The 'driving force' of my story that I seem to lack

I feel that I lack a 'driving force' for my story.
'driving force' is really the only thing I can come up with.
I have conflicts and characters 'standing for something', but I'm lacking a bigger picture.

My story has a heavy dose of landscape exploration. And my story is basically that.
But even though I have all these adventures and conflicts that spurt out of a group of people exploring, I still feel that I'm lacking something. And I want that something to be truly original and exciting.

I feel that even though I have these adventures and situations with this group of characters, I still feel that it needs to be more adventurous, and I can't seem to have the adventure level rise more, without resorting to things like "finding an ancient civilization/ruins/city with natives deep within a forest or under the ice/old scrolls leading to a big material discovery.
I really really don't want to do that.
I feel that the readers wouldn't find exploration and conflict alone exciting.

I find that the reasons they go exploring to not be exciting enough, because they're this idealistic effort in the mind of a megalomaniac. I'm afraid the audience just won't buy it and feel that lack of 'something more exciting'.

I truly am trying to get to something original, and everything seems to be taking extremely small baby steps towards it. At this pace I'll have something worthwhile (not that I don't think the story is cool as of now) in 10 years.

I think I do have a plot and an arch, at least for the main character. I do have things he wants to strive for, which is basically the same as all the others in the group, and he does learn things about himself and other people that he doesn't have at the start.
I'm still in the process of trying to find out what each member of the group might change on.

But is it all just a bunch of small adventures all put together?
Sort of, yeah.
That's probably why I feel that there's something lacking. It isn't smooth underneath. there isn't this pulsating heartbeat besides "Get to the place from where you came."

It's like trying build a trail of wooden planks, but the terrain goes up and down and has rocks and and empty spaces underneath the planks.
It's hard to explain. I just feel that I need something more.

And yes, everytime I come here all the replies help.

Only one has these very eccentric ideas. I do have several scenes where they find themselves having tremendous conflict of interests, especially at the beginning, and also especially where the whole group disagrees with the eccentric member and he tries to convinced them all to go on this exploring.

It's this very "convince the rest of the group" scene, that I feel lacks something.
Some people might find it powerful as it is, because he tries to make the case for exploration. But it's RAW exploration. Not knowing what could come.
I feel that this constant all throughout the story might make people expect something more, and even I want something more, but the story sort of remains in this very grounded, human vs human vs Nature, sort of plot. I feel that it needs to be human vs human vs Nature, vs unexpected village where they're made hostages and find out that they're ultimately aliens (or something of the sort). but at the same time I don't want this 4th thing to be there, because it would make this story like all the others out there.

I'm going to reply to just a few. But ALL of the replies have made a contribution. Just because I don't address you here doesn't mean I don't agree with your points.

'Orchestra:
My story has certainly created moments where I do notice the abstract connotations and I think I'm slowly getting into a mindset where I HAVE to think about the connotations on human experience and how I feel more impact once I start connecting with the characters deeper than before and thinking about the abstract ideas, making comparisons with Death and Life, Curiosity and Fear, I can't help finding curious nuggets of truth here and there as I develop my story. This mindset also helps me create scenes mainly inspired in pure thought concentrated in the abstract connotations that you talk about.
Your first two chunky paragraphs do talk of things I've noticed in my own story and have explored. Perhaps I should explore them more.

ElaraSophia/NeuroFizz:
I have considered having a team "right behind them" or having a "ticking clock".
As for the “other team” concept, the way I would want to tell the story wouldn't allow the reader to see that they're having another team on their trail, unless they spot each other, which would ruin the sense of isolation I want to create.
I feel that if I keep the reader around these 6 characters, they will grow to like and attach to them.
As for the "Ticking Clock" concept. I do agree. It would certainly add a THRUST to it.
And as you say, Neurofizz, even if I do have this megalomaniac talking about going on raw exploration, each individual member must have his or her motives. I guess I haven't really really delved into each character's mindset and past (to find motivations).

Maetrowork:
"Stakes" gets close to the bulls eye of what I'm lacking.
Exploration for this society, from where the characters come from, is part of their culture. But lately, several groups have been failing to come back unharmed, or even alive, and exploration is starting to become a needlessly dangerous "sport". There is a past filled with Death and the population has started creating this public mindset that they really don't need to explore anymore. They live in a sustainable society already, they have generated a routine that is comfortable for every member.
To make this mindset even more encrusted in the culture, the main character comes out and says that the planet is larger than they previously thought (the book actually starts at this moment). This might not seem much to us, on planet Earth with our History, but to them it brings all these memories back and they simply find it a safer bet to keep away from the outside world and "stay home".
What's "at stake"? The eccentric man, who gathers all of these scientists, says that if they do not do this, curiosity and the excitement of exploration that so much characterized their society in the past, and the thrill of acquiring new knowledge will be gone from the city they live in.
The main character had a father who was all into exploration, whom we later find the eccentric man knew, and this does have heavy drama and impact on the main character. The fact that he's announcing this discovery (the planet’s size) is hard for him to begin with. The book starts with the MC having his reputation pretty much ruined!
I hope you understand but I simply don't want to put all of my story out here on the Internet.

