writercises | Entries tagged with character arc

Original Posting 3/27/2020

Here we go! In chapter 13, Weiland tackles the climax! This is where the whole story has been going, both in terms of the plot, and in terms of the character arc. Why did the character go through all that? Ha, now comes the payoff. And now the character shows that they have early changed.Back at the beginning, the character got shaken up, then scrambled trying to figure it out, and got the revelation of midpoint, and then... moved away from the Lie towards the Truth. Now we have a confrontation between protagonist and antagonist, and the character must show they have learned their lesson.“The Climax is a scene or series of scenes that forces the protagonist to face the main conflict in a decisive confrontation.”You need to resolve the primary conflict here, fulfilling promises, and still giving readers some nice surprises.You may have two climaxes, a faux climax and the real one.Watch out. In the third act, there’s a renewed attack on the character’s new direction, that Truth they have claimed. That attack probably will continue into the climax.Next, Weiland discusses the two choices of when to have your character do a final rejection of the Lie, either in the climax or before it. Look at whether your character’s internal conflict is closely related to the external conflict with the antagonist or not. If they’re closely related, the antagonist may very well hammer at this weak point. Putting this attack and the final rejection of the Lie (and embracing the Truth) in the climax let’s you put the two conflicts, internal and external, together, with high stakes and tension. But it’s dangerous, too, because a big external fight may not give you time to really explore the character’s internal struggle.On the other hand, you can have your character do their final dance between the Lie and the Truth before the climax, and emerge transformed, ready for the final fight. Then in the climax, the character can act on that Truth. You probably still want it to be close to the climax, but...The climactic moment? Weiland suggests that within the climax, there’s a single moment that resolves everything! Try to make a scene that your reader will know is the key. Where the hero finally destroys the antagonist. Now nothing lies between him and his goal. Not that this means he gets what he wanted, but rather, he gets what he needs. I.e., watch, the goal may have changed! Or perhaps the hero rejects what he thought he wanted, now preferring to get what he needs. Or his feelings about the whole thing have changed. Or, in some cases, maybe he gets both!Weiland next walks through the climax in a number of examples. You should probably take a look at those if you are interested.And, as usual, we have a set of questions to ask about the character arc in the climax.1 How does your character prove they have changed in the climax?2 Does the renewed attack on the new Truth happen before or during the climax? How does this affect your pacing?3 How does embracing the Truth enable victory in the external conflict?4 Does your character embrace what he Needs in the climax?5 How can he use what he Needs to defeat the antagonist?6 Does he get what he Wants?7 Has his view of what he Wants changed? Does he still want it?At the start of the story, there was a question. Will the character overcome the Lie to gain what he Needs? In the positive change arc, the Climax says YES! It proves that the character has changed.So what’s left? Ah, the emotional cleaning up known as the resolution. Come back next episode for that!Exercise? Probably the main one is to take a look at several climaxes and see how they work. Maybe make a list of five that you really like, then look closely at them. Consider the questions that Weiland suggested. Oh, you might also think about a climax you didn’t like, and try to pinpoint what went wrong, and how they could have fixed it. Of course, you can always try applying Weiland’s ideas to something you are working on, too!Keep Writing!

mbarker

Original Posting 2/21/2020

(Whoops! There's a couple more chapters in the Positive Change Arc... so here we go again!)Deep breath! In Chapter 12, Weiland turns to the third act! Time to heat everything up and go for the gusto! Conflict between the protagonist and the antagonist, a major confrontation! But what's happening inside?That last plot point bushwhacked him, and made him really face up to what's going on here, showed the Lie and the Truth, and showed him that he really believes the Truth. What he Wants? Hey, that may have gotten lost completely. But... he did the right thing, he knows it's right, and... here come consequences!Weiland assures us that the third act is a scramble to get back in balance before running into the climax. But the interior battle is to decide if the Truth is really worth it.Weiland picks out four road signs, or landmarks, for the character arc in the third act. The first one needs to start right after the third plot point, and the last one needs to come just before the climax, but the others will be spread and grow in the first half of the third act.First, up the stakes! You had a scene in the third plot point where the character found out the cost of the truth. Here, the character reacts to that. And the stakes go up! Add problems, emotional, physical, whatever you can think of. You want to show the hero standing up despite the worst that can be thrown at him.Second, keep the character off balance. He needs to start seeing how the Truth gets into everything. So what are the little doubts and questions that he has?Third, prove the change in the character. Again and again, show us how they have changed! Let them reject the Lie physically.Fourth, and final, renew the attack on that new Truth, that new paradigm. Have someone, usually not the main antagonist, attack it! You want to really make the character fight against their own doubts and fears. And... here comes the climax!As usual, Weiland provides a list of question you can use to check the character arc in the third act.1 How does the hero react to the third plot point (or second doorway of no return)?2 How does embracing the Truth mess up the hero's life and pursuit of the plot goal?3 How are you going to up the stakes and force him into physical and emotional trouble?4 How do these problems make the character worry about whether or not the Truth really is the right answer?5 How does he push back those doubts and cling to the Truth?6 What doubts does the character still have about the Truth?7 How does inability to reject the Lie keep the hero from complete happiness?8 How are their attitudes and actions different in the third act than in the first act? How can you subtly reinforce these differences before hit climax?9 How are you going to test their devotion to the truth? Which character or situation will you use to temper or force your hero back to the Lie?The third act is where you can tie up loose ends in your story. For the character arc, that's mostly testing the new dedication to the Truth and showing more growth away from the Lie, in preparation for the Climax!This should be exciting and tense, but it's also the place where you finish setting everything up for the climax. Where we get the real character transformation!Exercise? Take a look at a book or story you really like, and what happens between the third plot point and the climax. Does it have Weiland's four signposts? How does it answer her questions?Get set! Climax next!

