While driving to L.A., I listened to the audio book version of Save the Cat. Not the one where it writes a novel, but the original, which is about how to write a screenplay that will make money. I’ve written about Save the Cat before, and I only bring it up now because the act of “saving the cat” is one of the ways in which a screenwriter can endear the audience to your protagonist. In the first act, have your character do something nice. It doesn’t have to literally be pulling a cat from a tree, the way Christopher Reeves’ Superman did in the original movie.

Today, I would like to submit unto my tens of readers the following idea: Characters that are driven and motivated are the characters we love more than any other characters put to page.

This is a bold statement, isn’t it? Do I have proof to back this up?

I sure hope so!

To talk about this, I will describe the idea fully. Next, we will look at a few examples, as well as some possible counter-examples. Then we’ll wrap with some kind of conclusion, which will hopefully tie this essay together. I may not have a plan going into this, but I’m certainly motivated to see it through to the end!

The Basic Idea

We are drawn to people that are highly motivated and active in pursuing their goals. It’s a quality of leaders that we value, but this applies to all sorts of people. It’s a piece of why it can be so satisfying watching someone perform a task with masterful skill. It is the main reason training montages work in film. It is a huge reason why we love to watch heists, even when we are otherwise opposed to breaking the law and stealing.

Let’s look at the “save the cat” act. We like animals, and we like people that are kind to animals. Is that all there is to it?

I think the motivation is important for the “save the cat” moment to be effective. Let’s start with the classic example, then let’s look at an example where the motivation is different.

Tony is a car thief. He’s professional, surly, and he’s just been called to meet up with a crew to pull off a job. As he steps out of his brownstone apartment, he runs into a little girl, his neighbor’s daughter. Her cheeks are wet with tears, and she is unable to speak her grievance. She just points at the nearest tree, where just a bit of fur and shining eyes can be seen in the canopy of leaves. Tony looks at his watch. Then he looks back at the girl. With a sigh, he pushes up his sleeves, pulls himself up the trunk, and manages to get a hand on the cat. The frightened animal fights, slashing Tony’s exposed skin in a series of red scratches, but Tony manages to get the cat down and into the arms of the little girl. The girl rushes into the nearby apartment without even a thanks, and as Tony resumes his walk to the subway, he looks at the scratches on his arm. Those might be a problem.

Not too bad, right? It’s a trick, but it works. We like Tony. He went out of his way to do a good deed, even when it was counter to his self-interest.

Let’s try another example.

Roger works in animal control. He’s professional, cheery, and he just happens to be driving down the street when he sees a little girl sitting on the steps in front of her brownstone apartments. She’s holding a leash, but not one for a dog. The business end is looped into a harness, probably for a smaller animal like a cat, and its empty on the sidewalk in front of her.

Roger pulls his van over, hits quick dial on his phone, then gets out and approaches the nearest tree.

“Hey boss,” Roger says. He doesn’t look at the little girl, but instead keeps his eyes pointed up, to wherever the animal might be. Even a housecat could be a danger if you don’t respect it with your attention. “Nah, the rottweiler wasn’t a problem. Got her in the back of the truck. Got another cat in a tree, though. Pulling it down, now.”

Roger shimmied up the tree, grabbed the cat by the scruff of the neck, then hopped down. The little girl hopped up from where she was sitting, a huge grin on her face, but Roger hesitated. The animal had a collar. Didn’t appear to be injured or sick. Okay, no need to put it in the truck.

He handed the cat to the girl, watched to make sure she had it under control, then turned back to his truck. Less than five minutes, but the city always rounds up to the nearest quarter hour.

“Easy money,” Roger said to himself, before pulling away.

What do we think of Roger? He did the same thing as Tony, more or less, but we like Tony more, don’t we? Tony went out of his way to help a little girl. Roger was just doing his job.

I don’t think we hate Roger yet, but it was close. If he decided to put the cat in the back of the truck instead of giving it to the little girl, we would hate Roger. Depending on the condition of the rottweiler in the back of the van, and how Roger captured her, we might hate Roger. At this point, he’s just a guy doing his job, and we’re neither for nor against him.

Those were example of characters I made up on the spot. Let’s look back at some of the villains and heroes I mentioned earlier this month, and see what we think of them.

Assorted Examples

Here are the primary examples of driven characters we enjoy:

• Darth Vader
• Indiana Jones
• Killmonger from the movie Black Panther
• Mark Watney from the book The Martian

Why do we like Darth Vader so much? He’s got a cool suit, a powerful presence, and sometimes we identify with villains that scare us to make them less scary. Those things are all true. Also, Darth Vader is driven. He wants the plans to The Death Star, and he will force choke anyone that gets in his way. He wants to protect The Death Star, and he will blast any rebel ship that gets in his way. He isn’t just powerful. He is powerful and active. He’s making choices and doing things. He’ll even overthrow a galactic government if his estranged son will take his hand and join him in the dark side.

Why do we like Indiana Jones? He’s a bit of a scoundrel, and he looks good in that jacket and fedora. But also, he is driven, and will tell you in no uncertain terms that whatever artifact he’s pursuing belongs in a museum. He’s swinging over chasms with his whip, dodging pit traps, punching Nazis, and constantly putting his life at risk for the things he cares about.

Killmonger. Another villain that’s so driven that he might win us over, if not for killing his girlfriend when she becomes a liability. He will tell you all about some Wakanda artifacts and how they do not belong in a museum.

Mark Watney, alone on Mars, is highly motivated to stay alive. He’s alone, yet resourceful and intelligent, and he will actively science the shit out of his predicament and own it, rather than let it own him.

These are some easy examples that illustrate my point fairly well. What about some counter-examples? Here are two:

• Bilbo Baggins
• The Dude from The Big Lebowski

Bilbo is a reluctant hero, and he certainly does not seem particularly driven or motivated to join all those dwarves on an epic quest. Bilbo is an example of a character we like for other reasons, right?

I suggest that Bilbo is a highly motivated character. His goals just don’t align with those of the plot. He wants a comfortable home, like any good hobbit. He wants to enjoy some good food, a good pipe, and be comfortable in a home that he takes good care of. He also wants to be well-thought of, and it’s not until the dwarves talk about him behind closed doors, suggesting that he isn’t the one for the job, that Bilbo decides, out of Tookish pride, to go on his adventure.

Later, when he is under the mountain with Gollum, it’s his love of the comforts of home, specifically riddling, that sees him through that particular danger in the dark.

Now let’s talk about The Dude.

The Dude is laid back and a bit like Bilbo, in that he likes what he likes and just wants to do those things. He likes White Russians. He bowls. He does not like The Eagles. The Dude is thrown into situations outside his comfort zone, and is most likeable when he is active, like when he’s trying to get that rug back, which really tied the place together.

Why do we like The Dude? Because The Dude abides.

Concluding Thoughts

I’m not saying that being motivated or being driven is the only reason we like characters. As readers and consumers of media, we are mercurial and complicated.

As a writer, I find that my best characters are the ones that are motivated and driving the plot forward. Stories are boring when nothing is happening. When a character makes a decision and tries to see it through, the story gets exciting and draws us in.

In The Repossessed Ghost, my characters shine the most when they are most active. Before the story even begins, Mel steals a car to turn in as a repo. He makes decisions, and is an active participant in all the things going on around him.

I think I will close there. I am less than a thousand words from finishing a Mel Walker story that I’ve been working on all year. Once I’m finished with that, I’m going to spend my remaining writing time working on the outline for the next, full-length Mel Walker novel.

Wish me luck!