🕯️ InkPlots Monday: The Lie Beneath the Goal
Daily spark for story architects. One prompt. One beat. One stronger story.
Every protagonist wants something—but what they want is never the whole truth.
Beneath every goal lives a wound, and beneath every wound lives a lie. That lie, fact, or motivation that helps your character advance, despite the world's ominous warnings to halt.
✨ Today’s Prompt:
Write one paragraph where your protagonist describes what they want most in the world.
Then, write a second paragraph revealing the lie that drives that desire.
Ask yourself:
What would happen if they achieved their goal?
Would it actually heal them—or expose what they’ve been running from?
Example:
She says she wants power so no one can hurt her again. But what she really wants is forgiveness—from herself.
🪶 Why It Matters?
True motivation doesn’t come from what the character knows they want—it comes from what they can’t admit.
Readers lean closer when they sense the gap between what is true and what the character desires. That’s where a knot forms in your stomach. Empathy blossoms in that space, nurtured by understanding.
🖋 Your Turn:
Share your response in the comments or on Notes with #InkPlotsMonday.
Let’s build our stories from the inside out.
🪶 Build your story, one spark at a time.
Subscribe to InkPlots by KL Adams for daily prompts and reflections that help you strengthen your story’s spine.
Share your response in the comments or tag #InkPlots on Substack Notes — I’d love to see how your plot grows.
💡 “About” Section for InkPlots
InkPlots by KL Adams explores the craft and heartbeat of storytelling—where ideas turn to motion and characters reveal truth through conflict.
Each week you’ll find InkPlots prompts, essays on character and structure, and quiet reflections on the writer’s life.
✍️ Every protagonist wants something—but what they want is never the whole truth.
Beneath every goal lives a lie. What’s your character’s?
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