Avoid, Persevere, Endure, Fight: Four Character Goals to Take Your First Chapter From Average to Unforgettable

As a new writer, much of the advice I came across from experts didn’t make sense to me. I didn’t see the point in detailing the items on my character’s bedside table, or planning the entire schedule of my teenage characters’ school day, and I always got lost in the endless numbered lists I would find on blog posts or in writing craft books. But the advice on character goals baffled me beyond any other.

“Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.”
— Kurt Vonnegut

Why is it so hard to get a glass of water?

Why would my character suddenly be so thirsty?

And most important, what does my character do when they’re done drinking?

Now, I understand that Vonnegut’s quote isn’t so literal, but because there was no further explanation about character goals attached when I read it back then, I kept getting stuck on that damn glass of water.

However, he does bring up a vital point: your character needs to have a goal in every scene. Especially in your first chapter.

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Character Goals

Your character must have a goal. Character goals can take both physical form: revenge, a scholarship, to win the Hunger Games. It can also take a more emotional form like the search for acceptance, love, or safety. Character goals are the best way to draw readers in and keep them hooked throughout all of the disasters and victories your protagonist goes through.

But when looking at published books, character goals don’t appear on the first page; it comes a couple chapters in, when the protagonist is forced to act.

In most story structures, we spend the opening chapters in the protagonist’s “normal world.” The Normal World serves an important purpose: it introduces the protagonist, the values and traditions they grew up with, and their opinions on the world they inhabit. Without this initial immersion , readers will have a tough time following the character’s growth throughout the story. So how do you craft tension-filled first chapters without an obvious character goal? How do you keep readers turning pages when things haven’t been shaken up yet?

The Struggle in the Normal World

Central to strong first chapters is the struggle that your character faces in their normal life. Some craft teachers call this struggle the “inner wound,” others call it the “lie the character believes,” and some simply call it “dissatisfaction with the current situation.” However deep you dig into their psyche, your protagonist’s response to this struggle will determine their character goals in the first chapters.

Here are four types of character goals you can incorporate into your first chapter to take it from average to unforgettable.

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Four Character Goals to Liven up Your First Chapter

Character Goal #1 Avoid

Whatever struggle your protagonist faces, they want nothing to do with it. They might not know how to deal with it, or it may take energy that they don’t have, or the problem is just so large and nebulous that there’s no easy answer.

Avoidance is a deceptive concept. At first glance, it seems easy—after all, how hard could it be to do nothing—but in fact it takes an incredible amount of energy.

To avoid something, you’re on constant alert for situations that may bring it up. This can result in the character taking actions, making decisions that they normally wouldn’t.

For example, if you’re sensitive about your height, you’re wary of standing next to someone significantly taller or shorter than you. A good portion of your brain is analyzing conversations to anticipate height-related comments and coming up with ways to divert to another topic. You may even want to avoid being in pictures which, in our day, is almost impossible.

An example of this from film would be Tony Stark from Iron Man. He’s not happy being his father’s legacy, and he employs diversion tactics in the beginning of the film. On the way to an arms demonstration, he does everything he can to break the serious military atmosphere with jokes and photographs; he ditches an award ceremony celebrating his father’s legacy by hiding in a casino; and when asked questions by a reporter, he redirects the conversation in a way to distract.

How to Write an “Avoid” First Chapter

As a storyteller, you can leverage this stress to create very tense first chapters. Ask yourself:

• What is my protagonist trying to avoid?
• What reminders (people, places, sights, smells, etc.) might bring that painful subject to mind?
• Now brainstorm 5-10 small concrete actions that your character can take in your first chapter.

Character Goal #2 Persevere

This is where it’s not enough for your character to just keep plugging along. They don’t necessarily want to change things, but they can’t just lie down and let life tear them apart. They may have someone they care for or they feel that maintaining status quo is akin to giving up.

For persevere character goals, it’simportant to hone in on your protagonist’s motivation.

