In character arcs, as in plot, the Climax is the dot on the end of the exclamation point. The Climax is the reason for the story. This is where the author reveals what the journey the character just endured was really all about—and, in a positive change arc, why that journey has turned out to be […]
May 11, 2014 by 19 Comments CharactersCreating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 13: The Third Act
Character arcs in the Third Act are all about intensity. On the story’s exterior, the conflict is heating up. The protagonist is a runaway train thundering toward what has now become an inevitable confrontation with the antagonistic force. But, on the inside, he’s reeling. The Third Plot Point sucker punched him. Something horrible and unexpected came […]
May 4, 2014 by 56 Comments CharactersCreating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 12: The Third Plot Point
If you had pick the single most important moment in characters arcs, what would it be? The Third Plot Point, you say? Well, you’d be right. Now here’s the harder question: Why is it the most important moment? The Third Plot Point is the low moment in your story. A minute ago, at the end […]
April 27, 2014 by 21 Comments CharactersCreating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 11: The Second Half of the Second Act
The Second Half of the Second Act is where you cue the hero music in character arcs. Thanks to that major personal revelation at the Midpoint, the protagonist now gets it. The puzzle pieces are falling into place. The light bulbs have flashed on. He sees what he has to do to win the conflict. […]
April 20, 2014 by 43 Comments CharactersCreating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 10: The Midpoint
In a positive change character arc, your protagonist will have spent the First Half of the Second Act blundering around in foreign territory, making mistakes based on false assumptions, and getting his hand slapped for his every wrong move. But he’s also going to have been slowly—maybe even subconsciously—learning his lesson and figuring things out. […]
April 13, 2014 by 28 Comments CharactersCreating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 9: The First Half of the Second Act
In the structure of character arcs, the First Half of the Second Act is where your character ventures (or is thrust) into uncharted territory—and gets lost. He may not quite see it that way himself, but this is where he begins to discover that the old rules (the Lie He Believes) no longer apply. This […]
March 30, 2014 by 63 Comments CharactersCreating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 8: The First Plot Point
If the First Act is setup, then the First Plot Point is the point of no return in character arcs. The setup ends, and the story begins “for realz.” At this point the character commits—usually because he has no choice—to a decision that will propel him out of the comfortable stagnation of the Normal World […]
March 23, 2014 by 55 Comments CharactersCreating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 7: The First Act
The First Act is one of my favorite parts of any story. Why? On the surface, the First Act seems to be the slowest part of the story—and it often is. It’s just setup, after all, right? True enough, except for that one little word just. It isn’t “just” setup; it’s SETUP! It sets up […]
March 16, 2014 by 65 Comments CharactersCreating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 6: The Normal World
Who wants to read about a boring old Normal World? The Lost World? Sure! The Exciting, Unusual, Exotic, and Absolutely Thrilling World? You betcha. But the Normal World? Isn’t that a pretty lame way to begin a story? Nope. Not if you want your character’s change arc to make sense, it isn’t. Last week, we learned […]
March 9, 2014 by 72 Comments CharactersCreating Stunning Character Arcs, Pt. 5: The Characteristic Moment
First impressions do count. And your protagonist’s Characteristic Moment is his first chance to impress your readers. Now that we’ve got the basic theory of character arc out of the way and figured out how to set up your protagonist’s inner conflict, via the Lie He Believes, the Thing He Wants and the Thing He […]
