How to Create a Strong Character Arc

By georgelthomas on 30 Jan 2024 • ( 6 )

Hi everyone! I hope you’re all well. Today I am going to look at character arcs. I’ll discuss what they are, explore the three main types of arcs, and finally, how you can create a strong arc for your own characters.

How to Create a Strong Character Arc

For a story to truly captivate its audience, well-rounded and developed characters are an absolute must. Without a character arc, a story can feel flat, lacking any emotional involvement. That’s why it is vital to understand what character arcs are, how they work, and how to write them.

What is a Character Arc?
Essentially, A character arc is the evolution of a character throughout a work of fiction. It is the journey a character takes – the growth, development, and change experienced – from the beginning of a story through to its conclusion. The result is a fully fleshed-out character that has undergone an impactful, often transformative experience.

What are Some Different Types of Character Arc?
There are three main character arcs, each having distinct characteristics and goals.

The Positive Arc
The positive change arc is where the character evolves from a negative to a positive state, often learning from their past mistakes and, as a result, becoming a better person.

The Negative Arc
In a negative arc, the character starts off in a positive state. Throughout the story, they ultimately fall into a negative one.

The Flat Arc
In the flat arc, the character remains relatively unchanged throughout the story, and even so, they may provide guidance and support to the other characters.

Tips for Creating a Character Arc
1 Start with a Solid Backstory
Like real people, your characters should have a backstory – a personal history that informs their behaviour and motivates their actions. When sketching out your character arcs, think about their childhood, their family, their relationships and pivotal moments that shaped who they are today.

2 Identify Their Flaw or weakness
Again, your characters are people, and all people are imperfect. Your character should start the story with some flaw or weakness that needs to be addressed or overcome. This weakness will drive their character arc and serve as the catalyst for the character’s transformation.

3 Establish Their Goal
As I mentioned in my post about character goals, your characters have wants and needs and must have something to strive for. What is their dream? What motivates them? This goal should be challenging, though achievable.

4 Make it Hard for them
Any flaw or weakness you imbue your character with should make it difficult for them to achieve their goal. This is where conflict and obstacles come in. The more challenging the journey to achieve their goals, the more satisfying the payoff will be when they eventually do.

5 Create a Turning Point
Your characters must arrive at a moment where they realise or acknowledge their flaw or weakness and decide to do something about it. This is the turning point in your character’s arc, where they begin to grow and change.

6 Show Them Evolving
As your character inches closer to their goal, they should begin to change. They may make some mistakes and temporarily fall back into their old behaviours; nevertheless, they should constantly grow, evolve and develop through your story.

7 Give Them a Satisfying Resolution
At the end of your story, your characters should have attained their goal and overcome their flaw or weakness. It should feel like they have earned whatever they wanted, which will satisfy your readers. However, it is also possible to leave some room for continued growth – your character’s arc does not have to be complete at the end of your story, but it should definitely show some changes.

These tips will allow you to create a dynamic and engaging character arc that will captivate your readers, though remember, the key to a successful character arc is making their journey feel authentic and earned. If you can do so, you will keep your readers engaged, invested, and wanting more.

Thank you, as ever, for reading my post. It really means the world!

Until next time,

George