Genre-Specific Story Goals: How to Shape and Sustain Purpose Scene by Scene by Olivia Salter

Genre-Specific Story Goals: How to Shape and Sustain Purpose Scene by Scene

By Olivia Salter

Author & Storytelling Enthusiast

In fiction writing, story goals are not one-size-fits-all. While every compelling narrative benefits from a clear and specific protagonist goal, the shape, urgency, and emotional texture of that goal are often dictated by genre conventions. In a thriller, the story goal typically revolves around high-stakes survival, stopping a catastrophe, or uncovering a dangerous truth—driving the plot with relentless urgency and escalating tension. In contrast, a romance might center its goal on emotional vulnerability, connection, or healing, where the stakes are deeply personal and internal as well as external. A literary novel, on the other hand, may present a more abstract or evolving goal—such as self-understanding, reconciliation, or moral clarity—unfolding through nuanced character development rather than fast-paced action.

Regardless of genre, once that central goal is established, each scene must serve a structural and emotional function: it should either push the protagonist closer to achieving their desire, reveal the cost of that pursuit, or throw them into conflict that challenges their resolve. This dynamic movement—progress, setback, revelation—is what gives the story its forward momentum. Even quiet or introspective scenes must echo this arc, layering tension or complicating the protagonist’s journey in ways that resonate with the larger narrative promise. In this way, genre shapes the form of the story goal, but craft ensures that every beat of the story drives toward it with purpose.

Let’s break this down: first by genre, then by scene structure.

Part 1: Story Goals Across Genres

Each genre prioritizes different reader expectations, and story goals are shaped to meet them.

1. Romance

External Goal: Win the love interest, save a relationship, or prove worthiness of love.
Internal Goal: Overcome emotional wounds, trust again, or feel deserving of intimacy.

Example: In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth’s initial goal is self-respect and independence. Her romantic goal evolves as her internal arc changes.

Tip: The love story should be the spine of the narrative. Every major event either brings the lovers closer or pulls them apart.

2. Thriller / Mystery

External Goal: Catch a killer, stop a crime, escape danger.
Internal Goal: Overcome fear, restore lost reputation, trust others.

Example: In Gone Girl, Nick’s goal is to clear his name and survive the media/police circus, but the deeper goal is to understand his wife and reckon with who he is.

Tip: The goal must have urgency. Time limits and escalating danger keep readers hooked.

3. Fantasy / Sci-Fi

External Goal: Defeat a villain, retrieve a magical object, survive a dystopia.
Internal Goal: Embrace one’s destiny, let go of the past, question societal norms.

Example: In The Hunger Games, Katniss’s external goal is to survive, but her deeper goal becomes protecting her loved ones and eventually resisting systemic injustice.

Tip: The character’s goal should evolve as the world reveals itself. Worldbuilding and goal progression must be intertwined.

4. Literary Fiction

External Goal: Often understated—repair a relationship, get a job, reconnect with roots.
Internal Goal: Find meaning, understand oneself, let go of guilt.

Example: In The Remains of the Day, Stevens’s story goal is to maintain professional dignity, but it becomes clear that emotional repression and missed opportunities are the true conflicts.

Tip: Internal goals are often more powerful than the external in literary fiction, and tension often comes from emotional resistance rather than action.

Part 2: Writing Goal-Driven Scenes

Once your story goal is set, your scenes must carry the weight of that pursuit. Here’s how to make sure they do:

1. Establish the Scene's Purpose

Ask: What does my character want in this scene, and how does it connect to the story goal?
Every scene should have a mini-goal that relates back to the larger narrative purpose.

2. Raise Questions or Add Complications

Introduce obstacles or choices. If the character gets what they want easily, there’s no tension.
If they fail, they should learn something or face consequences.

3. Track the Emotional Arc

Scene structure should include:

• Desire: What the protagonist wants in this moment.
• Conflict: What gets in the way.
• Reaction: How the protagonist feels or changes.
• Decision: What they’ll do next.

This helps ensure cause and effect—each scene influencing the next.

4. Mirror the Internal and External Goals

Great scenes show a protagonist acting toward an external goal while revealing internal conflict.
For example, a hero may save someone (external), but wrestle with guilt from a past failure (internal).

5. End with Momentum

Scenes should end with:

• A new problem
• A deeper commitment
• A twist
• A revelation

Avoid static endings—each scene should change the stakes, the character, or the plan.

Final Thoughts

Story goals are not just launchpads—they are narrative compasses, orienting both writer and reader through the emotional and structural terrain of a story. More than a single event or desire that initiates the plot, a well-defined story goal is a thread woven into the fabric of every chapter, every beat, every turning point. It shapes not only the external structure of the story but also its internal momentum and emotional meaning.

The true craft lies not merely in setting the protagonist's goal early on, but in sustaining its presence throughout the narrative. Each scene should either move the protagonist closer to or further from that goal, revealing their evolution, testing their resolve, and illuminating their values. Character choices, conflicts, and consequences all gain cohesion and urgency when anchored by a persistent, recognizable goal.

In genre fiction, the clarity and visibility of a goal—solving the murder, defeating the villain, winning the heart—fulfill reader expectations and provide a roadmap for tension and pacing. These goals create a sense of forward motion and deliver satisfying payoffs. In contrast, literary fiction often embraces a more nuanced or even ambiguous goal—seeking meaning, reconciliation, identity, or truth—which may unfold gradually or shift over time, deepening the story’s psychological and thematic resonance.

But regardless of category, all effective fiction relies on this: a protagonist who wants something, and a plot that dramatizes the pursuit of that desire. Scene by scene, writers build bridges from longing to fulfillment—or failure—through choices, obstacles, revelations, and change. These scenes, when aligned with the story goal, become more than moments of action; they become the stepping stones between desire and destiny, shaping a narrative that feels both purposeful and emotionally true.