What You Want vs. What You Need

So I'm just sitting here, watching The Princess and the Frog for probably the 30th time, singing to myself and shopping for graduation gifts for my best friend. I keep eating, even though I didn't get to go on my walk today, but I just love peanuts and peanut butter and food in general so much. (You would never believe it, but I was a picky eater two years ago.) I'm also sitting and waiting for Daniel Vincent Gordh to respond to my tweet.

No activity so far. I'll keep you all posted.

In this wonderful movie, there is this spiffy little ditty called "Dig a Little Deeper". And right in the beginning, Naveen is all: "What we want, what we need, it is the same thing, yes?" And Mama Odie is all: "Is it the same thing!? NO!"

Back to that song. Here it is if you haven't had the pleasure of watching TP&TF.

Besides the fact that this is totally in true in life (desire of the flesh vs. desire of the spirit), this rule totally applies to characters. Every character has something they want, and something they need. The best cases are the ones where they aren't the same thing. Some examples...

The Princess and the Frog: Naveen wants his rich lifestyle, Tiana wants her restaraunt, and they both want to turn human. What they need is love --- which they find in each other! Naveen also needs to become less spoiled, and Tiana needs to see the big picture.

Tangled: Flynn Rider wants a life of luxury. Rapunzel just wants to see the lights that she sees every year on her birthday. What they need is love (it is a Disney movie, after all)! I would also say that Flynn has to learn how to think about someone other than himself (love) and Rapunzel needs to learn how to be independent.

See? They've all got dreams! Desires! Wants! Needs!

Emma: Emma doesn't want to get married. She wants to play a role in other people's love lives and flatter herself. What she needs is a dose of humility... and to see that Knightley is destined to be her man!

"She's right, you know. I'm your man!"

Ella Enchanted: SPOILER ALERT! The ending is such a perfect example of want vs. need. Ella wants to marry Char more than anything, but she knows she needs to keep him (and the country) safe, so she says no. Which, of course, breaks the curse so that she can have what she wants too. ;)

"I was almost as bad in this terrible adaptation of a great book as I was in Daniel Deronda!"

Not every story will have such an explicit contrast between wants and needs. Still, your character MUST have a goal of their own, however small. They may even have multiple goals, or conflicting goals! Either way, every character is after something. (Unless you're Holden Caulfield and would rather wander aimlessly about New York. But I believe he's after love, too.)

What might your character(s) be after? How might different characters' desires and needs conflict with others' desires and needs? Here are some suggestions:

• love
• pleasure
• money
• prestige
• notoriety
• reputation
• popularity
• favor from a particular person
• attention from the opposite gender
• attention, period
• peace and quiet
• change
• peace of heart/mind
• revenge