We all have some wants. A want that writes our journey and creates our destiny. It may sound simple, but want is a very powerful force that allows the universal law of attraction to work for us.
Now, suppose you have a clear want in your life; then how easy it becomes to move forward towards a particular direction and achieve that one desire for which you’re working madly. Now, you can understand the importance of a clear want in life.
The same “want” we use in a story. It gives a strong purpose to characters to walk on a particular path. Every story gets its direction when a character has a particular want. It is a want that decides the entire journey of characters. Shows the character’s transformation. Create conflicts. Drives the plots. Introduces obstacles and establishes setup and world-building. It is the smallest thing that carries a powerful space in the whole scriptwriting process.
You’ve seen it many times that in every story, a protagonist and antagonist have a particular want. They’re ready to go through numerous stakes to achieve that one desire. That’s why a want should be so powerful that it drives the whole story.
In this blog, we’ll explore what WANT truly means. Why it matters. How to differentiate between want and need. And, how a protagonist and an antagonist are driven by their own wants.
Let’s dive into it.
What is “Want” in a Story
A want is the character’s clear and conscious thought that decides their entire journey. It is a strong driving force in a story that rules the destiny of each character. It is a powerful element in storytelling that it should be strong, logical, and purposeful.
It makes a reason for the protagonist to wake up every day and make bold choices. It is the point where a story’s plot, conflict, stakes, tension, and emotional payoffs lie. Stick it to your mind: If your character has no strong want, your story has no direction.
This want is consciously revolving in the minds of the characters, and forces them to try to achieve, protect, escape, or prove.
Example 1: Movie: Drishyam
Want: Vijay’s WANT is crystal clear: to protect his family at any cost. This single desire drives every action he takes, whether it be lying to the police, creating fake evidence, recreating the whole 2nd-3rd October scenario, or misguiding the system.
Example 2: Movie: Dangal
Want: Mahavir Singh Phogat’s WANT is to win honour for his country by raising world-class wrestlers. He prepares his two daughters for wrestling, even though the whole village was standing opposite him.
Now, think about it. If your character has no want, then is it possible to move the story forward? I mean, every action, scene, and dialogue will feel random and meaningless. You never decide a journey for your character that makes a whole film hollow.
Now, you can understand the importance of a purposeful want. A writer should create a strong and logical want so that the entire story can revolve around that one want.
How A Strong WANT Guides the Whole Story
Have you ever seen a North Star? It appears almost fixed in the sky, while other stars seem to move. That’s why travellers and sailors used it for direction and guidance for centuries. A want is the north star of a story. It consistently guides the writer and character towards their final goals. A want,
- Gives direction to the story. It ensures the narrative always moves in a meaningful way.
- Connects the plots and scenes together. Every action seems authentic and part of a story.
- Creates natural conflicts that show real struggles and transformations.
- Engages the audience with emotional stakes. They connect how the character will achieve their want.
- Gives a meaningful ending. The resolution matters only because of the want.
Find your north star, and find your way. What you’ll create in the beginning will shape the end. So, develop a strong foundation from the start and write a magnum opus story.
Note: Don’t confuse want with need. They are actually connected.
WANT Is Factually Connected to NEED
One of the biggest mistakes writers make is confusing WANT with NEED. The basic line that differentiates want from need is external goal and internal worth. But they are factually connected.
Example 1: Movie: Queen
Rani decides to travel alone to fix her heartbreak (want), but the journey helps her to discover the real value of confidence in herself (need).
Example 2: Movie: Munna Bhai M.B.B.S
Munna wants to become a doctor to earn respect, and please his father (want), but the journey teaches him who he is and what his strength (need).
Actually, want and need are not two distinct elements of a story. They complement each other.
Simply say, Want is what the character consciously desires. It is visible, external, and action-driven. The character believes this goal will solve their problem. But, a need is their internal worth. It is unconscious that is rooted in emotional stakes, fears, wounds, morals, and beliefs. The character may not be aware of this need at the beginning, but it eventually emerges as part of their inner transformation, at the end.
The character believes the WANT will heal the pain, but it rarely does on its own. As the story moves forward, this want forces the character into situations that help them to meet their inner flaws. Once you understand how to work on your character’s need to fulfil their want, the story will take a perfect direction.
