Bootcamp Mentors Workshop Topics

Character Arc - Outlining

TIPS FOR OUTLINING A CHARACTER ARC

Now that you have an understanding of character arcs and the categories most character arcs fall into, it's time to think about how you might outline the arcs of your characters and flesh out their development.

👉 Consider the story's genre: Genre often helps determine the way your character arcs will unfold. If you're writing a tragedy, your protagonist will most likely undergo a negative arc—ending the story at a much lower point than where they began. If you're writing a hero's journey, you'll probably have a character change to meet the demands put on them and follow a transformational arc.

👉 Identify each major character's role in the story: The role a character plays will help determine the direction the protagonist's arc will go. A good story generally has a strong set of well fleshed out characters in addition to the protagonist. Knowing each of the characters' roles will help inform what the protagonist needs and what shape their arc will take.

👉 Create a strong story outline: It's important to have a strong outline with all the acts clearly defined before you map out character arcs. Characters change alongside your larger narrative. Knowing where an important plot point or turning point might be can provide signposts as you plan out your corresponding character arc.

👉 Know what your characters want, as well as what they need: Do they want to be king? Do they not want to be king? Do they want to find the holy grail? Do they want to graduate with honors? Having an idea of your protagonist's goal or deepest desire will help you decide how to get them from where they start out to where they end up—and, more importantly, whether you give them what they want at all. Sometimes, it's better for the story to have your protagonist achieve a realization or epiphany rather than that "thing" they envisioned as their deepest desire. This realization may change nothing about the character's external life, but it will always transform their perspective of themselves and the world around them, leaving them more capable of coping with their problems.

Ultimately, you want your characters to go through stages as they move through the story—Order, Chaos, Reorder. Or Goal, Lie, Truth. Just be sure that what happens in those stages doesn't betray the character's original core traits and relates in some way to the story's resolution.

CREATING A STATIC CHARACTER ARC

Typically, we will see our favorite characters grow over the course of a novel or series. So, what about those characters who don't experience an internal transformation? Do they lack the development needed to make their stories rich and compelling? Not necessarily.

A character who experiences a static arc is largely the same person at the end of their journey as they were when it began. From the first page, they carry with them a strong sense of identity and personal belief, enabling them to transform the world around them rather than the world changing them. Despite the static nature of your protagonist, most novels of this type are more effective and last longer (in the case of a series) with small character arcs.

Some advice for creating a successful static character (or cast) with loyal fans is to take the time to develop your protagonist's personality, mannerisms, and voice. They need to be instantly recognizable, which means they sound different from any other character when they speak, think syntax (the way the words are organized in a sentence) and whether your character uses slang or perfect grammar. Then let them overcome obstacles and challenges to test their mettle. Each success, or failure, will provide opportunities for subtle character arcs. 

On to Part 3 of Character Arcs...