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7. CREATING A CHARACTER ARC

A character arc is the transformation of a character over the course of a story. They are vital to storytelling because they add a layer of growth and dimension that deepen your plotlines and make your story more compelling. They add a sense of journey to your story and help the reader to better understand the character. Character arcs can vary wildly. They can be either positive or negative, drastic or subtle. But one thing is certain... in order to avoid writing flat characters, you must first learn to create dynamic arcs.

"Character Arc = Story, No Character Arc = Situation."   —K.M. Weiland

At their core, character arcs are made up of three facets:

1. The Goal: ( aka the Outer Want) Something the character desperately wants, which will either inhibit them from gaining their Inner Need or will be impossible to gain until they reject the Lie.

2. The Lie: A deeply-rooted misconception the character has about themselves or the world that keeps them from achieving their true potential. This lie will hinder the character on their journey.

3. The Truth: ( aka the Inner Need)

Positive Arc - Once the character embraces the truth about themselves and/or the world, they will be able to achieve their goal, completing their positive-change arc. Consider carefully The Thing Your Character Wants versus What They Actually Need for the goal and the lie.

Negative Arc - The lie was self-destructive and brings about the negative change.

Example (from The Hobbit):

The Goal: To help the dwarves reclaim the treasure stolen and guarded by Smaug.

The Lie: Hobbits belong in the Shire, surrounded by their creature comforts. The outside world is dangerous and for braver men—the kind who know how to sword fight and take on goblins.

The Truth: (Positive Arc) Heroism is just as much about the inner strength to follow your own moral compass in the face of adversity than it is about facing down danger

Now, let's break it down even further. There are three main types of character arcs. The first two are positive arcs, the Transformative arc, and the Growth arc. The third is negative. It's called the Decline arc.

Most, if not all change arcs involve the character in question believing a particular lie or misconception about themselves or the world around them. The character then discovers the truth and the way they react to this discovery – how they change in the face of it – forms the basis of their character arc.

3 Main Types Of Character Arcs

1. Transformative: This type of arc is where the character undergoes a transformation – usually a radical one. Drawing on some inner strength they weren't aware of, the character ultimately achieves what they set out to do, becoming a different person in the process.

Commonly used for protagonists, this arc involves a regular person, usually an underdog, who transforms into the hero or savior by the end.

If your character has undergone a complete transformation by the end of your story, they have likely experienced a transformative arc.

Examples:

- Harry Potter in the Harry Potter series

- Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit

- Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars series

- Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games series

2. Growth: This type of arc is a more subtle change from the one above, in that the character grows, but does not necessarily undergo a complete change or transformation. Instead, some major aspect of the character has changed, making them a better or more rounded person.

By the end of the story, they are still essentially the same person but have overcome something within themselves. Growth arcs work particularly well for secondary characters, especially if your main character is undergoing a complete change/transformation arc.

If at their core, your character is essentially the same person, someone who would be able to return to 'regular life', just with a different perspective, worldview or way of doing things, then your character has likely undergone a growth arc.

Examples:

- Elizabeth Bennett in Pride and Prejudice

- Nick Carraway in The Great Gatsby

- Jaime Lannister in the A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones series

- Samwise Gamgee in The Lord of the Rings series

3. Decline: This is a negative arc that involves the 'decline' or fall of a character, usually through bad decisions. They have likely ruined their life and the lives of others and have experienced no salvation or redemption, only downfall. This type of arc is effective for writing villains and antagonists.

There are several kinds of Decline arcs. In a "Typical Fall Arc", the character changes for the worst through bad decisions. If you have a character who embraces this negative change, then you are dealing with a classic "Corruption Arc". In a "Disillusionment Arc", the character discovers a truth that leaves them bitter and unhappy by the end of the story.

If your character started as a normal, successful, happy person and by the end they've done a complete one-eighty, changing for the worst, your character has likely experienced a Decline arc.

Examples:

- Walter White in Breaking Bad

- Hamlet in Shakespeare's Hamlet

- Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader in the Star Wars series

- Dorian Gray in The Picture of Dorian Gray

CHARACTER ARC IN RELATION TO PLOT

People often view character arc and plot as separate entities. As a writer, this is a huge mistake. Plot structure and character arc are integral. Literally. They coincide throughout the story, working in tandem to push the story forward. The character drives the plot forward. In turn, the plot affects the character's feelings and decisions which leads them to have actions and reactions that drive the plot even further. All the major plot points are followed by either an action or reaction from the main character.

Think of character arc and plot structure as parallel lines. When one shifts direction, it forces the other to shift as well. Neither can work independently of the other.

Below is a chart that shows the correlation between plot structure and character arc.