Character Story Goals
I love deconstructing Pixar movies because they’re not only wonderful, they’re straightforward.
These stories utilize specific story rules, structure, character, and themes. All of which make for excellent storytelling.
Today I want to look at Pixar’s newest movie: Soul.
Recently, I worked with a professional editor on my current manuscript.
This was a fun and intensive experience that I plan to post about soon, that was rife with lessons to help me understand story better and take my own story to a new level.
One of the biggest problems she was able to point out was my protagonist’s lack of a story goal.
Note: A story goal is different than a desire. A desire is a necessary and compelling way to give a protagonist depth from the first page. A story goal may not come into play until the Inciting Incident.
Throughout my brainstorming, drafting, and editing processes, I had extensive notes about goals and motivations and yet, my protagonist was dolefully missing a clear one.
So I went to work on edits, breakdowns, notes, and more.
And, as a result, I’ve been paying special attention to the stories I consume in regard to the protagonist’s story goal.
And as luck would have it, when my family and I gathered to watch Soul on Christmas Day, it turned out to be a perfect example of a clear and useful story goal.
First off, what is a story goal?
A story goal is your protagonist’s objective for the purposes of the story you are currently telling.
It’s the intention they have that drives the plot forward. The thing they’re trying to get or achieve. It should play off of their burning desire.
A good story goal is clear and directly affects the plot.
This is important because a good protagonist is the main catalyst for the plot, rather than a passive character simply reacting to events happening around them.
In Soul, our protagonist Joe is definitely a catalyst for the plot. Specifically when it comes to his story goal.
Story goals are typically introduced in the Inciting Incident. That big BOOM moment that happens not long after your story starts. The thing really gets the ball rolling.
For Soul, that moment—the Inciting Incident—is when Joe finally gets his big break (a chance to play jazz piano with one of his idols) and then instantly dies.
The rest of the movie is following Joe as he works to achieve his goal: get back to his body so that he can play jazz piano with the Dorothea Williams Quartet.
“I have a gig tonight. I can’t die now! I’m not dying the very day I got my shot…I’m not dying today. Not when my life just started.”
Again, this is one of the reasons I find Pixar movies so great not only for enjoyment, but also when it comes to studying story structure. Joe’s goal is clear.
In addition, he voices his Lie explicitly (“My life is finally starting”) and spends the entire movie pushing the plot forward in an effort to achieve his goal, which ties directly into this Lie.
(If you’re confused about any of these terms (Desire, Lie, etc.) be sure to check out the Story Map. There is a 40 minute free training that goes into these elements and a plug-and-play template to help you use these important components effectively in your own story.)
As an aside, because this is a great opportunity to see a Character Arc in action (and to understand how it ties in with story goals), here are all of the main components for Joe’s Character Arc:
Joe is a middle-aged middle school band teacher. His dream is to play jazz piano professionally. He finally gets his shot when he is invited to join the Dorothea Williams Quartet. Unfortunately, he falls down a manhole and dies the same day.
The Beginning (introduces the Character Arc):
Joe’s Desire: Play professional jazz piano
Joe’s Lie: My life won’t start until I get my big break
The Ending (completes the Character Arc):
Joe’s Need: Appreciate life for the journey—all of the little moments that make life sweet
Joe’s Truth: Every minute of life is worth living
Intention and Obstacle
Let’s look at this another way.
I recently watched Aaron Sorkin’s Masterclass (which I highly recommend), and he spent an entire lesson nailing in this idea of Intention and Obstacle.
(Also known as a character’s story goal and everything that gets in the way of him achieving that goal.)
You’ll be hard-pressed to find a story where this idea of Intention and Obstacle is more clearly laid out than in Soul.
Joe’s Intention:
We’ve covered this. He wants to get back to his body in time to play in the Dorothea Williams Quartet (satisfies his larger desire of playing professional piano).
Joe’s Obstacles:
The rest of the story is made up of Obstacles preventing Joe from achieving that Intention. Things like, you know, dying.
In addition, we have a nice bit of pressure applied with a ticking clock (the Quartet goes on that evening and will replace him if he’s not there by curtain call).
This is what a story is! Intention and Obstacle.
One of the biggest offenders contributing to mediocre stories is a passive protagonist reacting to the plot rather than creating it.
The best way to fix this is by giving your protagonist a very clearly defined goal, and making them do whatever it takes to achieve that.
In the end, maybe they will achieve their goal or maybe they won’t. The more important thing is that they complete their character arc (realize their NEED and their TRUTH that replace that initial DESIRE and LIE)
I won’t tell whether Joe achieves his goal or not, in case you haven’t seen the movie yet.
The point is, if you have…
a goal
a proactive protagonist willing to do anything to achieve that goal
obstacles preventing them from achieving it
and a satisfying lesson they learn by the end of their story (aka a Character Arc)
…you’re on an excellent track for a compelling, page-turning, satisfying story.
The fastest way to write a strong story is with an effective outline that plots your novel’s beating heart.
In Outline Your Novel, you’ll learn exactly what these beats are, why they matter, and how to outline them effectively to make your story sing.
