What is your character’s ghost, and how does it affect his character arc? Once you’ve figured out the Lie Your Character Believes, as well as Thing He Wants and the Thing He Needs, the next question you need to ask yourself is: Why does the character believe the Lie in the first place? To find […]
February 23, 2014 by 168 Comments CharactersCreating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 3: The Thing Your Character Wants vs. The Thing Your Character Needs
The Lie Your Character Believes is the reason for all character arcs. After all, if everything’s hunky-dunky, why change? We might think of the Lie as the cavity in a tooth. Everything might look shiny and white on the outside, but inside there’s decay. If the character is ever to be happy, he’s going to […]
February 16, 2014 by 323 Comments CharactersCreating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 2: The Lie Your Character Believes
People hate change. We may sit around and wish our lives were different, but when the rubber really starts streaking the tarmac, we usually find ourselves wishing we could just hang out here in our safe and familiar haunts. Characters are no different. They resist change just as staunchly as any of us—which is a […]
February 9, 2014 by 129 Comments CharactersCreating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 1: Can You Structure Characters?
What if there were a sure-fire secret to creating stunning character arcs? Would you be interested in discovering it? If you care about connecting with readers, grabbing hold of their emotions, and creating stories that will resonate with them on a level deeper than mere entertainment, then the answer has to be a resounding yes! […]
January 19, 2014 by 41 Comments ThemeHow to Use Minor Characters to Deepen Your Story’s Theme
Is theme the moral of a story? Is it the message an author wants to share? Or is it something more inherent to the plot itself? If this were a multiple-choice test, then I hope you chose C! Although theme is potentially both a moral and a message, neither of these should be its point (if they […]
December 15, 2013 by 18 Comments CharactersHow the Antagonist Affects Character Arc
When crafting a powerful story, it’s easy to focus solely on external conflict—what the protagonist wants and who stands in the way. Howver, to create truly resonant fiction, writers must also consider how the antagonist affects character arc. The best antagonists don’t just block the protagonist’s outer goals; they also challenge the protagonist’s inner beliefs, […]
May 29, 2013 by 7 Comments CharactersWhy Your Protagonist Might Not Always Be Your Hero
Writers often use the word “protagonist” interchangeably with “hero” or “heroine.” This tends to conjure images of ogre-slaying, cape-wearing, entirely dazzling, why-can’t-I-look-that-good people. But this is misleading. Is “heroic” really the only qualification for a protagonist? Sometimes the requirements of certain plots necessitate that authors look outside the box to find the story’s true protagonist. […]
January 18, 2013 by 19 Comments Structuring Your Novel5 Elements of Story Structure
A few years ago, on the West Side of Manhattan, a rusting hulk of elevated railroad tracks metamorphosed into a promenade called High Line Park. Its transformation soon turned the Meatpacking District, through which it passes, into one of the hottest neighborhoods in New York. If you go visit the park, you’ll see a relatively new hotel called The Standard, […]
December 19, 2012 by 9 Comments CharactersWhat’s the Most Important Moment in Your Character Arc?
Character and change. This is what story is all about. You take a handful of people and you force them onto a journey that will change them forever, usually for the better. This is character arc. If your characters are following a Positive Change Arc, they will start out less-than-fulfilled, perhaps even personally stunted. They […]
June 3, 2012 by 9 Comments CharactersThe Two Conflict-Creating Needs of Every Character
In Frank Oz’s comedy What About Bob?, Bill Murray’s neurotic character sobs to his psychiatrist (who’s trying desperately to get rid of him), “Gimme, gimme, gimme! I need, I need, I need!” To some extent this is what every one of our characters should be internally screaming. We’re all familiar with the idea that the […]
