Welcome to the Apple Hair CANON!
Here, I’ll explore creating a fictional universe, and I’m hoping you’ll follow along with your own world. I’m by no means an expert, so let’s discuss how to create a believable, magical, and captivating world. Let’s be storycatchers together!
Want to read Apple Hair, the boy band fantasy novel, from the very beginning? You can start here! Apple Hair is a fictional, Asian American boy band from Hawaiʻi.
Welcome to the newsletter, and I’m excited to lay down the foundations of our storyworlds together, one word at a time.
Hi, storycatchers! In the last edition of the CANON, I talked about balancing front story and backstory. This time, we’re going to be exploring GMC together! GMC stands for goal, motivation, and conflict. And it’s essential in writing or creating any story! Without a goal, a character might be wandering lost in a story. Without motivation in each chapter, the reader might wonder why the character is doing what they’re doing. And without conflict, the character won’t be experiencing any struggle to get what they want.
Let’s break down each of these three necessary ingredients! But first, have you heard of GMC? Do you already see it in your favorite stories?
Goal
A goal can be as simple as finally getting the girl, winning the game at the end of a season, or becoming prom king. The goal can also be as intense as surviving a battle to the death, stealing a sacred guarded artifact, or taking down the alien villain of the galaxy.
Whatever the goal is, it has to make sense for the particular character(s). It also has to be achievable, even though it can be a big, almost impossible goal. If the character doesn’t believe that they can actually solve the problems to get the prize, then it wouldn’t make for an interesting story.
What is your favorite character goal that you’ve read or watched?
For an example with GMC, I’m going to be talking about the popular K-drama Squid Game! Feel free to skip the examples if you’re planning to watch the show. I’ll also be giving a little example from my novel Apple Hair.
In Squid Game, we have Seong Gihun—his goal is to win the deadly games and to come out of the competition with the prize money. Although it’s a very difficult goal to achieve, his belief in his luck and abilities, along with his optimistic personality, makes him a strong contender.
Note that each story will have multiple goals inside of it. But there should be one overarching goal. In Gihun’s case, his goals range from surviving the first game of Red Light, Green Light, to making friends with some unlikely allies and protecting them from harm. But his ultimate goal is to survive and come out of the games.
In my book Apple Hair, the five characters’ goal is to debut as singers in the entertainment industry. It’s a worthy goal for all five members, and it’s also something that feels impossible for all of them! The goal is relevant to each of their lives, which is what we’ll get into next with motivation.
Motivation
Motivation is what makes the character care about the goal, but it also makes the reader or watcher care. There is nothing worse than following a character who doesn’t really care if he wins or loses—doesn’t really mind if he ends up with the person of his dreams or not.
In fact, this won’t happen in the stories we watch today! Do you remember the motivation that Seong Gihun has in Squid Game?
For one, he is almost killed by loan sharks, and so he desperately needs the money. His mother is also sick, and he needs money to pay for the treatment. On top of all this, his daughter is moving to America and he thinks he will never see her again. All of this culminates in his decision to join the game—his last chance at redemption. When all seems hopeless for him, he decides to join a mysterious game and even rejoins when he has the chance to leave.
On a lighter note, the boys in Apple Hair have motivations that mirror each other. But as a collective, they would like to entertain people and offer them a safe space in a fan-centered universe. This dream to comfort people through music and an alternate universe empowers them to go through days and days of endless training.
Conflict
Can you imagine a story without any conflict?
It would be like watching Gihun win every game in Squid Game without having to sweat or move a muscle. If everything comes easy to him, he might win the money and walk away without any scars. But that’s far from the case.
Gihun has to fight against more than 400 others, and he even has to sacrifice his humanity in these ruthless games. Not only are the contestants sources of conflict, but also the game masters, of course including the Front Man. With the threat of death looming all around him, Gihun has to really struggle. In this struggle, we see ourselves in him. We see ourselves and our own emotions in the characters that we grow to love.
In Apple Hair, the entertainment company comes against the boys with their demands on what kind of band they should be. Besides the strain on their time, the boys also face other trainees who have a negative opinion of them. And that comes along with Leo Pak, the mysterious producer who is tied to the “ghost” of the company—who wants nothing more than to see the boys break up, making sure that they will never debut on the world stage.
All in all, GMC is the firestarter for any story. Without it, we just would not be interested in finding out what happens. In a later post, I really want to explore stakes with you, which is what the character has on the line.
Thank you very much for joining the CANON this week. What would you like me to discuss in the next post? Comment below. Or jump into my Chat or on one of my Notes, and I’ll be happy to hear your input. Let’s continue loving stories this week!