Want, Obstacle, and Outcome

At the heart of every story lies the interplay between a character's wants and the obstacles that stand in their way.

While these tools might seem straightforward, understanding their depth and complexity can transform your storytelling.

On this page, we'll delve deeper into the nuances of want and obstacle, examining how they shape conflict, drive character actions, and ultimately determine the outcome of your narrative.

By mastering these elements and their relationships, you'll gain insights that will help you craft more engaging, believable, and satisfying stories, regardless of your chosen medium or genre.

Conflict = want + obstacle

All emotionally engaging stories begin with a conflict. A character wants something, but something stands in their way.

For example, a knight wants a treasure, a dragon stands in their way and we know the story is complete when they either get it or they lose all opportunity to get it.

The want is the thing that drives your characters through the story. When they achieve it (or not), it signals to the audience the story is complete.

But want isn’t enough. We also need an obstacle. An obstacle is anything that stands in the way of your character achieving their want.

If either of these two elements is missing, then you have no conflict, which means no story.

Want = Obstacle

The relationship between want and obstacle is often reciprocal. Want and obstacles are two sides of the same coin that drive the story's action.

Your protagonist and antagonist are driven by their wants, putting them in direct conflict.

For example, your protagonist wants the treasure, but so does your antagonist. These opposing wants put them in conflict and are each other's obstacles.

Also, remember that both characters must want their individual goals badly enough to be willing to do anything to achieve them. If there is a chance they can walk away, again, there is no conflict.

And lastly, either want or obstacle can begin your story. Either of these will light the fuse that propels the story forward:

• The adventurer wants to get the treasure (want)
• The teenagers want to survive the monster (obstacle).

The wants of all your characters drive the story. Even though a character may seem minor, what they want can unexpectedly impact and complicate the main storyline. 

This interplay of wants creates a web of motivations. The collision of these interesting paths allows for all the fun directions your storytelling can take.

Conflict must start as soon as possible

Often writers want to set up their story. This often means they want to introduce characters, settings, or situations before the real conflict of the story begins.

However, this is telling, not showing, and it slows the progression of your story.

In reality, all characters want something from the very beginning—often before your story even begins. Think past the edges of your story. What did your characters want before the story began?

Instead of worrying about the set-up, focus on building up your characters' conflict.

Obstacles and Antagonists

While we've discussed obstacles in general, let's focus on one of the most dynamic forms an obstacle can take: the antagonist.

A well-crafted antagonist isn't just a roadblock; they're a character with individual wants that directly conflict with your protagonist's goals. 

To create a genuinely effective antagonist-as-obstacle, consider these three key points:

1. The antagonist must be equally matched or stronger than your protagonist. But the hero must have the means to be capable of fighting them.
2. You want an antagonist willing to fight to the end for what they want.
3. Most importantly, the antagonist's want should be the protagonist's obstacle.

By viewing your antagonist through the lens of "obstacle," you can create a character that challenges your protagonist and adds depth and complexity to your story's central conflict.

Conflict creates connection

At the heart of storytelling, we want to create a shared experience: what is it like to be a specific character in a situation. By sharing that experience, we engage with the audience and allow them to experience it.

• Titanic tells a story about a couple falling in love on the Titanic and lets us see through their eyes the terror of its sinking.
• The Godfather showed us a story about living within a mob family and asked us what we would do to keep that family together.
• A Marriage Story takes us into the center of a broken marriage and lets us experience the couple’s struggles from the inside.

We use want and obstacles to help us connect and identify with these characters. Once we know what they want and see what stands in their way, we can connect with that experience and journey with the characters together.

Do we need conflict?

A common misconception comes with the word conflict. We imagine stories filled with fighting and yelling. But that doesn’t always happen.

For example, in the film A Ghost Story, much of the story is about a ghost watching as the living world moves on without him. No fights, no story fireworks.

What we actually mean by conflict is an underlying tension between what a character wants and something standing in their way. 

• the dis-ease of entering a room full of strangers
• the expectation that something bad might happen
• the uncertainty of a first kiss

Each of these holds expectations; characters want something, and there is tension about whether they will achieve it. 

A story doesn’t need explosions and car chases. They simply need us to connect with characters who want something.

Outcomes

The interplay of want and obstacle ultimately leads to an outcome. Our characters must be willing to reach or exhaust the limits of their abilities and resources to get what they want.

Stories only end when characters get or don't get what they want. These can vary widely, but generally fall into a few categories:

• Success: They get what they want (but this doesn't stop them from wanting: "Behind mountains are more mountains." Or Macbeth.)
• Fail: They exhaust all options or reach the limits of their abilities and resources. This outcome leads to failure or the character giving up.
• Succeed/Fail: The character gets one thing but not another.
  • Partial victory or a win at some cost.
  • A Pyrrhic Victory: where they achieve their want, but at a significant cost, it's essentially a failure.
  • Sacrifice: a character gives up something they once wanted to achieve something that means more to them.
• Change: The character decides to alter what they seek. This choice can show growth and change in positive or negative ways.
• Ambiguous ending: The audience is uncertain whether the character achieves their want.
  • While this can be frustrating, it can effectively serve the story's theme.
  • However, it can often feel unsatisfying and suggest the writer avoided making a difficult choice.
  • If you're considering this route, ask yourself: Does the ambiguity truly serve the story, or am I sidestepping a challenging decision about my character's fate?

Whether your character succeeds, fails, or lands somewhere in between, ensure that the outcome feels satisfying and authentic to the story you've told.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Final Thoughts

As we've explored, the interplay of want and obstacle is at the heart of compelling storytelling. By mastering these elements, you can create narratives that resonate deeply with your audience. Remember these key points as you craft your stories:

• We all want something. Your characters will begin their stories already wanting something.
• Conflict, arising from the clash between want and obstacle, is the engine that drives your story forward.
• Effective use of want and obstacle helps create a connection between your characters and your audience.
• No obstacle means no conflict, which means no story.
• Want must be equally matched with an obstacle in every way to create a compelling conflict.
• Either want or obstacle begins your story.
• The story is complete when the characters get what they want, don't get it, or end up somewhere in between.

Also, while we've focused on external wants and obstacles, it's important to note we'll explore internal ones in more detail in a later section.

By manipulating wants and obstacles, you create the conflict that engages readers and propels your story forward. Experiment with them and see how they shape your narratives. Remember, practice is the key to honing your storytelling skills.