What's my motivation?!?!?!

Okay, so this month's prompt is on motivation. I keep picturing my characters looking at me and saying "What's my motivation?!?!?!" You know, like actors ask directors all the time? So I guess I'll break it down my my projects this year because I honestly don't think about motivation unless someone asks me.

What is the main motivation behind your characters?
NaNo14: Sari's motivation is initially trying to save the people of her planet but she also wants to save her boyfriend from his captors.

NaNo13: Um, I guess the Fringe crew has a few motivations in this story as to finding out what is causing the holes between the universes so they can stop them, but they also want to get everyone back to their own universe.

Untitled (YA): Jessen's motivation is overthrowing the aliens who have taken over the planet. Thankfully she's got the Resistance on her side!

Hush: The MC's motivation is to let Brian know the truth and NOT hate her. (Essentially that's it in a nutshell....)

I'll Never Break Your Heart/Revamp: I think the MC's motivation in this is to actually have a relationship, but I'm not sure because I'm reworking it.

Where do you come up with that motivation?
Well, in the case of my original ideas, oddly enough they are both from dreams! So I guess you could say I dreamed them up! As for the BSB fanfic (Hush/INBYH), I would say it's typical fangirl, girl wants the celeb boy, thing. As for the Fringe one, it comes from the show, I guess.

Do you tend to use the same motivation in every novel, or do you mix it up more?
Um, it seems to be the same, depending upon the type of novel I'm writing. Fanfiction is the same and the originals both came from the same place!

What is your favorite example of character motivation?
Well, I kind of like the one I'm doing for my NaNo14 novel. I mean, yeah, she's kind of motivated by love and whatnot, but there is also an underlying motivation of saving the people on her planet. But otherwise, I feel like I suck at describing this!