A lot of articles and blog posts will tell you that one of the most important parts of a novel is the character motivation. In most books, the character's goals are what drives the storyline. These kinds of books are often called character-driven stories, where the main plot is a supporter of the character's development. So: how important is character motivation in a character-driven novel?

There are two general types of writers: plotters and pantsers. Of course, all writers are different, but these are the more common categories for writers.