow side of motivation—they reveal what your character avoids as much as what they pursue.
  6. Draw lines connecting goals that reinforce each other (solid lines) and goals that conflict (dashed/zigzag lines).
  7. Write a 500–700 word analysis explaining: How do the surface goals connect to the deep goals? Where do goals conflict, and what tension does that create? How do your character's motivations connect to the world you built in Unit 1? What story possibilities emerge from the conflicts in the web? In your analysis, note whether your character's surface goals accurately or misguidedly address their deep want. Does pursuing what they think they want actually lead to what they need?
Language is Part of Your Story

Character motivations are shaped by cultural and linguistic context. A character's values, fears, and goals are connected to the language community they belong to—how their family spoke about honor, or shame, or belonging. When you brainstorm your character's motivation web, if you find that certain thoughts or feelings express themselves better in a language other than English, draft them in that language. You might brainstorm your character's fears in Spanish, their deepest wants in Tagalog, their core values in Arabic. Then integrate those insights into your written analysis. Use whatever language flows naturally as you think through your character's heart.

Requirements

  • Visual web diagram (any format)
  • 500–700 word written analysis
  • Clear connection between wound/want and goals
  • Fears (3-4 with origins and behavioral influence)
  • At least one internal conflict identified
  • Connection to Unit 1 world

Rubric

Motivation Web Rubric: Grading criteria for assessing goal complexity, internal conflict, wound-want connections, analytical writing, and predictive power
Criterion Developing (1–2) Proficient (3) Exemplary (4)
Goal Complexity Goals are vague or all on same level Clear distinction between surface and deep goals Goals form a nuanced network with multiple meaningful connections
Internal Conflict No conflicts identified At least one conflict clearly articulated Multiple conflicts create rich story possibilities
Wound-Want Connection Backstory not clearly connected Goals trace logically to wound and want Every goal illuminates the character's backstory
Analytical Writing Summary without analysis Clear explanation of connections and tensions Insightful analysis of how motivation creates story
Predictive Power Cannot predict behavior from the motivation web Behavior predictions are consistent with the motivation web Behavior predictions reveal deep understanding of how motivations interact

Behavior Prediction Scenarios

If you truly understand your character's motivation, you should be able to predict how they'd respond to any situation. Write a 2-3 sentence response for each of these scenarios:

  1. Betrayal: A trusted friend betrays your character. How do they react?
  2. Values Test: An opportunity arises that conflicts with your character's core values. What do they choose?
  3. Deepest Fear: Your character must confront their deepest fear. How do they behave?
  4. Unexpected Kindness: An enemy shows your character genuine kindness. How do they respond?

If you can't predict how your character would act in these situations, your understanding of their motivation isn't clear enough yet. Go back to your web and dig deeper.

How to Submit Your Work

Choose the format that works best for you:

Option A: Visual Web + Written Analysis

Create a diagram (hand-drawn, digital, or text-based outline) showing your motivation web, then write a 500–700 word analysis.

Option B: Annotated Character Map

Create a detailed visual character map with embedded analysis totaling 500+ words, showing how goals connect to motivations and the world.

Option C: Audio Analysis + Diagram

Record a 2–3 minute audio explaining your motivation web and how goals create story, then submit a visual diagram alongside the recording.

Navigating Internal Conflict

Your character's motivation web probably includes goals that conflict with each other. That's not a design flaw—it's realistic. Real people constantly navigate competing priorities: wanting to be independent AND wanting to belong, wanting to speak up AND wanting to keep the peace. Noticing these tensions in your character can help you recognize them in yourself and make more thoughtful choices.

AI Guidance for This Assignment

Do not use AI to generate goals, analyze motivation patterns, or write your analysis. The creative and analytical thinking is the assignment. You may ask AI to ask you questions about your character to push your thinking deeper. After writing your own complete analysis, you may use AI for grammar checking only.

Process Evidence

Submit your motivation web diagram alongside your written analysis.

What's Next

Complete Lesson 2.8: Flaws and Growth to explore how imperfection drives character development.