Illustrating Desire Vs. Need

In my previous blog post, I talked about the fact your character should have two pain points in their life. A desire - an exterior, physical, goal to achieve or not in the course of your story. They also should have a need - an interior goal, a lesson they must learn to make their life better. 
How do you intertwine your character’s needs versus their desire, the things that motivate them, for maximum impact? Here are a few suggestions to consider. 

Conflict and Resolution:

Infuse your screenplay with internal and external conflicts that challenge both the character's need and desire. Perhaps getting the bag of money puts their newfound relationship at risk. This creates a dynamic tension that keeps the audience engaged.

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Actions Speak Louder:

Show, don't just tell. Instead of having characters blurt out their motivations, let their actions do the talking. A character sacrificing personal happiness for the well-being of others speaks volumes without a single word being uttered.

Evolutionary Arc:

Allow your characters to evolve as they pursue their needs. As the narrative unfolds, the character's understanding of their need should grow, leading to a transformative arc. This evolution adds depth and authenticity to their journey.

Revealing Dialogue:

Create dialogue that reveals glimpses of your characters' true motivations. Subtext is your best friend here. A casual conversation can carry layers of meaning that astute viewers will pick up on.

Symbolic Motifs:

Use symbolic motifs to represent the dual nature of motivations. Maybe the bag of money serves as a recurring symbol, not just as a goal but as a reminder of the character's developing desires. Symbolism can convey these deeper layers without overt exposition.

Both the characters’ desire and need should be clear, at least to the audience, very early on. It’s what kicks the story off, so don’t fill the first ten pages of your script with a lot of backstory that doesn’t move the story forward. Tell us in flashback if you have to why they’re afraid of snakes. In “Raiders of the Lost Arc,”  we didn’t know why Indy was afraid of snakes until the prequel TV series years later. Did it matter?  No! 

Their motivations have to be understandable to the audience so they buy into the reason your character is making the choices—often mistakes—that they make. In chasing down the tangible goal, your character has to rationalize “I have to do this really crazy chase or stupid thing, or I’ll lose the bag of money”. Could they be lying to themselves about what drives them? Sure, that just makes your story all the more intriguing.

The audience should realize well before the character that what they need is to learn to value relationships. That’s what brings us to the edge of our seats when it seems like they might lose both. And applaud in the end when the character achieves what their heart truly desires. Though few people remember it, Rocky lost the fight, but got the girl. Indy lost the Grail but gained a deeper relationship with his father. 

​A television pilot operates on both levels as well, but the lesson each character needs to learn will take three to five seasons to be resolved.  

What’s it all mean?

Sure, a lot of movies only operate on one level and do just fine. “Taken” is just about retrieving his daughter and financially it did just fine. I would argue the need, a better emotional connection with his daughter is there, just very subtle. But even the “Fast and Furious” movies are about the heist (desire) and learning that family is more important (need). Over and over again, but still. 

Part of elevating your script to rise above the rest is this duality of needs and desires. It's not just about the bag of money. It's about the lessons learned, the personal growth, and the emotional resonance. That’s what lingers with your audience long after they leave the theatre or the series is over.