Toothpaste:
The MC is not the eccentric man, although I get a strong sense that he's the MC of his own story. The story could very well be written from his point of view.
I would really like to have each character to be as powerful as the eccentric man. I don't feel the same confidence when I think about writing the story from their point of view as I feel for the eccentric man. Awkwardly enough I find him more interesting and compelling then even my MC. And that's very weird because I've always preferred secondary characters in stories and I tried to design my MC in a way that "felt" that he was a secondary character. Even so, my main secondary character started becoming my favourite character.

They are six, and I think that I could only do that(write from each member’s point of view) with three of them at this moment. I am very aware of the "big challenge" that it is to be able to look at the character and feel that solid backround in their past.

Who is my main character? He's a young inventor who has grown to care about the society he lives in. He is actually known for developing machines and gadgets or perfecting the machines of others. The comfort of the city he lives in his often on his mind.
He'd be the sort of person at the corner of the room, with a plastic cup in his hands as the rest of the party talks happily. Even though he's famous, people sort of feel that talking to him will distract him from developing something new for society. So they leave him alone. He's innocently built a wall around him and he is very conscious of his reputation and what people view him as.
And the story begins with him ruining it, because he cares about publishing mathematical truths. As others have mentioned, I do notice this whole "Truth vs emotion/reputation vs what you believe in" conundrums. I'm constantly finding moments in the story where I can think of this “X vs Y” abstract conflict.


I hope this makes it clearer.

Well, he sees this meeting as a way to regain his status as an individual who really does care about the society he lives in. He receives a letter (which comes from the eccentric man) and the letter is written in a way that generates this sense of "status/eminence regained" in him.
The letter is a sort of bait, that the eccentric man knows will touch the MC deeply.
What does the letter talk about? The MC's father is mentioned in PS. And it says that if the MC goes to where the letter is asking him to go, and agrees to work on this 'project', his dignity will be renovated and the people will basically forgive him.

If you're talking about his situation when he finds himself in a boat: I don't think he can change much beyond "Exploration is going to give them new knowledge, he wants truth and he thinks it is important to give that to the society, so if this group wants to acquire it, he'll help." Also, it's something his father would want him to do.
It might sound extremely boring but he's just "going to go along with it" after he deliberates. However, this is not something that lasts for the whole story. this is only the first part. This is the feeling you have (going along with it) UNTIL something happens to their boat, and they have to go back to the place they came from, but the long way around. At that time he cannot just go along with it. He's going to try and survive with his fellow group members and this is going to bring out parts of him that he's never explored.

If the "original meeting" you're mentioning there is the one where he reveals the errors in the size of the planet, and ruins his credibility..
He's the one who summons the meeting. He's a famous guy, known for his discoveries. People just expect him to tell them something new, and it is, but they don't expect it to be this hard hitting and almost insulting.
Why does he do it? It's this sense of duty he has for truth. He puts mathematical fact above people's emotions, and he himself is being hit by it. His father was one of those who "went and never came back". So even though he's suffering inside, he still does go up to the podium and speak.

I think there's a start of a character arc here.
I wonder if my story arc is simply the weaving of all character arcs in one string.
I still am lacking strings though.

JoniBGoode said:

Just my 2 cents, but I think it helps if the character passionately wants something, or is running to or away from something. It may be that eventually he will find that the journey was more important than his original goal. But there needs to be an original goal, first.

For me, the "regaining status as an individual who really cares about society" doesn't work. First of all, people who are apathetic are usually quite happy to remain that way. They don't care...because they are apathetic.

And, second, apathy doesn't make for strong motivation. Now, if he's looking for the magic cup, or ________ (fill in the blank) so that he will be accepted by his peers, or redeem himself after a terrible sin, that's powerful.

"Characters standing for something" doesn't work that well for me, either, because standing for something is static. I think characters need to be in motion, in conflict, to provide a good story.

I guess what I'm trying to say is I think that strong conflict comes when a MC has strong desires, and big obstacles to overcome on the way.

Click to expand...

I do understand your points and I agree with you that they would work better if he had more 'solid' motivations. I just can't think of anything beyond "Caring for Truth and agreeing to acquire the new knowledge that this exploration will give them."
I don't see my main character as apathetic. The fact that he's an inventor shows the very opposite of apathy. He might be shy and not that social, but that's not apathy towards wanting to contribute to the betterment of his society. He might be shy and quiet, but he can still publish works and patents.
The thing with what he does at the begging of the story is that, people are expecting him to give them more good news, more new inventions or some discovery, but instead receive this almost insulting revelation from this guy who is famous for giving them inspiring discoveries.
He loses that characteristic at the beginning of the story, and he sees this meeting with the eccentric man as a way to regain that position in people's minds.

I would really like to avoid having them go after an object, or find an object while on their trip.

All the characters want to go back to their city as they make this journey. I think this evokes good symbolism. One might think more about their family, one might think more about the impact of achieving such a journey and what that would do to their society's mentality, and another can think that this will enable him to regain his status in this society if he survives.

But I do understand your points. And I thank you for giving your two cents.