TECH: Character Arcs (Part 5) (750 words)
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writercisesOriginal Posting 9/13/2019
Okay! So, we've got a lie that the character believes, what they want, what they need, and a ghost haunting them that drives the lie. It must be almost time to think about writing something, right?And in Chapter 4 of Creating Character Arcs, K. M. Weiland turns her attention to the characteristic moment. Basically, this is the first appearance of the protagonist, and typically also the hook. We've got inner conflict set up, with the Lie, the Want, the Need, and the Ghost, so... What tasks does this moment handle?1. Introduce the protagonist2. Usually, reveal the protagonist's name3. Also, give us gender, age, nationality, occupation... all the social characteristics!4. Show us important physical characteristics.5. Reveal the character's role -- i.e., this is the protagonist!6. Demonstrate key aspects of personality7. Hook the reader's sympathy and interest8. Show the scene goal for the protagonist9. Indicate the story goal for the protagonist10. Demonstrate the lie11. Tie into the plot, either directly or foreshadowing...Wow! Lots of possible tasks. Typically, you need to at least do these three:1. Make the character appeal to readers2. Introduce the character's strengths and weaknesses3. Build the plotHow do you make the readers invest in the character? Indicate the lack, the problems caused by the lie, but be careful. You don't want to go too heavy on the negatives. Make us identify with the character, then point out the flaws! Hook first. What do you like about them? How can you highlight that?Special Focus! This chapter has a little section called “Convince Readers to Invest in Your Character.” It starts out by reminding us that even focusing on three aspects (make the protagonist appealing to readers, introduce strengths and weaknesses, and build the plot), the Characteristic Moment is tricky. In particular, Weiland tells us that “We need to indicate the character’s “lack”—the problems in his life caused by the Lie—as soon as possible. But we don’t want to focus too heavily on the character’s negative aspects right away.” You want to make the reader sympathize with the hero before you start revealing flaws!Now, for example, if the growth is going to be towards courage, honesty, and selflessness, then the character needs to start out not being brave, truthful, or generous, right? But starting with a selfish, cowardly liar is a good way to make most readers run away.Weiland urges us to make our job first and foremost hooking the reader. Make the character generally likable. Craft a scene that highlights what you like about this character.Okay? Don’t start by telling us what a bum you have for a hero, because frankly, most of the time, we won’t stick around to find out how he or she changes to become wonderful. Start by showing us someone we can empathize with, someone who may have some flaws, but also has some admirable qualities. Then, once we like and care about this person, you can start letting us in on the problems, on the Lie that is holding him back.Now, you want the characteristic moment to be memorable, to be a big scene. So spend some time dreaming up options, and try out more than one. Then pick the best one.Here's a list of questions you might want to consider.1. What personality trait, virtue, or skill best fits the protagonist?2. How can you best dramatize that?3. How can you dramatize and introduce the plot?4. How can you demonstrate the character's belief in the lie?5. Can you reveal or hint at the Ghost in this scene?6. Can you use the scene to reveal what he or she wants?7. Does the character's pursuit of the scene and story goals meet an obvious obstacle? I.e., is there conflict?8. How can you share key details about your protagonist, such as name, age, and appearance quickly and unobtrusively?"Don't settle for anything less than spectacular for your characteristic moment. This is your opportunity to create a fun and effective scene that will introduce readers to your character in a way they'll never forget -- and from which they won't be able to look away."Exercise? I think the best thing to do here is to sketch out three to five versions of that characteristic moment. Go ahead and enjoy yourself, give the protagonist some real unusual scenes to start out with!
Okay! So, we've got a lie that the character believes, what they want, what they need, and a ghost haunting them that drives the lie. It must be almost time to think about writing something, right?And in Chapter 4 of Creating Character Arcs, K. M. Weiland turns her attention to the characteristic moment. Basically, this is the first appearance of the protagonist, and typically also the hook. We've got inner conflict set up, with the Lie, the Want, the Need, and the Ghost, so... What tasks does this moment handle?1. Introduce the protagonist2. Usually, reveal the protagonist's name3. Also, give us gender, age, nationality, occupation... all the social characteristics!4. Show us important physical characteristics.5. Reveal the character's role -- i.e., this is the protagonist!6. Demonstrate key aspects of personality7. Hook the reader's sympathy and interest8. Show the scene goal for the protagonist9. Indicate the story goal for the protagonist10. Demonstrate the lie11. Tie into the plot, either directly or foreshadowing...Wow! Lots of possible tasks. Typically, you need to at least do these three:1. Make the character appeal to readers2. Introduce the character's strengths and weaknesses3. Build the plotHow do you make the readers invest in the character? Indicate the lack, the problems caused by the lie, but be careful. You don't want to go too heavy on the negatives. Make us identify with the character, then point out the flaws! Hook first. What do you like about them? How can you highlight that?Special Focus! This chapter has a little section called “Convince Readers to Invest in Your Character.” It starts out by reminding us that even focusing on three aspects (make the protagonist appealing to readers, introduce strengths and weaknesses, and build the plot), the Characteristic Moment is tricky. In particular, Weiland tells us that “We need to indicate the character’s “lack”—the problems in his life caused by the Lie—as soon as possible. But we don’t want to focus too heavily on the character’s negative aspects right away.” You want to make the reader sympathize with the hero before you start revealing flaws!Now, for example, if the growth is going to be towards courage, honesty, and selflessness, then the character needs to start out not being brave, truthful, or generous, right? But starting with a selfish, cowardly liar is a good way to make most readers run away.Weiland urges us to make our job first and foremost hooking the reader. Make the character generally likable. Craft a scene that highlights what you like about this character.Okay? Don’t start by telling us what a bum you have for a hero, because frankly, most of the time, we won’t stick around to find out how he or she changes to become wonderful. Start by showing us someone we can empathize with, someone who may have some flaws, but also has some admirable qualities. Then, once we like and care about this person, you can start letting us in on the problems, on the Lie that is holding him back.Now, you want the characteristic moment to be memorable, to be a big scene. So spend some time dreaming up options, and try out more than one. Then pick the best one.Here's a list of questions you might want to consider.1. What personality trait, virtue, or skill best fits the protagonist?2. How can you best dramatize that?3. How can you dramatize and introduce the plot?4. How can you demonstrate the character's belief in the lie?5. Can you reveal or hint at the Ghost in this scene?6. Can you use the scene to reveal what he or she wants?7. Does the character's pursuit of the scene and story goals meet an obvious obstacle? I.e., is there conflict?8. How can you share key details about your protagonist, such as name, age, and appearance quickly and unobtrusively?"Don't settle for anything less than spectacular for your characteristic moment. This is your opportunity to create a fun and effective scene that will introduce readers to your character in a way they'll never forget -- and from which they won't be able to look away."Exercise? I think the best thing to do here is to sketch out three to five versions of that characteristic moment. Go ahead and enjoy yourself, give the protagonist some real unusual scenes to start out with!