After reading this guidebook, you'll have a method for ensuring that your story is well-told, well-paced, and highly effective. You'll be guided through the process of reviewing your story, scene-by-scene, until it works.
We won't focus on copy-edi...
When you've got your key scenes in the right place, this is what your story arc should look like this.
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How Does The Character Arc Fit Into The Story Arc?
Character Entry
Character entry is the first time a character appears in a novel. The character entry is the beginning of the character arc. Remember to introduce your protagonist early. Don't wait too long or the reader might not know who to cheer for.
If an important character is introduced late in your novel, see if you can find a way to introduce that character earlier.
The first time a character appears, she must be introduced to the reader. This is where you decide how much time you'll spend on describing her and who she is in the story.
For a major character, put more emphasis on introducing the character. For a minor character, write as little as possible and still keep the reader engaged and not confused.
Control how you present the information about a new character. Consider the appearance, how they speak, what their mannerisms are, what they do in the scene, and how they interact with other characters.
When describing a character for the first time, you'll want to describe them so the reader:
- Can conjure up a physical image of him
- Understands the POV character's interpretation of him
Consider whose eyes the new character is being seen by and make the description something the POV character would think or feel.
For example, a rough and tumble character might look at a banker from a city and sneer at his manicured fingernails, whereas a pedicurist might look at the same character and be impressed with the care the person takes with his appearance.
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Character Exit
Character exit is the last time a character appears in a novel and is the end of the character arc. Major characters will probably exit the novel later in the story. Minor characters can exit anytime.
When a character exits the novel, ask yourself what effect this had on the protagonist. Is this something that will hurt or help the protagonist? This may spark your imagination and you could find new ways to stress out your protagonist.
Character exit is important if you've moved scenes. Sometimes when rewriting a novel, you might find a scene should come earlier or later in the story. When you move scenes, check you haven't moved a scene where a character exits the novel prior to a scene where they still have a role.
If too much of your story is happening after the protagonist or antagonist has exited the story, consider rewriting the end. The main conflict between the antagonist and the protagonist is over once one of them has left the story. After that, wrap things up quickly or you might risk boring the reader with a weak ending.
