There is a lot of writing advice out there, and most of it is just based on what works best for the writer. Every now and then, I like to do a post on simplifying all the writing advice. If you are overwhelmed by the writing craft, my hope is these posts show a clear, simple path to the same end as all the other advice. Today, I’d like to simplify plot goals into just five categories.
Plot Goals
Every story must have a goal to help readers feel progress. If we know what we want to happen in the end, it’s easy to see if the character is getting closer or farther from the goal. It’s this sense of progression that makes it feel like something meaningful is happening in the story. In simple terms, I’ve observed five types of general goals that any story will have: win, retrieve, discover, stop, and escape.
The five goals can be divided into two categories: to gain or to avoid. The goals to win, retrieve, and discover seek to gain something either physical or mental. The characters seeking these goals will be proactive in chasing after what they want. On the other hand, the goals to stop and escape seek to avoid something. They will be proactive too, but they seek to stop someone else from getting their goals. The goals for gain will have characters who make steps toward what they want, while the goals for avoidance will have characters who focus on putting obstacles in the way of someone else’s goal. All of these characters have a goal, but the former group are playing offensive while the latter group is focused on defense.
1. Win
The first plot goal type is to win. The character wants to achieve something that requires hard work and dedication. This can be to win a promotion, a sporting event, a school science fair, or even to beat security and steal something. This type of plot goal also includes romance stories. While we don’t want to say you can “win” love, it’s the same concept as winning a sporting event. You have to be dedicated, push past obstacles, and pick that person above all other things in life. So, if your story is about forming a relationship with a romantic partner, family member, or friend, the plot goal is probably to win. Books with the goal to win will end when the character has either won or lost.
Some examples of books with the plot goal of winning are: Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown, Emma by Jane Austen, and Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library by Chris Grabenstein.
2. Retrieve
The next plot goal type is to retrieve. At the start of the story, the character either loses something or becomes aware of something they need, and the goal is to get it. This can be a stolen painting, a clandestine agency’s gadget, military launch codes, or even a kidnapped person. Stories with the goal to retrieve will end when that character has possession of the item or has taken possession away from the enemy. (Some of these stories end with the destruction of the object as it’s too dangerous to keep around.)
Examples of retrieve books are: Heist Society by Ally Carter, The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks, Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, and Caraval by Stephanie Garber.
3. Discover
Another plot goal is to discover, and this means the character must uncover a truth, secret, or mystery. These tales can be about conspiracies, a detective solving a crime, a family’s dark secret, or the story behind a new person moving to town. The character will be seeking information, and that information usually reveals something about human nature. These are the stories that feel like the perfect ammo for gossip. Stories with the plot goal to discover will end when all the information is uncovered.
Books with a discover goal are: Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware, and A Simple Favor by Darcey Bell.
4. Stop
Next, we have the plot goal type to stop. This is when something starts to happen at the beginning of the tale, and the character seeks to stop it before it happens. It can be trying to stop a bomb, wipe out corruption in an organization, catch a serial killer, or even stop a wedding. A more subtle use of this plot goal is when a character wants to keep his life unchanged. At the beginning, something may start to threaten his normal way of life, and he will spend the book trying to stop that change. It can be a divorce, a corporation taking over a small company, or losing a friend that plans to move away. To maintain the status quo, the character must stop what is going to happen. Stories with the goal to stop will end when the event either happens or is stopped.
Examples of books with the goal to stop something are: The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, Small Favors by Erin A. Craig, The Sum of All Fears by Tom Clancy, I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes, and The Husband List by Dorien Kelly and Janet Evanovich.
5. Escape
The last plot goal type is to escape, and this is when something bad happens to the character who just wants out of it. These stories include leaving abusive relationships, getting away from kidnappers, or escaping a combat zone. Also, escape goals are typical for horror stories that have a group of people stuck in a place with something evil, and they must survive and get out. These escape stories will end when the character is safe from the danger.
Some escape books include: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover, Nerve by Jeanne Ryan, and Under a War-Torn Sky by L.M. Elliott.
Final Thoughts
This week’s post wasn’t long, but I hope it was simple. If you feel overwhelmed with writing your story, try boiling it down. Which of these five goals fits your story? What is the final picture you see? Is your character reunited with a loved one? Did he win the tournament? Did she stop the serial killer? Is the family’s dark secret revealed so they lose their power over the community? Did they survive the monster infested island? Once you have the final image of their goal, just write to it while throwing obstacles in your character’s way. Don’t worry about all the rest (that can be added or fixed in the editing stage). For now, just keep that end goal in mind and write to it.
Thanks for reading!
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