On Writing With Brandon Sanderson | Full Writing Lectures (2025) Creating Proactive, Relatable, and Capable Characters: Brandon Sanderson's Writing Lecture #5 (2025)
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Feb 24, 2025 Discover the art of crafting dynamic characters with proactivity, relatability, and capability. Delve into the impact of proactive heroes, exploring how their initiatives engage audiences. Uncover the evolution of anti-heroes, using figures like John Wick to discuss relatable motivations. Learn how character flaws and quirks add complexity, making protagonists more engaging. Plus, explore loyalty through iconic characters like Samwise Gamgee, illustrating character growth and development.
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Motivating Characters
- Give characters multiple, potentially conflicting motivations.
- Their desires should inform their actions, creating believable change.
Motivation and Believability
- The difference between wooden and well-rounded characters often lies in motivation.
- Readers disconnect when actions don't align with established motivations.
The Last Jedi's Finn
- In The Last Jedi, Finn's motivation to help Rey is undermined by a forced plot to save casino horses.
- This mismatched motivation makes his later actions, like a heroic sacrifice attempt, feel contrived.