Writing Tips: GMC (goal, motivation, conflict)

Over the next few months, I’ll be posting some writing / self-editing tips for fiction writers. 

In this first post we’ll go over GMC (goal, motivation, conflict), which is a very basic concept.

Bottom line – your characters need GMC, so make sure they have it.

Their goal is what they want, their motivation is why they want it, and their conflict is what’s keeping them from getting it. 

A few things to remember: 

1) The motivation should be bigger than the conflict. If it’s not, then when the character runs up against the conflict, they simply...well, give up.  

2) Conflicts can be external (someone is trying to kill them) or internal (their conscience tells them that what they’re going to do is morally wrong).

3) Goals are not always accomplished, and they can change. For example, in the beginning of a book, the hero’s goal might be to become the most wealthy man in town, and he’s willing to do whatever he has to in order to accomplish that, but by the end of the book he may have realized that there are more important things than wealth, leading to his goal changing / not being accomplished.

Many, many years ago I took my kids to the movies to see The Haunted Mansion with Eddie Murphy, and there was a great example of GMC in the movie, and on the drive home we talked about it, and they rolled their eyes and said, “Mom, why does everything have to be a writing lesson with you?” Which just made me smile :)

So, I’m going to show you the scene, but first I’ll tell you some background...there was a scene prior to the one I’ve embedded below in which the viewer learns that the son in the movie, Michael, is afraid of spiders, and his father teaches him to roll up a magazine and whack the spider with it. And I added that last bit of information to explain why, in this scene, Michael says, “I don’t have a magazine”.

This scene is a perfect, although very simple, example of GMC.

His goal – he wants to open the door.

His motivation – his father and sister are on the other side, and they’re in danger of being attacked, and probably eaten, by zombies.

His conflict – the door is covered with spiders, and he’s afraid of spiders.

In the end, he opens the door because his motivation is bigger than his conflict.

If you wish to learn more about GMC, there are numerous online articles, and I recommend the book GMC: Goal, Motivation and Conflict by Debra Dixon.

* Note: If you plan to purchase the print version, I suggest you order it directly from the publisher (www.gryphonbooksforwriters.com), because it will be cheaper.

Until next time...happy writing!

Pamela Tyner
Publisher, Beachwalk Press, Inc. 

New Tricks

Welcome to Friday!

I often find tips shared by writers to be invaluable. This week, as I have been working to add the sparkle to my completed rough draft of Sweetest Temptation, I thought I'd share some of my tips with you.

Writing is a life-long learning curve. There is always something or someone to learn from. However, your words are your words and it's important to keep the voice in the story that is you. That means that one writers process does not fit all and may not suit your goals. Writers need a virtual toolbox to store away all of the good advice and learning experiences, and a rubbish bag to throw away all of the bad. For instance, I no longer attempt complicated plans. I have learned through trial and error that I am a fully fledged pantser and all of the time I had spent planning is completely useless when I veer off on a tangent.

So here are the things that have been working for me in the edit process...

Font - This was something I discovered after I'd published my first two books. During your read through change your font. Reading your manuscript through on a different font can highlight a multitude of sins. As they say, familiarity breeds contempt, or should this be complacency? Writing your book in your preferred, or required font, is like a trusted friend. You've written and read over the same section so many times it's ingrained on your brain and any errors tend to camouflage - until you change your font.

Order - I don't know about you, but I can remember moments in the past far easier than remembering something I've done this week. Your manuscript is the same. I work more on my first few chapters than any others and therefore have read them through more times than the later ones. I read through all of my chapters before I continue with the next and so, as above, I get to know those words off by heart. So I now edit from the end to the beginning, working backwards so I'm reading each sentence individually without the obvious flow. It's like reading with fresh eyes.

Now this is a new one for me...

Reading out loud - This week I decided to try reading out loud. Well, not really loud it's more of a whisper. And I have to say I kind of like it. I'm starting to pick out what sounds natural and unnatural, and if the pace needs adjusting. That said, it's one of those things best done at home ;-)

I hope some of my tips help. If you have some of your own I'd love to hear them!
Have a wonderful weekend
~ Tracey