Just wondering what your thoughts are as fellow writers. Do you think it's possible (or even a good idea) for the protagonist's story goal to change during the course of their journey, or should you rather stick to one goal throughout the narrative?
Many stories have the goal evolve especially with the advent of new information or twists in the plot. Heck, it's even the basis for the twist. "Oh you thought you were working against the bad guys eh? Well really you were doing exactly what the bad guys wanted all along! Mwahahahaha!"
Are those not new plot directions/cplications brought about by the protagonist's reaction to conflict or opposition, as opposed to the overarching goal? If I can explain it this way: If my goal is to drive from A to B I may choose my route, the vehicle may get a puncture and I may have to take a detour to get it fixed, but my goal has not changed. I still want to get from A to B. Thoughts?
Ben Johnson Jr. Yes, true but then in your goal to kill the evil overlord, you learn he's your father so you go from wanting to kill him to wanting to redeem him.
Or you want to be cool and popular and get the hot girl. One day you find out your a wolf and that makes you cool and popular and you get the girl. But then you realize at the end you just needed to be accepting of who you are and you actually want the girl who's stood by you as your friend the entire time.
I would consider the above not just change due to environment or plot but actual evolution of goal. They no longer want to get to B or they get to B and find out it wasn't what they thought it was.
The Coen brothers do a masterful job of laying out characters who start out wanting to go from A to B but things get so f'ed up 10 seconds out from the starting gate, that B becomes a pipe dream and the new B ends up many times being just survive. (Fargo comes to mind). Suburbicon tried to copy that as well.
So yes you are right there are many stories/plots and characters where the goal remains the same and the whole point of the story is to get from A to B and how that happens. But also a ton where the goal changes. You get to Alderaan and it's been blown away. Plan B. Get the girl. Whoops, she's your sister. Plan C. and so on and so forth.
Is there a cause visible for the audience why your character is changing his overarching goal? Sometimes characters change their overarching goals because of insight and because their personality or values changed.
I hear you guys. I think the confusion also comes in through terminology and not separating the inner and outer journey. The internal want if the character (validation, wealth, power, vengeance) will possibly remained fixed throughout the story but the external plot goal may change based on plot development/turning points. Thoughts?
I think Dan MaxXx hit it on the head. Plot is one thing, the Theme is something else. While the Journey (Plot) may change and surprise the audience (it shouldn't surprise the writer), the Thematic Premise shouldn't ever change. It provides a cohesion that the audience needs to feel connected to the story. If the Theme (Goal) changes, you set the audience adrift and the vast majority of them won't get it, which translates into decreasing appeal and less financial gain. :)
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Many stories have the goal evolve especially with the advent of new information or twists in the plot. Heck, it's even the basis for the twist. "Oh you thought you were working against the bad guys eh? Well really you were doing exactly what the bad guys wanted all along! Mwahahahaha!"
Are those not new plot directions/cplications brought about by the protagonist's reaction to conflict or opposition, as opposed to the overarching goal? If I can explain it this way: If my goal is to drive from A to B I may choose my route, the vehicle may get a puncture and I may have to take a detour to get it fixed, but my goal has not changed. I still want to get from A to B. Thoughts?
1 person likes this
Ben Johnson Jr. Yes, true but then in your goal to kill the evil overlord, you learn he's your father so you go from wanting to kill him to wanting to redeem him.
Or you want to be cool and popular and get the hot girl. One day you find out your a wolf and that makes you cool and popular and you get the girl. But then you realize at the end you just needed to be accepting of who you are and you actually want the girl who's stood by you as your friend the entire time.
I would consider the above not just change due to environment or plot but actual evolution of goal. They no longer want to get to B or they get to B and find out it wasn't what they thought it was.
The Coen brothers do a masterful job of laying out characters who start out wanting to go from A to B but things get so f'ed up 10 seconds out from the starting gate, that B becomes a pipe dream and the new B ends up many times being just survive. (Fargo comes to mind). Suburbicon tried to copy that as well.
So yes you are right there are many stories/plots and characters where the goal remains the same and the whole point of the story is to get from A to B and how that happens. But also a ton where the goal changes. You get to Alderaan and it's been blown away. Plan B. Get the girl. Whoops, she's your sister. Plan C. and so on and so forth.
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Is there a cause visible for the audience why your character is changing his overarching goal? Sometimes characters change their overarching goals because of insight and because their personality or values changed.
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Goals change but theme(s) shouldn’t. What are you saying (Plot) and then what are you really saying (theme)?
I hear you guys. I think the confusion also comes in through terminology and not separating the inner and outer journey. The internal want if the character (validation, wealth, power, vengeance) will possibly remained fixed throughout the story but the external plot goal may change based on plot development/turning points. Thoughts?
2 people like this
I think Dan MaxXx hit it on the head. Plot is one thing, the Theme is something else. While the Journey (Plot) may change and surprise the audience (it shouldn't surprise the writer), the Thematic Premise shouldn't ever change. It provides a cohesion that the audience needs to feel connected to the story. If the Theme (Goal) changes, you set the audience adrift and the vast majority of them won't get it, which translates into decreasing appeal and less financial gain. :)