mbarker

Original Posting 12/27/2019

And, in Chapter 11, Weiland tackles the third plot point. Also known as the second doorway of no return, I think. Let's see...Third plot point is a low point for the character! At the end of the second act, they seemed to win a victory, but... it's false! Now, the Lie is going to come out and the hero is going to have to confront it directly. No more halfway measures, it's time to fight!The antagonist is going to force things, and the hero is going to be forced into a full climax. There's often another revelation in here, too.We're going to have a physical plot point, but also a major choice by the character. Usually, chose between what they want, and what they need. No compromise, which one are you going to go for?In the positive character arc, of course, they hero chooses the truth, doing the right thing. Which means losing the thing he wants! The decision takes action, and the bridges burn behind him!Metaphorically, the hero dies here... at least to their old self. There's often some real death, too, at this point. Or at least symbolic death, or threats of death.So, what questions does Weiland recommend you ponder at this point?1 What event or revelation turns the apparent victory at the end of the second act into a crushing defeat?2 How did the failure to reject the Lie enable this defeat?3 How does the defeat make the hero really look at all the ramifications of the Lie?4 How does the defeat offer the character a path toward what he Wants?5 If he took the path to what he Wants, how will it lead to losing what he Needs?6 How do you set up a black-and-white choice between shat he Wants and what he Needs?7 Which does he choose?8 How can you literally or symbolically work death into this scene to reinforce the death of the old self?Okay? We're going to force the hero to make another choice, and go to that climax. And strip away the illusions of the Lie!Exercise? Probably the best is to look at two or three stories that you really like, and pull out how they dealt with this plot point. Then think about how you want to build this kind of plot point into your story!And watch for the next episode, when we tackle the third act!?

mbarker

Original Posting 12/16/2019

In Chapter 10, Weiland tackles the second half of the second act. Got that? Take the second act, aka the middle, divvy it into two halves and a midpoint, and... we’re now slipping down the second half, sliding toward the second doorway of no return and the climax! So, what’s happening?Well, start with the hero having gone through the midpoint, through that revelation, and now... he or she is active, is really trying! Got the Truth in mind, and is starting to do the right things. But... he’s still relishing a little lie. We need some strong action, the character starting to control the conflict, and... pull together all the pieces you need for the third act. Do watch out, there’s a pinch in here, where the antagonist shows they are still formidable, and might beat the hero. But...Lots of action. The hero charges in, thinking they know what’s right now! But there’s still some blind spots...Weiland lays out six pieces of the character arc that you can put into the second half of the second act (call it the second squared?). You choose where, you choose the pacing, you get to mix this up the way you like it. So what are the parts?1 Let the character act enlightened! He or she has learned some things, and had the midpoint revelation, so... now they can do some things they couldn’t have done (or wouldn’t have thought of doing) before. The hero has some new tools to tackle things, and can make better progress.2 But... trap the character between that old Lie and the new Truth! Go ahead and let him or her suffer with difference between that old lie and the new truth. They want to do the right thing, but... is it really the right thing? Doubts and fears...3 Let the character fight to escape effects of the Lie. The character knows the truth now, and is trying to go that way. They are starting to do the right thing, but that may mean giving up some things they want! Show us that tension, the fight...4 contrast the before and after mindsets. Watch for ways to mirror or reflect actions and thoughts, events, from the first half of the second act here in the second half. But reversed, with the change highlighted.5 Provide a false victory! Maybe what he wants seems easily reachable? But now, there’s something wrong with that easy deal. To get it, he’s going to give up the thing he needs, turn back from the truth to the lie. And... he grabs it! But, naturally, it isn’t gonna be a good thing.6 blatantly demonstrate the crux of your character’s arc. Just before the big third act, go ahead and make it explicit, what he needs, and what that Truth was. Dialogue, action, internal monologue, whichever works, but... play this up! The character will need this in the third act!Weiland provides a set of questions to help you with this. Here we go!1 How is your hero starting to control the conflict?2 How does the midpoint revelation help the hero see the conflict differently?3 What tools does the revelation give the hero to be more effective?4 How is the character still holding onto the Lie?5 How is the new Truth fighting the old Lie?6 How is the hero still not quite in line with the truth?7 How does the hero’s mindset still support the Lie?8 How do the hero’s actions show increasing belief in the Truth?9 What before and after scenes can show the difference in the character between the first and second half?10 What false victory ends the Second act? What does the hero give up about the Truth to apparently get what he wants?11 How have you blatantly shown us the Truth?This part of the story is a chance for the hero to shine! Things are starting to go right, they have the Truth to figure out, he’s changed! Oh, there’s still a betrayal to come (the false victory), but... he’s on the right path, at last!And he’s getting set for the third plot point, coming soon!Exercise? Probably the best is to take a look at a story that you like, and see how these six points play out there. Maybe see how the questions got answered there? Then think about how they might work in your work in progress?

