--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Every character should want something…" description: "\"Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.\" — Kurt Vonnegut" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/153/kurt-vonnegut-41_character_every-character-should-want-something-ev_2545019.jpg" --- # Every character should want something, even if it is only… ![“Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.” quote by Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/153/kurt-vonnegut-41_character_every-character-should-want-something-ev_2545019.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/153/kurt-vonnegut-41_character_every-character-should-want-something-ev_2545019.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/153/kurt-vonnegut-41_character_every-character-should-want-something-ev_2545019.jpg) > “Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.” [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Characters need clear desires to drive plot and engage readers, even simple needs give depth. **In simple terms:** Characters need wants to move story. Key Takeaway Give characters a concrete desire. Themes storytelling character development motivation Mood thoughtful analytical Type literary instructional When to use this quote - novel writing - screenwriting - roleplaying games - teaching literature - character analysis Key Concepts Desire Narrative drive Questions to Reflect On - What small desire could reveal a character’s core? - How does a modest goal affect tension? A Different Perspective Simple desires may seem trivial and risk underwhelming stakes. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Character Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character-want/) [Glass Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glass-water-324654/) [Glasses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/glasses/) [Should](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/should/) [Want](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want/) [Want Glass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/want-glass-703076/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) [Writing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/writing/) ## Related quotes > [“Every character has to want something, even if it's only a glass of water.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/every-character-has-to-want-something-even-if-it-s-only-a-glass-of/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Don't condemn if you see a person has a dirty glass of water, just show them the clean glass of water that you have.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/don-t-condemn-if-you-see-a-person-has-a-dirty-glass-of-water-just/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“Do they want to keep me in a glass box so nothing and no one can hurt me?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jodi-ellen-malpas/do-they-want-to-keep-me-in-a-glass-box-so-nothing-and-no-one-can-hurt/) [Jodi Ellen Malpas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jodi-ellen-malpas/) > [“got her a can of Coke out of the fridge. “You want a glass?” She shook her head. Jean-Claude was leaning against the wall,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/laurell-k-hamilton/got-her-a-can-of-coke-out-of-the-fridge-you-want-a-glass-she-shook/) [Laurell K. Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/laurell-k-hamilton/) > [“Make your characters want something right away even if it's only a glass of water. Characters paralyzed by the meaninglessness of modern life still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/make-your-characters-want-something-right-away-even-if-it-s-only-a/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Make a character want something — that’s how you begin.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/make-a-character-want-something-that-s-how-you-begin/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I'll just have a glass of water.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/various/i-ll-just-have-a-glass-of-water/) [Various](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/various/) > [ \[Referring to a glass of water:\] I mixed this myself. Two parts H, one part O. I don't trust anybody! ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-wright/referring-to-a-glass-of-water-i-mixed-this-myself-two-parts-h-one/) [Steven Wright](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-wright/) > [One does not beg for a glass of water from the devil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-pike/one-does-not-beg-for-a-glass-of-water-from-the-devil/) [Christopher Pike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-pike/) > [“I wouldn’t take him back if he were the last man on earth. I’m ‘if he caught fire, and I had a glass of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/r-k-lilley/i-wouldn-t-take-him-back-if-he-were-the-last-man-on-earth-i-m-if-he/) [R.K. Lilley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/r-k-lilley/) > [When I play on stage, I have to drink a glass of water.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fallon-sherrock/when-i-play-on-stage-i-have-to-drink-a-glass-of-water/) [Fallon Sherrock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fallon-sherrock/) > [“Half full, half empty - it doesn't matter. It's the same glass of water.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/debbie-vigui/half-full-half-empty-it-doesn-t-matter-it-s-the-same-glass-of-water/) [Debbie Viguié](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/debbie-vigui/) > [Think of your body like a car: a glass of water first thing in the morning is like starting your engine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joe-wicks/think-of-your-body-like-a-car-a-glass-of-water-first-thing-in-the/) [Joe Wicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joe-wicks/) > [In the morning I drink a big glass of water with lemon, a pinch of baking soda and maple syrup.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-rowe/in-the-morning-i-drink-a-big-glass-of-water-with-lemon-a-pinch-of/) [Camille Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-rowe/) > [What do you think this is, a f\*\*\*\*\*\* tea party? No you can't have a f\*\*\*\*\*\* glass of water, you can f\*\*\*\*\*\* wait like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allan-border/what-do-you-think-this-is-a-f-tea-party-no-you-can-t-have-a-f-glass/) [Allan Border](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allan-border/) ## More by Kurt Vonnegut > [“You must bloom as a writer and I must bloom as a painter. Everything else about us is uninteresting.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-must-bloom-as-a-writer-and-i-must-bloom-as-a-painter-everything/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“People aren't supposed to look back.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/people-aren-t-supposed-to-look-back/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Have a good nap, did you?” said the porter. “Yes,” said Billy. “Man,” said the porter, “you sure had a hard-on.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/have-a-good-nap-did-you-said-the-porter-yes-said-billy-man-said-the/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I told him that if we doubted that we are demons in Hell, he should read The Mysterious Stranger, which Mark Twain wrote in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-told-him-that-if-we-doubted-that-we-are-demons-in-hell-he-should/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [ “Thomas Jefferson High School \[..\] His high school was named after a slave owner who was also one of the world’s greatest theoreticians on… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/thomas-jefferson-high-school-his-high-school-was-named-after-a-slave/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I had a certain amount of skill as a dramatist, and Dr. Goebbels wanted me to use it”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-had-a-certain-amount-of-skill-as-a-dramatist-and-dr-goebbels-wanted/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [I was some of the mud that got to sit up and look around. Lucky me, lucky mud.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/i-was-some-of-the-mud-that-got-to-sit-up-and-look-around-lucky-me/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“The town was Newport, Rhode Island, U.S.A., Earth, Solar System, Milky Way.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/the-town-was-newport-rhode-island-u-s-a-earth-solar-system-milky-way/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Her face was one of a kind, a surprising variation that made observers think, Yes--that would be another very nice way for people to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/her-face-was-one-of-a-kind-a-surprising-variation-that-made-observers/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“You finally fell in love, I see,” said Salo. “Only an Earthling year ago,” said Constant. “It took us that long to realize that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/you-finally-fell-in-love-i-see-said-salo-only-an-earthling-year-ago/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“Like all Earthlings at the point of death, Mary Young sent faint reminders of herself to those who had known her. She released a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/like-all-earthlings-at-the-point-of-death-mary-young-sent-faint/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“And contrast Mary Kathleen, if you will, with my wife Ruth, the Ophelia of the death camps, who believed that even the most intelligent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/and-contrast-mary-kathleen-if-you-will-with-my-wife-ruth-the-ophelia/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Someday, someday, this crazy world will have to end, And our God will take things back that He to us did lend. And if,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/someday-someday-this-crazy-world-will-have-to-end-and-our-god-will/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“They were going back to the slaughterhouse for souvenirs of the war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/they-were-going-back-to-the-slaughterhouse-for-souvenirs-of-the-war/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“There are plenty of good reasons for fighting," I said, "but no good reason ever to hate without reservation, to imagine that God Almighty…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/there-are-plenty-of-good-reasons-for-fighting-i-said-but-no-good/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) [Explore all 2,089 Kurt Vonnegut quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. 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But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. 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