An example in literature is Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. For her, the stakes are high—if she doesn’t go beyond the fence of District 12 to hunt, her family will starve—but she is also motivated by her sister’s joy. If she doesn’t hunt, if she doesn’t take all of the tesserae, then Prim will have to give up the simple pleasures of childhood to survive. Katniss’s dedication to ease the suffering of others continues throughout the trilogy and is one of the reasons she is so engaging.

How to Write a “Persevere” First Chapter

There are a few strategies you can use to find your character’s motivation. One way is to use personality tests. Personality tests are an analytical tool used by psychologists to study trends so I wouldn’t advise using them as the primary way to create your characters, but they provide an excellent list of personal motivations for you to choose from.

Here’s a link to descriptions of

the 9 enneagram types.

Another strategy is the 5 why’s. This is where you interrogate your character and ask: Why are you doing that? five times over to dig deep into their psyche. A possible list of questions for Katniss may look like this:

Why do you go beyond the fence? So I can feed my family. Why do you need to feed your family? So my mom and my sister wouldn’t starve. Why do you care if they starve? Because I love them. Why do you have to be the one to do it? Because if I don’t, my sister will have to go to the orphanage. Why is it so bad for her to go to the orphanage? Because the joy will be beaten out of her and I don’t want that to happen.

Once you have chosen a motivation for your protagonist, play with your first chapter. Try not to change the events that happen. Instead, focus on how your protagonist thinks and how they problem solve, and incorporate this into your scene.

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Character Goal #3 Endure

Sometimes, you encounter situations that you just have to endure. It may be tempting to give your protagonist an unending situation to endure, but that drains the potential tension from the scene. When you expect nothing to change, this becomes a new status quo, and status quo equals boring. Giving a specific date for the character’s suffering to end keeps the difficulty alive which in turn creates tension.

In The Lightning Thief, Percy Jackson’s goal in chapter 1 is to get through the field trip and the last few months of school without getting expelled, which is not an easy thing for him. Bullies, a crazy math teacher, and his own ADHD put considerable obstacles in his way. But with the promise of seeing his mom again and his desire not to disappoint her, Percy is determined to keep his goal.

How to Write an “Endure” First Chapter

Ask yourself:

• What’s the light at the end of the tunnel for your character? How long do they have to endure to reach it? (Don’t make the time line too long or the draw will lose its pull.)
• What concrete actions does your character need to take to reach that light? (e.g.: pass a test, finish a project, keep grinding until Christmas break)
• As with avoid character goals, brainstorm a list of 5-10 small, concrete actions that your character can take in the first chapter to keep going.

Character Goal #4 Fight

This type of first chapter character goal is the hardest to accomplish. In the other three character goal types, the protagonist works within the constraints of the society they live in; here, they want to change those constraints. For fight character goals, the protagonist faces their struggles head on and decides to take the biggest risk they can think of. In other words: Go big or go home.

Like persevere character goals, you need a firm grasp of your protagonist’s motivation. The character will most likely have a personal philosophy they need to uphold, and you can use the 5 why’s to get at the heart of why they believe fighting for their philosophy is so important.

An example of this is Steve Rogers in Captain America: The First Avenger. The opening scenes of the movie shows Rogers’s determination to enlist in the army during WWII despite his myriad of health issues. When asked point blank why, he responds, “I don’t like bullies,” and an early scene shows how bullying manifests in his personal life.

How to Write a “Fight” First Chapter

Use the 5 why’s to discover your protagonist’s deep seated motivation.

Look into the character’s past. Pick 2-3 events that strengthen this motivation and free write about each.

Write a few short sentences about your character’s philosophy. What will they fight for? What situations get their blood pumping? And, conversely, where do they draw the line and stop fighting?

Now, take a look at your first chapter and brainstorm 5-10 ways you can incorporation this philosophy into the protagonist’s actions and thoughts.

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A version of this article was published on Jane Friedman’s blog on April 30, 2024.

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