mbarker

Original Posting 11/22/2019

Aha! Chapter Nine is all about the midpoint. Wait, isn’t that something from plotting? Well, yes. Weiland is tying the positive change arc, the internal changes and growth, to the external plot points. The midpoint, where the character faces up to things, is one place where the two rub up against each other pretty obviously. So...Weiland starts by reminding us that in the positive change arc, the protagonist spends the first half of Act two lost in this new land, making mistakes based on false assumptions, and getting his hands (and probably other parts of his anatomy) slapped repeatedly. But he’s learning things! He’s starting to figure it out. And... here comes the midpoint!Big change! The character at least turns away from the effects of the Lie, even if he doesn’t repudiate the Lie yet. The character also goes from reactive to active. This is where the story swings, if you will (see James Scott Bell’s Write Your Novel From the Middle if you want to know more about the magic of the midpoint!).So, why does the character shift from reactive to active? Well, Weiland suggests it comes from the middle of the character arc!The moment of truth, the moment of grace, the mirror moment... this is where the character takes a good, long look at the external conflict and at his own self, and accepts the Truth! Where he sees what he really wants, and where he is really going.Now, often this does not mean the character flat out dumps the Lie. But... he sees there is another side, and starts to act in line with that. He is, in point of fact, stuck between the Lie and the new Truth!The Midpoint is usually a big, important scene, but that shift in personal knowledge is often a subtle thing. Still, make it a solid, dramatic change if you can.Weiland has a number of examples you may want to read through to see more about how the midpoint and the change in the character go together.And, of course, Weiland provides a set of questions to help with the character’s arc at the midpoint.1 What personal revelation does your protagonist have at the midpoint?2 How has the protagonist changed between the first plot point and the midpoint?3 How does the revelation at midpoint give the character enough knowledge to start taking control, and move from reaction to action?4 What definitive action with the character take against the opposition?5 What new understanding of the conflict does the character get at the midpoint?6 What new understanding of himself does the character get at the midpoint?7 What is the moment of truth for your character? What does he accept and understand in that moment? What makes him see it?8 How is the character still, at least superficially, holding onto the Lie?9 What is he going to do based on the Truth?10 How does the conflict between the superficial Lie and the deeper Truth make the inner conflict evolve?The midpoint is where your character gets it, and starts changing his actions to really start winning.Weiland concludes, “ When planning your Midpoint, identify the Truth your character must recognize and create a mind-blowing scene to support it. Done right, it will end up being one of the most memorable chapters in your book.”So, there you go! Halfway from the first doorway of no return, with the second half of Act two ahead, and the second doorway of no return still to come. But... the big shift has hit, and the character is working towards the Truth. They’ve seen that burning bush, the dream of honor, or whatever, and are going to start working towards that.Exercise? I think probably the best one is to do something like what Weiland did with her examples. Take books or stories you like, maybe some of yours, and figure out what the midpoint is in them. Look for that glimpse of what’s behind the conflict, and the realization of what it means. Write it up, in a here’s the glimpse, and here’s what it means to the character format.Then come back for our next episode, when we’ll look at the second half of Act two!

