TECH: Character Arcs (part 7) (760 words)
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writercises Original Posting 9/27/2019
Now, in Chapter 6 of Creating Character Arcs, K. M. Weiland looks at the First Act. As she points out, this is setup. Both for the plot and for the character arcs. Given that you have all the prep out of the way, you’ve decided the Lie your character believes, what he wants, what he needs, the ghost behind it all, his characteristic moment, and his normal world... all we need to do is piece together how to get going, right? So what’s Act One? Well, Weiland reminds us that A Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler suggests this represents the hero’s decision to act. (Act 2 is the action, and Act 3 is the consequences in that model).So, Weiland suggests there are six parts of the character arc that usually get fitted into the first act. You can put them in wherever it fits your story and timing.1 Reinforce the lie. Mostly this happens through revealing what he wants and what he needs. The characteristic moment and the normal world also help illustrate the lie. Part of what we are doing here is showing how the internal problems tie into the external problems.Now, there may be several aspects to the Lie, and you can distribute the revelations of them throughout the first act (roughly the first quarter of your story).2 Show the potential for the character to overcome the lie. We need at least a glimpse of the capability for change. What quality does the character have that will help them overcome the lie? Show us the seed of what’s coming.3 Character’s first step to discovering how to grow and change. Foreshadow the change, Hunt at the lie and the truth. Weiland reminds us that this doesn’t necessarily mean they start to change, but it starts to lay the foundation for that change to come.4. Give your character an inciting event to refuse! Inciting events are opportunities for a character. It may be horrible, but it’s a chance for the character. Most times, characters don’t like the inciting event at first. Nope, not for me. But a good inciting event has already kicked off changes. There’s a problem here, something that needs doing.Most times, the inciting event comes about halfway through the first act. Introduce the character and their world, then wham! Inciting event points at the major conflict coming up.5 Evolve the belief in the lie. Let the character struggle a bit, let them refine that lie to make it fit more comfortably, let them defend it.6 Make the character decide. What are we going to do about that nasty inciting event? All right, let’s step through that doorway, and go on a trip!Which pushes us to the first plot point. To be described in the next chapter, and our next episode!Weiland’s list of questions about the character arc in the first act1 How will you introduce and reinforce the lie in the first act?2 How are you going to spread the layers and revelations about the lie, your character’s goals, and their personality in the first act?3 How are you going to hint at the potential in the character to overcome the Lie?4 What can you share about the Truth with the character in the first act? How are you going to share it?5 What is going to be the inciting event?6 Why will the character reject the inciting event at first?7 How will the character get over that rejection, and accept the call to adventure?8 How will the character’s belief in the lie evolve?9 What decision will the character make that engages them with the inciting event? (I.e., what makes them step through that doorway?)Think of the first act as the building block for the entire story. Setup what you need for later parts here. Engage the readers, and launch the character into an adventure that will change them forever. Wow!So, really, Weiland is turning us loose on the first quarter of the story! We’ve got the basics of the character arc, and we need to spread the setup for that throughout the first act.Exercise? Either take that story that you’ve been analyzing, and look at how they handle Weiland’s six beats, or go ahead and start an outline for a story of your own, and consider how to handle her beats (and questions). Heck, if you want to, you can start writing a draft of the first act, and then check her questions.Write? Why not!
Now, in Chapter 6 of Creating Character Arcs, K. M. Weiland looks at the First Act. As she points out, this is setup. Both for the plot and for the character arcs. Given that you have all the prep out of the way, you’ve decided the Lie your character believes, what he wants, what he needs, the ghost behind it all, his characteristic moment, and his normal world... all we need to do is piece together how to get going, right? So what’s Act One? Well, Weiland reminds us that A Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler suggests this represents the hero’s decision to act. (Act 2 is the action, and Act 3 is the consequences in that model).So, Weiland suggests there are six parts of the character arc that usually get fitted into the first act. You can put them in wherever it fits your story and timing.1 Reinforce the lie. Mostly this happens through revealing what he wants and what he needs. The characteristic moment and the normal world also help illustrate the lie. Part of what we are doing here is showing how the internal problems tie into the external problems.Now, there may be several aspects to the Lie, and you can distribute the revelations of them throughout the first act (roughly the first quarter of your story).2 Show the potential for the character to overcome the lie. We need at least a glimpse of the capability for change. What quality does the character have that will help them overcome the lie? Show us the seed of what’s coming.3 Character’s first step to discovering how to grow and change. Foreshadow the change, Hunt at the lie and the truth. Weiland reminds us that this doesn’t necessarily mean they start to change, but it starts to lay the foundation for that change to come.4. Give your character an inciting event to refuse! Inciting events are opportunities for a character. It may be horrible, but it’s a chance for the character. Most times, characters don’t like the inciting event at first. Nope, not for me. But a good inciting event has already kicked off changes. There’s a problem here, something that needs doing.Most times, the inciting event comes about halfway through the first act. Introduce the character and their world, then wham! Inciting event points at the major conflict coming up.5 Evolve the belief in the lie. Let the character struggle a bit, let them refine that lie to make it fit more comfortably, let them defend it.6 Make the character decide. What are we going to do about that nasty inciting event? All right, let’s step through that doorway, and go on a trip!Which pushes us to the first plot point. To be described in the next chapter, and our next episode!Weiland’s list of questions about the character arc in the first act1 How will you introduce and reinforce the lie in the first act?2 How are you going to spread the layers and revelations about the lie, your character’s goals, and their personality in the first act?3 How are you going to hint at the potential in the character to overcome the Lie?4 What can you share about the Truth with the character in the first act? How are you going to share it?5 What is going to be the inciting event?6 Why will the character reject the inciting event at first?7 How will the character get over that rejection, and accept the call to adventure?8 How will the character’s belief in the lie evolve?9 What decision will the character make that engages them with the inciting event? (I.e., what makes them step through that doorway?)Think of the first act as the building block for the entire story. Setup what you need for later parts here. Engage the readers, and launch the character into an adventure that will change them forever. Wow!So, really, Weiland is turning us loose on the first quarter of the story! We’ve got the basics of the character arc, and we need to spread the setup for that throughout the first act.Exercise? Either take that story that you’ve been analyzing, and look at how they handle Weiland’s six beats, or go ahead and start an outline for a story of your own, and consider how to handle her beats (and questions). Heck, if you want to, you can start writing a draft of the first act, and then check her questions.Write? Why not!