Designing Your Character & Other Handy Things

Tropes of Motivation

Home Sweet Home: A character is just trying to settle things so they can stay home.

Honor Before Reason: A character only wants to do the right thing above all else.

Humble Goal: A character wants to do or have something that happens to be simple.

I Just Want to Be Badass: A character wants to be strong.

I Just Want to Be Beautiful:  A character wants to remain or become beautiful.

I Just Want to Be Free: A character wants freedom from some sort of bondage.

I Just Want to Be Normal: A character living an abnormal life wants to live a life without excitement.

I Just Want to Be Special: A character living a mundane life wants to be more exciting.

I Just Want to Be You: A character wants to be literally the person they envy.

I Just Want to Have Friends: A character or a person who wants friends.

In Harm's Way: Characters want excitement and danger in their lives.

Inspirational Insult

I Owe You My Life: A character feels indebted to someone who saved their life.

It Amused Me: A character who acts purely for their own entertainment.

It's Personal: A character does something for a personal reason.

I Want My Beloved to Be Happy: A character wants the person they love to be happy, even at the risk of their own happiness.

"I Want" Song: Exposition of a character's motivation in the form of a song at the beginning of the story.

I Want to Be a Real Man: A character wants to be masculine or prove his masculinity.

I Will Find You: A character wants to find a lost or kidnapped loved one, whatever the cost.

Loves Only Gold: A character is obsessed with a particular form of wealth and will do anything to obtain it.

MacGuffin: It doesn't matter what it does, but all the characters want it.

Motivated By Fear: Fear is a powerful motivator.

Motivation on a Stick

Motive Decay: A character has a great motivation, but forgets it eventually.
- The Dark Side Will Make You Forget: A character who uses evil means to accomplish a good goal loses sight of the goal over time.

Never Be Hurt Again:  A character seeks to ensure that no one will ever hurt or take advantage of them again, usually by becoming a Badass.

New Years Resolution: A character tries to use the promise of a New Year to create motivation.

Not in This for your Revolution: A character is involved in an admirable pursuit for un-heroic reasons. Not necessarily evil, just not heroic.
- Only in it for the Money: A  Sub-Trope of the above, in which the un-heroic motivation is specifically wealth.

Pinocchico Syndrome: A character wants to be human, or to regain their humanity.

The Power of Friendship: A character is motivated by his friends.

The Power of Hate: A character desires what's worst for others.

The Power of Love: A character desires good.

Pursue the Dream Job: A character desires a specific job and follows his heart.

Rage Against the Heavens: A character wants the gods to pay for what they've done.

Revenge: A character wants another character to pay for what he's done.

Restart the World: A character wants to destroy the world and start over.

Rich Boredom: A character wants to need to do something.

Screw Destiny:  Characters want to go against a prophecy and prove it wrong.

Seeks Anothers Resurrection: One character seeks to resurrect another character who has died.

Seven Deadly Sins

- Greed: Characters just want more.
- Lust: Characters just want sex.

- Envy: Characters want what other people have.
- Pride: Characters value themselves and want to feel as if they're worth something.
- Sloth: Characters just want to do nothing.
- Wrath: Characters just want you to suffer.
- Gluttony: Characters just want to consume.

Survivors Guilt: A character doesn't want anyone else to die in their stead.

There's No Place Like Home: A character wants to go home again.

To Create a Playground for Evil: A character wants to make the world a more evil place.

They Called Me Mad!: A character is motivated by the mockery he's received in the past.

Tragic Dream: The character is motivated by the desire for something they can never have.

Trapped in Villainy: A villain only performs villainous acts because, if they don't, they'll die.

Undying Loyalty: A character is motivated by desire to help someone or something they care about.

Utopia Justifies the Mean: Characters, usually bad guys, who wish to create a better world but will go to extreme lengths to achieve it.

"Well Done, Son!" Guy/"Well Done, Dad" Guy: A character wants someone to acknowledge them.

Well-Intentioned Extremist:  A character has noble goals, but goes about achieving them ruthlessly.

Working for a Body Upgrade: Characters want their boss to repair or improve their physique/looks/abilities.

Found on: http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MotivationIndex