mbarker

Original Posting 11/09/2019

Okay, take a deep breath! So far, Weiland has laid out a conceptual framework, with the Lie the character believes, what the character Wants, what they Need, and the Ghost, the backstory behind the Lie. Then we’ve got the Characteristic Moment that introduces the character, and the Normal World. Plus six beats for the first act, and the first plot point (or first doorway of no return). Next, in Chapter 8, Weiland talks about the first half of the second act. See, the second act is often about half of the total story, so instead of tackling it in one big lump, Weiland suggests breaking it into three parts, the first half, the midpoint, and the second half. In this chapter, she’s only talking about the first half.So what is happening, now that we’ve gone past the first plot point and ventured into unknown territory? Well, usually the character gets lost! And starts to discover that the Lie may not be as strong as they thought it was. Whoops! Reacting to the first plot point, and still chasing the Wants, he’s in trouble, whether he knows it or not. He’s going to be doing things, and learning that some ways to achieve the goal just don’t work.So, what landmarks do we include in the first half of the second act?1 Provide tools to overcome the Lie. Not everything, but at least a few hints, pieces of the puzzle, to get started. Information on how to overcome the Lie! Advice, perhaps, along with physical skills they will need for the climax. Some Truths to unsettle the lie, and useful truths.2 Show difficulties pursuing the Lie. Let the character try out the old ways, and... run into problems. The Lie is going to get in the way, here in the second act. So, some of the character’s approaches will evolve. He’s going to see the failures, and start looking for ways to change.3 Move closer to what he wants and farther from what he needs. The balance is shifting, but... it’s the wrong way! The character is working harder than ever to get what they want, and letting what they need slip away. While still seemingly moving towards the goal. But... the inner conflict is growing, even if they seem to be winning on the outside.4 Give the character a glimpse of life without The Lie. Probably from other characters, but it might be a personal glimpse. Let them start to wonder, to see some flaws in that Lie.Questions for the first half of the second act? Sure...1 How does the character react to stepping through the first doorway of no return, the first plot point?2 What tools can you give your character to start getting ready to break the Lie?3. What minor character (or characters) can mentor your hero, either through example or advice? What do they do or say?4 How could you show the hero the first step towards breaking the Lie?5 How will the character try to use the Lie to solve the plot problems?6 What will go wrong when they try this?7 What is the character’s reaction to these failures? What do they learn, how do they adjust? What do they try?8 How does the hero’s focus on the plot goal push him closer to what he Wants?9 How does getting closer to what he Wants pull him away from what he Needs?10 After stepping through the first doorway of no return, past the first plot point, how does the new world (or the changed normal world) give the hero a glimpse of life without the Lie?In the first half of the second act, your character is going to try very hard to reach the plot goal. He’s trying to get control and beat the conflict, and it might even seem to be working. But actually, it’s running away, with the Lie and the Want breaking down.This is where you can really explore the character, their personality, beliefs, and desires. Lots of chances for fun, conflict-filled scenes!Exercise? Try sketching out three to five possible scenes or bits for each of the four landmarks that Weiland recommends. Now, add in other scenes that you want or think might fit in this part. And try laying them out in different sequences. What happens if you do this one first, and that one last? Go ahead, play with it!Watch out, because the midpoint is coming. Our reactive hero is about to flip, and become active. But that’s the next episode!

mbarker

Original Posting 10/18/2019

Okay, take a deep breath! So far, Weiland has laid out a conceptual framework, with the Lie the character believes, what the character Wants, and what they Need, and the Ghost, the backstory behind the Lie. Then we’ve got the Characteristic Moment that introduces the character, and the Normal World. Plus six beats for the first act, and the first plot point (or first doorway of no return). Next, in Chapter 8, Weiland talks about the first half of the second act. See, the second act is often about half of the total story, so instead of tackling it in one big lump, Weiland suggests breaking it into three parts, the first half, the midpoint, and the second half. In this chapter, she’s only talking about the first half.So what is happening, now that we’ve gone past the first plot point and ventured into unknown territory? Well, usually the character gets lost! And starts to discover that the Lie may not be as strong as they thought it was. Whoops! Reacting to the first plot point, and still chasing the Wants, he’s in trouble, whether he knows it or not. He’s going to be doing things, and learning that some ways to achieve the goal just don’t work.So, what landmarks do we include in the first half of the second act?1 Provide tools to overcome the Lie. Not everything, but at least a few hints, pieces of the puzzle, to get started. Information on how to overcome the Lie! Advice, perhaps, along with physical skills they will need for the climax. Some Truths to unsettle the lie, and useful truths.2 Show difficulties pursuing the Lie. Let the character try out the old ways, and... run into problems. The Lie is going to get in the way, here in the second act. So, some of the character’s approaches will evolve. He’s going to see the failures, and start looking for ways to change.3 Move closer to what he wants and farther from what he needs. The balance is shifting, but... it’s the wrong way! The character is working harder than ever to get what they want, and letting what they need slip away. While still seemingly moving towards the goal. But... the inner conflict is growing, even if they seem to be winning on the outside.4 Give the character a glimpse of life without The Lie. Probably from other characters, but it might be a personal glimpse. Let them start to wonder, to see some flaws in that Lie.Questions for the first half of the second act? Sure...1 How does the character react to stepping through the first doorway of no return, the first plot point?2 What tools can you give your character to start getting ready to break the Lie?3. What minor character (or characters) can mentor your hero, either through example or advice? What do they do or say?4 How could you show the hero the first step towards breaking the Lie?5 How will the character try to use the Lie to solve the plot problems?6 What will go wrong when they try this?7 What is the character’s reaction to these failures? What do they learn, how do they adjust? What do they try?8 How does the hero’s focus on the plot goal push him closer to what he Wants?9 How does getting closer to what he Wants pull him away from what he Needs?10 After stepping through the first doorway of no return, past the first plot point, how does the new world (or the changed normal world) give the hero a glimpse of life without the Lie?In the first half of the second act, your character is going to try very hard to reach the plot goal. He’s trying to get control and beat the conflict, and it might even seem to be working. But actually, it’s running away, with the Lie and the Want breaking down.This is where you can really explore the character, their personality, beliefs, and desires. Lots of chances for fun, conflict-filled scenes!Exercise? Try sketching out three to five possible scenes or bits for each of the four landmarks that Weiland recommends. Now, add in other scenes that you want or think might fit in this part. And try laying them out in different sequences. What happens if you do this one first, and that one last? Go ahead, play with it!Watch out, because the midpoint is coming. Our reactive hero is about to flip, and become active. But that’s the next episode!