In many movies, you’ve seen that whether the character achieves their want or not, but they recognise what they actually need.
Example: In. Munna Bhai M.B.B.S., Munna doesn’t become a doctor, but he recognises his inner worth and becomes a good man who helps people.
It completely depends on the story. Sometimes the characters must sacrifice their goal to finally meet the need. This connection is factual and clear. If a writer applies it perfectly, it makes characters and the story credible.
Tip for Writers: Don’t be eager to resolve NEED too quickly. Take time. Let the character struggle. Allow them to chase the wrong solution. Growth emerges only when the character realises: WANT drives the story forward; NEED is what stays with the audience.
How A Protagonist and an Antagonist are Driven by Their Own Wants.
A story does not exist because a protagonist wants something. It exists because two strong wants collide. One is the protagonist, and the other is the antagonist.
The protagonist’s desire is the emotional core of the narrative, but the antagonist’s desire creates obstacles and stakes. Both are equally important in a story.
The Antagonist’s WANT
An antagonist is not someone who blocks the hero’s path. They are a character with their own motivation, logic, and emotional truth. They want something deeply and believe they deserve it.
An antagonist is often rooted in power, control, revenge, or more. These wants are not random. They are responses to the antagonist’s past experiences, wounds, or worldview. They wake up believing they are right. That belief is what makes them dangerous. A powerful antagonist sees their WANT as necessary, even immoral.
Note: Visit My Blog on “Antagonist” to learn more.
The Protagonist’s WANT
The protagonist’s WANT is rooted in growth, freedom, truth, or justice. It pulls the hero’s journey forward and becomes the reason for transformation. This transformation is not easy.
The antagonist constantly hammers at the hero’s weakest points. Every obstacle they create forces the protagonist to make harder choices. The hero must fight back and evolve throughout to continue the journey.
Note: Visit My Blog on “Protagonist” to learn more.
WANT vs WANT= Conflict
Conflicts begin when the protagonist’s wants and the antagonist’s wants cannot coexist. This is where tension is born.
- If the protagonist wants freedom and the antagonist wants control.
- If one needs justice and the other needs dominance.
- If both want the same thing, but only one can have it, tragedy follows.
This push-and-pull makes the story engaging.
Points Writers Should Remember Before Writing a WANT
No matter how beautifully a writer articulates words. If your story has no specific, purposeful “WANT,” it may weaken your narrative. Here are some points that you can practically add before writing a want. These may ensure that the WANT you choose is strong enough to carry the entire narrative.
- Make the WANT specific. A clear goal always gives a natural momentum to a story. Following this, writers can save from confusion.
- Ensure the want is active and urgent. A stagnant want creates hurdles to moving forward. To make it active and urgent, writers can add proper actions, dialogues and obstacles throughout the story.
- Root the Want in the past. Strong wants are born from wounds, failures and losses. Makes characters’ past need or desire the foundation of the story.
- Connect Want to Need. It helps characters to move forward in a journey that is full of learning and transformation.
- Allow Want influences every decision. A powerful want can make the character obsessive, arrogant, tangled, impatient or commit immoral acts.
- Ensures the protagonist and antagonists have opposite wants. Conflict deepens when opposing characters are driven by their own beliefs.
- Avoid moral perfection in want. A want should test the ethics and values of characters. Clean, safe goals rarely produce engaging drama.
- Make it a theme. The want should reflect the story’s central question or theme. It gives the narrative deeper meaning.
- Keep WANT consistent and reveal early. The character’s core should remain untouched throughout the story. The audience should understand what the character wants in the first act.
- Ask yourself, “Is this WANT memorable?” A strong want stays with the audience long after the story ends. It should be full of emotional stakes.
Final Words
Every story you choose has some meaning. Give them a strong, logical and purposeful want that moves the entire story.
So, before you write your next story, do not ask what happens first. Ask what your character wants, and why it matters so deeply. When that answer is clear, the story will know where to go.
If this blog helped you, I’d love to hear your thoughts. Share your perspective in the comments. What do you believe is the most powerful WANT in storytelling?
You can share it with fellow writers and creators. Let’s create a community that grows and learn together.
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Simran Thakur
Founder AFAWW
Author| Screenwriter| Scriptwriter| Blogger| Poet
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