Character Example: Mochi, the Pug-Chihuahua

 

Question #1: What does your hero want?

Attention / To Be With Kady, his owner, at all times

 

Goal Prompt Questions:

• What makes your hero get up in the morning?
  
  A new day of attention, love, and food from Kady. He can’t wait to wake up and greet Kady. He really really loves her.
  
  
• What is his heart’s deepest desire, conscious or otherwise?
  
  To be with Kady at all times. He also deeply cares for safety but at times he forgoes this to be with Kady when these two desires contradict.
  
  
• What does he think he wants? What does he actually want?
  
  Oh, he thinks he wants safety and comfort but in reality he wants true and lifelong companionship.
  
  
• What tangible goals has he set to achieve them?
  
  Make as much noise as possible when Kady isn’t paying attention, to regain her attention. Follow Kady everywhere. Be super close to Kady at all times.
  
  
• Is his goal possible?
  
  Yes
  
  
• How can we relate to his goal?
  
  I think we all want a guarantee that we don’t have to be alone.
  
  
• Why do we want him to succeed?
  
  The same as above 
  
  

Question #2: How does your hero need to change?

• What are your protagonist’s flaws?
  
  Clingy. Anxious. Short-sighted.
  
  
• Which of them will pose the biggest hindrance to his success in attaining his goal?
  
  Anxiety and clinging to Kady at all times. This forces Kady to seek separation when the behavior results in a disastrous outcome.
  
  
• Where does his primary flaw come from?
  
  1. He never wants to feel as alone and hopeless as he did before he was adopted.
  2. When he was young there were many people to give him attention at all times. People that he thought would be in his life forever. But now they’ve gone and he doesn’t know why. He doesn’t want Kady to suddenly disappear too.
  
  
• What are his wounds and backstory?
  
  The abandonment experienced from the others who felt like an extension of his forever family. There were many and now there is just Kady.
  
  
• How can we relate to his flaw?
  
  I think we’ve all experienced how time comes and takes people away from us.
  
  
• Why do we want him to change?
  
  We want him to live happily ever after with Kady, peacefully.
  
  

Question #3: Why do we care?

• What does he stand for?
  
  Love. Family. Loyalty.
  
  
• How can we relate to him?
  
  We’ve all got things or people we want to protect and keep forever.
  
  
• What are his quirks, habits and mannerisms?
  
  Very smart. Talkative - if not sassy. Clingy. Persistent.
  
  
• What does he look and sound like?
  
  Small, brown, 4 legs, curly tail, floppy ears, medium bark that sounds bigger than him
  
  
• What makes him unique?
  
  He’s bigger than most pug-chihuahuas. He’s braver than most of them. He’s more persistent in communicating and in all his goals than most dogs.
  
  
• Who matters to him most in the world?
  
  Kady
  
  
• What does he fear?
  
  Death and losing Kady.
  
  
• How does he act in front of his greatest idol?
  
  "Brave", sometimes to the point of being a pretentious asshole. Like he has something to prove.
  
  
• What makes him cry?
  
  Separation from Kady and not knowing how long it will last.
  
  
• What makes him laugh?
  
  When Kady makes toys disappear and reappear from thin air. It’s amazing!!
  
  
• If his house was on fire, what’s the one thing he would save?
  
  Kady. If she was already in motion, Toy Fox or Tennis Ball.
  
  
• Who cares about him most in the world?
  
  Kady
  
  

Question #4: What are the stakes?

• Why is it absolutely necessary for our main character to succeed?
  
  His mastery of patience
  
  
• What terrible thing will happen if he doesn’t get what he wants?
  
  He’ll feel alone and abandoned.
  
  
• What terrible thing will happen if he doesn’t grow in the way he needs?
  
  Kady may put him in doggy daycare during the day which would force them to spend more time a part every single day. It would also force him to spend time with strange dogs and people in a new environment and he hates strange dogs and strange people and new environments.
  
  
• Fill in the blanks: If _______________, then _______________.
  If Mochi could develop patience and stop aggressively seeking connection with Kady then he will not be sent to daycare.
  
  
  

Question #5: What are the obstacles?

• What or who is standing in between him and his goal? (Antagonist)
  
  His persistent nature which compels him to take matters into his own hands by proactively preventing separation (through clingy and aggressive behavior).
  
  
  
• What or who is standing in between him and positive change?
  
  Fear of forfeiting control.
  
  
• How can the obstacles between him and his goal act as a catalyst for change
  
  Learning to trust would help him to calm down and allow him to see that Kady wants to be connected to him just as much as he wants to be connected to her.