mbarker

Original Posting 10/7/2019

Now, with the first act just about in place, in Chapter 7, K. M. Weiland turns to the first plot point. I've also seen this called the doorway of no return #1, which I think makes a good name, too. This is where setup ends, and the heart of the story starts. The character commits themselves, irrevocably. Some decision that means I'm going to do it.This is a major scene! It may be forced on the character, but they are also taking that step! With three decisions.Decision #1, before the first plot point, is your character deciding something that leads up to the first plot point.The first plot point then blows those plans to bits! A tornado sweeps the character off! The world gets shook up, and we are out of the normal world!Decision #2, during the first plot point. This is all about the character's reaction to it. Basically, they need to decide to go ahead. To walk through that door, as scary as it may be, and start the adventure.Decision #3, after the first plot point. Your character probably either charged ahead without really knowing what was coming, or got dragged into it. But now, they need to grab a clear physical goal. Tied to what he wants! Often, this is either an attempt to return to the normal, or to establish a new normal.Questions? Sure...1 What major event crashes into your character's normal world and forces them to change their plans?2 What decision leads the character to the first plot point?3 Does the first plot point seem favorable? How will the complications turn out worse than expected?4 Is the event obviously disastrous? How?5 Will the protagonist willingly step through the door, into the new world?6 Or is he going to be forced through it?7 Does the first plot point destroy the normal world? Or just physically move the protagonist from one world to the next? Or does it change the world around the protagonist?8 How does the character react to the first plot point?9 What new plot goal does the character form in response to the first plot point?10 How does the first plot point start your character on the journey to that new Truth?11 How does the new world beyond the first plot point penalize or stress the character for continuing with the Lie?The first plot point throws the character into a world where the Lie doesn't work, and the character needs to learn the Truth, changing, and growing. So, plan a first plot point that really challenges your character to step into the adventure of their life.Exercise? Probably the best is to take something you are working on, and brainstorm, oh, five to ten different first plot points. Go ahead and dream about what might happen! What kind of doorway of no return will your hero face, and how will they react? Then pick out the best, and make it real.?Write?

mbarker

Original posting 9/20/2019

All right! So we have taken the lie that our character believes, what they want and what they need, and the ghost that is driving this, and we have at least thought about the characteristic moment that introduces this character to the reader. What's next?Well, in Chapter 5, K. M. talks about the normal world. The normal world? Aren't stories about exciting, different, challenging worlds? Well, yes, but typically they start in the normal world. This is the context for the characteristic moment. The normal world has an important role in act one. Really, this is set up. The normal world grounds your story in a concrete setting. This also provides the baseline to measure the personal and plot changes that are coming. So, think about setting. Where would the character be complacent?Often, the normal world manifests a wonderful surface, until it cracks open and shows what's underneath. It may be safe but boring, and the protagonist wishes they could escape. It may also be lousy, and the protagonist feels that they are stuck there. Or, it might actually be pretty good, but the protagonist just doesn't see it. It may even be challenging, but the protagonist is not yet able to deal with those challenges.Symbolically, the normal world is a place that the protagonist doesn't or can't leave. It's the staging ground, and in some ways it represents or at least supports the lie. You may want to think about what kind of world makes a good backstory for why this character believes the lie. Make it comfy for the lie. Also, make it a good contrast to the adventure world!So, the normal world is the before state.Some questions you might want to ask yourself:1. What setting opens the story?2. How does the setting change at the first plot point?3. How can you best contrast the normal world and the adventure world?4. How does the normal world dramatize or symbolize the lie?5. How does the normal world cause or empower the lie?6. Why is the character in the normal world?7. If the character doesn't want to leave the normal world, what masks the discomfort of the lie?8. If the character wants to leave, what stops him or her?9. Will the character returned to the normal world at the end of the story?10. If the normal world is a good place, how does the character need to change to appreciate it?So, now we're wrapping that characteristic moment in the normal world, a larger setting.Let's step back for just a moment and look at what K. M. Weiland has laid out so far. Basically, the character arc is going to be about some internal problem, a flaw, a mistaken belief, that the character has. So, right up front, think about that Lie that the character believes. This lie, and the symptoms of it, tie right into what the character wants (usually something they believe will give them relief from the symptoms of the lie) and what the character needs (the Truth that will set them free from the Lie!). That conflict, between what the character wants and what they need, drives the character arc, and lies underneath the external conflicts, the plot events, that will teach our character the lessons they need to learn, and eventually result in the change they need to have. Behind that triple threat of lie, want, and need, we have the ghost, the hidden trauma or secret that taught them to believe the lie.All of which you probably want to think about a little before you start trying to put together the characteristic moment, the scene where your readers meet your character for the first time. Then, wrapping around that characteristic moment and the adventure world that will teach our character lessons, we have the normal world! That greater setting that holds the initial scene, and gives us a starting point for everything that is ahead.And that's just the start of the story!

