Character Development Arc
Or how they spiral down in the absence of a successful balancing act.
Character development arc. Some pantsers find it helpful to fill in missing pieces as they write. Although character development depends on showing a chain of cause and effect how your character responds to specific situations surprise is a useful element of character change. If a story has a character arc the character begins as one sort of person and gradually transforms into a different sort of person in response to changing developments in the story.
A jerk to nice guy plot is a specific form of character development where the. When combat factors into their development then they took a level in badass. Even if you re writing an action packed plot driven book where the characters are robots it s the human element that will resonate with readers.
Consider some of literature s most memorable characters jane eyre scarlett o hara atticus finch ebenezer scrooge huckleberry finn katniss everdeen harry potter. Above is an example of what a character arc looks like on paper and how you can utilize plot elements in order to further your character s development. So don t feel obligated to use it.
When planning the arc of your central personalities always look for the lie they believe the truth they may or may not believe and the goal that drives them. This character arc worksheet can help outliners get to know their hero. We recommend downloading this free character profile template to help.
A character acting out of type unexpectedly can drive home that they are reaching a new point in their narrative arc. An arc isn t always an ascent in a tragedy it may be a gradual or breakneck descent to a worse place. For any novel to truly connect with readers the author needs to pay close attention to character development.
Character arc the rocky path of personal growth and development a character undergoes in a story usually unwillingly during which the character wrestles with and eventually overcomes some or all of a serious emotional fear limitation block or wound. If you find that you re still struggling try using these character development exercises. When your character comes out at the end of the book as a transformed person in certain senses it s a character arc.
An effective character arc may show how a character reaches a more practical middle ground between their strengths and weaknesses. A character arc is the transformation or inner journey of a character over the course of a story. A character check can help steer a character who developed too far from their original character back into being themselves or remind the audience that they still are the same person they used to be no matter how much they ve changed.
