Too often, it’s easy to tell which motivator an author naturally operates in just by looking at what motivates their characters.
(For definitions of each of the motivators, check out this previous blog post using Lord of the Rings characters as strong examples)
For example, Jane Austen’s protagonists and love interests are often Stabilizers or Solutionaries. In Emma, the titular character embodies both. Mr. Darcy (Pride and Prejudice) and Mr. Knightley (Emma) are both Stabilizers. Even Elinor Dashwood (Sense and Sensibility) is a classic Stabilizer, seeking order and balance.
Contrast this with George Lucas, whose protagonists tend to be Drivers or Influencers.
- Luke Skywalker is a Driver, constantly pushing forward and creating momentum.
- Han Solo is an Influencer, winning people over with charm and connection.
- Willow Ufgood leaps into action without knowing where he’s going to land—a classic Driver trait.
These patterns aren’t coincidences. They reveal the mindset of the author and which motivators they naturally understand best.
When Writers Misunderstand Other Motivators
When an author doesn’t understand a particular motivator, they often reduce those characters to their weaknesses.
Look at Austen’s portrayal of Drivers and Influencers:
- Many of her Influencer characters are seen as shallow, overly emotional, or manipulative (think Mrs. Bennet or Marianne Dashwood).
- Her Driver characters can be impulsive, reckless, or foolish (think Lydia Bennet or Frank Churchill).
Why does this happen? Because when we don’t naturally relate to a motivator, it’s easy to misrepresent it—whether consciously or not.
I know this struggle firsthand.
Bringing Authenticity to Motivators You Don’t Naturally Relate To
When I try to write characters who operate in my weaker motivators, I constantly have to remind myself of their thinking patterns.
💡 Example 1: Writing an Influencer When You’re a Driver/Solutionary
I naturally operate primarily as a Driver and secondarily as a Solutionary. That means I pursue goals, and solve problems for the purpose of creating momentum. So when I write Influencer characters, I have to remind myself:
✔ They aren’t driven by progress or understanding problems—they are driven by connection.
✔ They don’t empower or inspire others to reach a goal—they empower because relationships matter.
✔ Their priority isn’t providing solutions—it’s uniting people.
This shift in mindset has completely changed how I write Influencer characters, allowing them to function authentically rather than as exaggerated stereotypes.
💡 Example 2: Struggling With Characters That Function Like You
One of my characters is a fighter. He begins as a soldier but eventually rises to become one of the top elite warriors in my fantasy world. He loses his temper—a lot.
For a long time, the Solutionary in me resisted this. I kept asking myself, Why would he lose his temper? That doesn’t solve anything!
Then I realized:
❌ I was judging him by my secondary motivator, without taking into account the weakness of my primary motivator.
✅ A Driver loses their temper because they see progress slowing or getting derailed.
Once I accepted this, his character finally clicked.
💡 Example 3: Writing a Stabilizer (Inspired by My Husband)
One of my characters is a magician who will study, contemplate, pull things apart, study individual components, catalog and categorize every detail he memorizes. He is methodical and gets lost in his studies, to the point that he forgets everyone around him. Why? I didn’t know at the time I created him. I just modeled him after my husband.
My husband is a Stabilizer. It wasn’t until I learned about the Human NEXUS before I could grasp why he thinks the way he does.
For example, if there’s a complex machine in front of him, he doesn’t just use it—he takes it apart, studies each component, and systematically categorizes them.
For a long time, this was baffling. To me, taking something apart means breaking it—disrupting its ability to function as intended.
But to a Stabilizer, the machine itself isn’t the priority—the integrity of the individual components is. He wants to safeguard each part, ensuring that if something fails, he can rebuild and restore balance.
This realization transformed the way I write Stabilizer characters. Instead of seeing them as obstacles to progress, or people who are procrastinators, I now recognize their role in preserving order and stability.
Do Your Characters “Go Rogue” on You?
As writers, we often joke about characters developing minds of their own—running off, making decisions we never expected, and steering the plot in unexpected directions.
But what if that frustration comes from not fully understanding their motivators?
I used to struggle with characters “wresting control” of the plot—until I started applying all four motivators from the Human NEXUS system. I made a point to understand both their strengths and weaknesses, and suddenly, character choices made sense.
✨ What about you?
💬 Have you ever struggled to understand why one of your characters behaves a certain way? Drop a comment or reply—I’d love to hear about it!
Take the Next Step in Character Development
Understanding your own motivators is the first step to writing more dynamic, believable characters. If you want to see where you naturally fall, take the free Human NEXUS Profile Test today:
🎯 Take the Free Test Here → Human NEXUS
(You can use code ROlson10off for a discount if you want the paid version to gain ALL the information)
And if you’re looking for more practical tools to build compelling characters, be sure to join the newsletter to help you along—you’ll also get a free short story featuring one of my characters in action.
Final Thoughts
If you find yourself struggling to write certain character types, it might not be because they’re badly written—it could be because they don’t think the way you do.
By intentionally learning and applying the four motivators, you can bring a new level of depth and authenticity to your characters.
💬 What’s the hardest motivator for you to write? Reply and let’s discuss!
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