mbarker

Original Posting 8/30/2019

I'm rather slowly working my way through Creating Character Arcs by K. M. Weiland. Chapter 1 talked about the Lie that the character believes. Some belief, some model, something that is out of step with reality, but the character believes it, and it causes problems, symptoms for them. Chapter 2, that I want to talk about today, is another conceptual chapter, where K. M. takes a look at what the character wants as opposed to what the character needs. The Lie that the character believes is the reason for the character arc, for their change. But, what they want usually is a perceived cure for the symptoms of that Lie. What they need, on the other hand, is truth. Truth with a capital T!So, what the character wants, often is a goal. What does the character want? Is it a major story goal? Looking at the goal, we are often taking the plot and making the goal an extension or reflection of something that really matters to the character at some deep level. So think about why does the character want this? Fairly often, what the character wants is external, physical.On the other hand, what the character needs is Truth, an antidote to the lie. Typically this isn't physical, although it often manifests as something physical or visual. It's a realization that transforms the character's view of the world and of themselves. Fairly often, the character is called to sacrifice what they want for what they need. Sometimes, this sets up them actually getting what they want.So, some questions to consider.1. How is the Lie holding the character back?2. How does the lie make the character unhappy or unfulfilled?3. What truth will disapprove the lie?4. How will the character learn the truth?5. What does the character want more than anything?6. How is the plot goal related to or an extension of what the character wants?7. Does the character believe that what he wants will solve personal problems?8. Is what he wants blocking what he needs?9. Does What He Needs block What He Wants, or, will he only be able to get What He Wants after getting What He Needs?10. How will the character's life be different once they embrace What He Needs?Remember, what he wants versus what he needs drives the internal conflict, and provides gasoline for the fire of the outer conflict.So, we have a lie, an untruth, that our character believes. Because of that, they want something. However, that's not what they need. So...As an exercise, take a look at a story with a positive character arc. Last time I asked you to identify the Lie that the character believes in this story. This time, add what the character wants, and what the character needs. See if you can pick those out and identify them in a short phrase or sentence. The lie the character believes, what the character wants, and what the character needs. Three pieces of information that shape the character arc. Watch for Part 4, where we'll talk about your character's ghost!

mbarker

Original Posting 8/23/2019

Part one of the book is about the positive change arc. As we noted in part one of this series, the positive change arc starts with a person who has some issues. The story challenges those beliefs, they learn some things, and conquer their problems and change for the better. So where does it all start?Chapter 1 is about the lie that your character believes. Characters don’t want to change. That resistance causes conflict, which becomes plot. “Whether the connection is immediately evident or not, the external plot is all about the character‘s internal journey.” Wow, let that sink in. The external plot is all about the internal journey?“Plot, in its simplest manifestation, is all about the protagonist‘s goal. He wants something, and he can’t have it, so he keeps right on trying.“Okay... Now, the positive change arc is about a change in priorities, in realizing that the character is not getting what they want because either (a) they want the wrong thing or (b) the morals and methods they are using to get it are wrong.So, we’re looking at change. But, what lie does the character believe that is causing this? They have something lacking, there is some reason for them to change. They are somehow incomplete on the inside. There is some misconception that is leading them astray. E.g., might makes right, you have to earn love through X, money is the most important thing in life.The Lie! Some specific belief, that you can state in one short sentence. Now, there may be qualifiers.Okay, how do you find the lie? Start by looking at your plot. Does the conflict show it? Then look at the character’s actions and reactions. Fear, hurt, guilt, secrets, shame… These are all symptoms of the lie. Often, the character wants to shed the symptoms, but the lie holds on to them. If you need some ideas, take a look at the listings of negative traits available in various places.Some questions to ask to help identify the Lie: 1. What misconception does the protagonist have about themselves or the world? 2. Because of this misconception, what is the protagonist lacking, emotionally, mentally, or spiritually? 3. How is the interior lie reflected in the exterior world? 4. When the story opens, is the lie making the character miserable? How? 5. If not, will the inciting event and/for the first plot point make them uncomfortable? 6. Does the lie require qualifiers to narrow the focus? 7. What are the symptoms of the lie?Whoo! So there is some belief, some way of looking at the world, something that the character holds onto, that is a misconception, a LIE! What is that mistaken idea, that wrong way of thinking, that twist that is keeping our character miserable?Exercise? Sure. Take some stories you are familiar with. Now, think about it. Does the story have a positive character arc? Does the character start out with some problem, learn some lessons, and become a better person? If so, what is the lie, the misconception, the false belief that they start with. Go ahead, write up a short statement of the lie for that story, that character. Do this for at least three positive change arcs.Then watch out for part 3 of this series, where we will look at what the character wants versus what the character needs.

