Can you write a story with no character arc? Is that even possible? And, if it is, will the story be doomed to drabness in comparison to those that do feature rich character arcs (of the positive, flat, and negative varieties)? These are questions I encounter frequently, and they’re absolutely valid. We often think character arc and […]
September 14, 2014 by 22 Comments CharactersHow to Use Rewards and Punishments to Get Your Character to Change
How do you get your character to change? As simple as this question may seem, it’s also a super practical and important question that deserves an equally practical answer. At this point in our journey through character arcs, I hope you’re as stoked as I am about the potential of well-structured inner journeys for your […]
August 31, 2014 by 51 Comments CharactersShould All Your Minor Characters Have Arcs?
If your protagonist’s character arc has the ability to deepen your story, then just think how much more depth you can create if all your minor characters have arcs! Dizzying concept, isn’t it? And it raises the (somewhat trepidatious) question: Should all your minor characters have arcs? It’s a fair question. After all, we want […]
August 24, 2014 by 113 Comments CharactersThe Impact Character: Why Every Character Arc Needs One
When we think of necessary characters, we tend to come up with obvious choices such as the protagonist, the antagonist, and maybe the mentor, love interest, and sidekick. “Impact character” probably isn’t at the top of your list. But it should be. Because you can’t create a character arc without one. “Impact character” is the […]
August 20, 2014 by 16 Comments ThemeWrite a Tight Story: Streamline Your Symbolism
This week’s video offers a surprisingly simple tip for how to write a tight story that features both varied and rich themes. Video Transcript: Theme can be a bit of a tricky thing to understand how to pull off in a story. The main theme will always be central to the protagonist’s character arc. It […]
August 17, 2014 by 26 Comments CharactersCan a Character’s Arc Be a Subplot?
You’ve written an amazing story. Your premise is high concept. Your plot structure is brilliant. The whole thing is killer. But the main character’s arc seems to be, well, lacking. It’s there all right. It just doesn’t get much screentime. It’s more of a, ahem, subplot. Is that even possible? Is it workable? Or is […]
August 10, 2014 by 81 Comments CharactersHow to Figure Out WHAT Your Character’s Arc Should Be
Over the last six months and three series, you’ve gotten a pretty good idea of how to structure your character’s arc–whether it’s positive, flat, or negative. But what you may still be wondering is how to figure out which arc you should choose for your character. Choosing your character’s arc is every bit as important a […]
July 27, 2014 by 44 Comments CharactersHow to Write a Negative Character Arc, Pt. 3: The Third Act
In a word, the negative character arc is about failure, and this becomes nowhere more clear than in the Third Act. If the positive change arc is about redeeming self and the flat arc is about saving others, then the negative character arc is about destroying self and probably others as well. The previous two […]
July 20, 2014 by 34 Comments CharactersHow to Write a Negative Character Arc, Pt. 2: The Second Act
The Second Act in a negative character arc bears a lot of similarity to that in a positive change arc. In both types of arc, the character will be thrust out of his Normal World into a new and strange dilemma, where he will be forced to confront his Lie. He’ll be learning more about […]
July 13, 2014 by 100 Comments CharactersHow to Write a Negative Character Arc, Pt. 1: The First Act
Who in heaven’s name would want to write a negative character arc? Well, how about Shakespeare, Dostoevksy, Faulkner, and Flaubert? Just to name a few small-time wordsmiths you may have heard tell of. Everybody likes a happy ending, but, let’s face it, not all stories have happy endings. Negative change arcs won’t give readers the warm […]
