YA Character Motivations

To me, identifying the difference between abstract and concrete goals is the operational value of the goal in the novel.

"Move on" or "experience something different" is just as valid a goal in adult fiction as in YA, but the application comes with the concrete goal. What does 'move on' mean to that particular character, and how does that influence the action that follows. (this is also true for 'save the world' because what does that really mean?)

To one character, 'move on' (from anything in particular? dunno, I'm going to take it to the most abstract and say you mean that just 'in life') will mean her singular focus is to go to MIT and become a brain surgeon. Will that concrete goal accomplish her abstract one? probably, but who knows. Then again, deciding to take up her cousin's offer to move to Japan for a year might also suit the goal. What if that character wants one, but gets the other?

To get really granular, most abstract character goals look very much alike - grow, change, overcome, discover, etc etc etc. YA has thematically common ones because the characters are centered in a period of their lives focused on transition, but novels are built on changing or the failure to change.

I think the process is exactly the same in identifying goals for YA and non-YA characters, but some people might see the concrete application of abstract goals more easily for adults (either because they are more aware of adult goals or because they have more clearly delineated the plot to allow for concrete adult goals.)

I think that in high school kids aren't really thinking in goal-oriented terms. They're just trying to get through school itself, and might not even have any long-range goals. Just wanting to get through the day so that they can go home and spend the rest of the night lounging in the bath is acceptable motivation.

Have you seen/read Azumanga Daioh? It's a manga arguably about the kind of thing you're talking about.

I think you need to drill down a little more on your characters goals. It might seem a little weak to say a character just wants to move on. But once you know more about your character, you can make this stronger. For example, once you know that she doesn't want to be in high school anymore because her best friend moved away last year and she hasn't made any new friends, plus the grandma who brought her up just died and her English teacher hates her because she called him a jerk and now refuses to let her pass, you realize there's plenty of reasons for her to want to move on. The thing is, most people would have a stronger goal than just moving on - eg, going to college (in which case, she can't just quit high school), travelling the world, gaining a building apprenticeship for a job, going to search for her Mom who abandoned her when she was born. Once you know your character a little more, I think you'll find that your character's goals are no longer weak - you just need to sit down and get to know your character. Good luck!

One of the stresses of high-school is that you are expected to find/have goals. For your entire life. When you are 17.
Yes, go for the goal that is specific to your character.
Not to 'move on', but to move away from home: which is more likely for your character: join the military, go to a distant college, take a job far, far away, or run away from home with no plan or support.
To move on from a bad break-up: renounce the opposite sex 'forever', plunge deep into romance with the next available person, or have a series of one-night stands with everyone they can stand?

This is going to be an odd example, so bare with me.

Mostly everyone just wants to live and survive without much conflcit. Thats basic. Mostly people want to have their own interest.

I play Dungeons and Dragons, and I tend to be the DM ( meaning I run the game as the storyteller for those who arent familliar.)

Now, we have these amazing worlds, I give my friends the lore and the background stories, place them in a happening city with umpteen million situations and quest they could go on if they choose to.

But honestly, more often than not the players will walk in circles, or go to random shops, or act foolish like " haha! I go to the nearest weapon shop and am drunk and get in trouble." I mean, these are people who took the time to drive to me, make a character, and still do nothing of value.

That is until I as a DM create an outside force to motivate them. I throw guards at them, or monsters, whatever.

I like to think of my characters in my novels the same. They just want peace, but what makes the story is how they react to the outside forces presented to them.

They dont necissarily need to be motivated to go out and find trouble, or adventure. Perhaps that can find them?