mbarker

Original Posting 8/17/2019

I decided to start reading Creating Character Arcs by K. M. Weiland. I'll try to remember to put the Amazon link in here, but you can find it there pretty easily. Incidentally, she offers a free related book at https://www.kmweiland.com/free-characters-book that you might want to get.(Link? Right. https://www.amazon.com/Creating-Character-Arcs-Masterful-Development-ebook/dp/B01M6VC68U/ should get you there, I think.)So, in the front material, she raises some interesting questions. Which arc is right for your character? Positive arc, negative arc, flat arc? You don't want to pit the plot against the characters. Instead, we want to blend the structure and character development, but how do you do that? What are the pitfalls you might run into? What about using overarching character arcs for trilogies or series?Now, you might think that character arcs are pretty simple. Just three steps. The protagonist starts one way, through the story learns some lessons, and bam, the protagonist changes. But, of course, it's not quite that simple when you look at the details.First, character arc and structure go together. Plot is structure, but what is character arc? Well... "The character drives the plot, and the plot molds the character's arc. They cannot work independently."Then, guess what, character arc ties into theme, too! So with plot, character arc, and theme all working together...In the last bit of the introduction, K.M. suggests that there are three basic arcs we need to look at. First, the positive change arc. The character starts out with personal unfulfillment, lacks, problems. The story challenges their beliefs. And, eventually, they conquer their demons and change to a better person. Second, the flat arc. Typically, these are heroes who are acting as catalysts to change around them. Often, minor characters experience growth around them. Third, the negative change arc. It's the positive change arc, flipped. Here, the character ends up worse than they began.Okay? So this book is about characters who change, who start out with some problem or issue, and either improve, stay the same, or get worse. Now, how does that work? Well, K.M. says she is going to mostly talk about the positive change arc, but we will cover all three. So, watch for the next episode in this series!

mbarker.livejournal.com

Original posting 17 November 2010

Once upon a time, there was a character. Who had, oddly enough, a personality! And in that personality, there was some desire for new experience, for change. Some urges towards planning. Some feelings about reaching out to other people. A dash of agreeableness. And, like everyone else, there might have been a strain of neuroticism, a tendency to take things a bit too far or hard, in some areas. Put together, the character had an ocean of personality -- some openness, some conscientiousness, some extraversion, some agreeableness, and some neuroticism. High-5 for the big five!

http://community.livejournal.com/writercises/145287.html

Now the tricky part, during nanowrimo, was that this character went through some changes as the words rolled through the nanowrimo wordmill. Yes, the experiences, dilemmas, problems, and other stuff that happened along the way also caused some changes in the OCEAN. You might say there were waves on the ocean. And that character arc, as the character shifted from desiring changes to looking for more stability, or perhaps went from trying to plan everything to tackling some things as opportunities for improvisation, or decided that talking to strangers really was a good idea, or quite telling everyone yes and stood up for her own ways, or even changed from a little neurotic about spiders to being ready to squash them on sight? whatever the changes are, they're really exciting! So work the OCEAN into your story, and the waves as your character changes.

Go on, put some psychology into your story plan. And?

Write!

Current Mood: seasick

mbarker.livejournal.com

Original posting 8 July 2010

Huh... short, and to the point. Over here http://writersdigest.com/article/motivate-your-characters-like-a-pro there's a short article summarizing an approach to character motivation. Pretty simple, really. Start by deciding where a character fits at the beginning of the story in each of these dimensions:

Tough guy to whiner
team guy to rebel
artist to dreamer
Smarty to dummy
blooming rose to wallflower
grinder to lazy dog
Goody to baddy
believer to doubter

Then think ahead to where you plan the story to end. Where will the character belong in these dimensions after the story arc has made them change? In most cases, the character will change in several or even all of these dimensions.

