“My objective is to discover characters as they dive into the story looking to achieve their own ends and either finding themselves somewhere other than they expected or discovering that they had no idea what their goals would bring them.” (Walter Mosley, Elements of Fiction)
Writing Exercise: The Unintended Journey
Techniques to Develop
1. Character-Driven Discovery – The character’s pursuit of a goal should drive the plot, rather than external forces moving them toward a predetermined outcome.
2. Unforeseen Consequences – The character should arrive somewhere unexpected, either physically or emotionally, revealing something deeper about their nature.
3. Organic Evolution of Motivation – The character’s initial goal should shift, expand, or collapse as they understand its true implications.
Writing Prompt (500 words)
Write a scene in which a character, certain of their goal, takes the first decisive action to achieve it. The action should be specific, immediate, and consequential—something that cannot be undone. As they proceed, introduce an unforeseen shift that forces them to either recalibrate their objective or confront an unintended outcome. This shift should not be external bad luck but something that arises naturally from their own choices, assumptions, or blind spots. By the end of the scene, the character must either recognize they never truly understood their goal or land somewhere they never intended.
Example setup: A detective frames a petty thief to catch a bigger criminal, only to realize too late that the thief is connected to someone they love. A woman marries for financial security, believing love to be irrelevant, but an unexpected reaction at the wedding reveals something deeper. A scientist manipulates data to secure funding for a noble cause, but the small lie alters the trajectory of their research in ways they did not anticipate.
Evaluation Criteria
• The character’s initial goal is clearly defined and actively pursued.
• The turning point arises organically from the character’s actions or misconceptions, not external misfortune or contrivance.
• The shift forces the character to reckon with a deeper truth about themselves, their goal, or the nature of their world.
• The scene avoids summarization and unfolds through action, dialogue, and internal conflict.
Weak vs. Strong Responses
Weak: A character wants to steal a car and gets caught. This is external bad luck rather than an organic evolution of motivation.
Strong: A character steals a car to escape their small town, only to realize halfway through that they’re unconsciously driving toward the home they swore they’d never return to.
Weak: A politician lies in a debate, gets exposed, and loses credibility. The consequences are predictable.
Strong: A politician lies to gain votes, wins, and then discovers that the position forces them to enact policies they never believed in, unraveling their sense of identity.
Follow-Up Questions for Workshopping/Revision
• Does the initial goal feel specific, urgent, and character-driven?
• Is the shift an organic consequence of the character’s choices, or does it feel imposed by the plot?
• How does the ending reveal something deeper about the character that they (and the reader) didn’t fully grasp at the beginning?
• Could the unintended outcome be made even more surprising or inevitable?
Recommended Reading
“The Swimmer” by John Cheever exemplifies a character’s evolving realization as they move through a landscape shaped by their own misperceptions.
Alternatively, “A Temporary Matter” by Jhumpa Lahiri offers a more intimate exploration of characters whose expectations unravel through their own actions.
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