I need to think about those eight dimensions (intelligence, extrovert/introvert, work ethic, goodness?, belief... but are artist and dreamer really endpoints?) but it's an interesting approach.

So, give it a try. Take a look at your current work in progress (short story, novel, whatever) and see if this helps. Or perhaps try laying out a short story using this as a way to put together the character and the character arc? Or, look at a book or movie and see how well this helps you understand what they did.

Hope you're enjoying the summer sun -- it's raining here today!

Current Mood: involuted

mbarker.livejournal.com

Original Posting 23 October 2007

Plodding along in Plot and Structure (20)

Whoops! Almost forgot the next thrilling episode. Let's see, Plot & Structure by James Scott Bell, Chapter 9 entitled the character arc in plot. Starts right out with the premise that great plots have great characters. And while character creation and implementation rightfully belongs to another book, character change is clearly a part of plots. Memorable plots are not just action, but what action does to the characters. We put a character into a crucible of story that changes them, so that they will emerge a different person. Let your characters grow! Let the events of the plot have impacts on the characters. Create character change in your novels that deepens the plot and expresses the theme.

Character arc is a description of what happens inside of a character. Where did they start, what happened to them, and where are they at the end? Bell suggests that arcs have:

A beginning point, where we meet the character and get a sense of their layers
A doorway through which the character must pass, almost always reluctantly is
Incidents that impact the layers
A deepening disturbance
A moment of change, often an epiphany
An aftermath

Beginning point -- this is where we describe who the person is. The layers? Well, one way to think about a person is like an onion, with layers from the core, beliefs, values, dominant attitudes, and fleeting opinions. The layers get softer as you get further from the core, with easier changes. But watch the ripples build up and dig in.

Way down in the middle is the self-image, with pressures from all over working their way through the layers. It's not easy, but when the self-image shifts, everything is likely to change.

Impacting incidents. Fairly often these involve a motif, or at least having the character reflect on their own self. You need to have pressures to change. And then they get deeper and stronger.

The aftermath, of course, is where we show a change. The person may have declared a change, but we're all from Missouri -- show us the change!

Probably the hardest part of this is that moment of change, the epiphany. Showing the reader the realization that comes to the character and shifts their way of viewing the world -- without melodrama. One way to do this is to skip ahead, simply showing what happens afterwards.

Bell suggests a character arc table. Very simply, start with the main scenes or beats of your story. Make each of these a column, with a short one-word or phrase heading describing the scene. Then in the first column, describe in a few words just who the character is internally. Go to the last column and describe who they should be at this point. Then fill in the columns to show the progression of change, the pressures and the shift that justifies the final outcome. You may find that thinking about the changing character suggests some scenes or actions that you want to add.

Bell suggests three exercises related to character arc. The first one is to analyze a favorite story or novel that has a strong change in the lead character. He suggests that you underline all the passages where the lead is significantly challenged, and then put a checkmark by the passages that show how the challenges affect the character. You might want to use two different colors of highlighter.

The second one is to profile your lead character's personality at the beginning of the plot in terms of the layers - beliefs, values, dominant attitudes, opinions. And make a list of what things will happen in your plot to challenge or change these elements.

Third and final is to construct a character arc table with the major incidents in your plot, along with the change in your character's inner life.

So that's Chapter Nine! Basically a reminder that plot doesn't do the job by itself, it works with character and setting. Characters acting and reacting, with their own changes reverberating through the personalities - now that sounds like fun!

So, write!

Current Mood: sputtering

Profile

The Place For My Writers Notes

Navigation

February 2025

S	M	T	W	T	F	S
						1
2	3	4	5	6	7	8
9	10	11	12	13	14	15
16	17	18	19	20	21	22
23	24	25	26	27	28

Syndicate

Page Summary

Style Credit

Base style: Heads Up by momijizuakmori
Theme: A Brighter View by zaluzianskya and skylark_photos

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags

Page generated Jul. 18th, 2025 12:02 am

The Place For My Writers Notes

Entries tagged with character arc

TECH: Character Arcs (part 14) (700 words!)

TECH: Character Arcs (part 13) (625 words!)

TECH: Character Arcs (part 12) (400 words! A quickie!)

TECH: Character Arcs (part 11) (750 words)

TECH: Character Arcs (part 10) (700 words)

TECH: Character Arcs (part 9) (770 words)

TECH: Character Arcs (part 9) (770 words)

TECH: Character Arcs (part 8) (500 words)

TECH: Character Arcs (part 6) (665 words)

TECH: Character Arcs (Part 3) (500 words)

TECH: Character Arcs (Part 2) (560 words)

TECH: Character Arcs (Part 1)

TECH: On the ocean? Nanonotes #17

TECH: Motivation and character arcs?

TECH: Plodding Along in Plot and Structure (20)

Profile

Navigation

February 2025

Syndicate

Most Popular Tags

Page Summary

Style Credit

Expand Cut Tags