The character arcs that keep readers glued to the page

I wish this same advice held for the real world. Alas…

If you’ve never heard of a character arc, you’re not alone. But you probably have a sense of what it is because you read books and you watch films. Not to mention, you’ve seen your best friend finally dump Chad after taking him back 7 times, omg. That was a RIDE. But look at our girl and how she’s grown!

And that is the whole point of a character arc. There are three main categories of arcs, and a whole host of sub categories to choose from. We’re going macro to get the basics down first.

The Positive Character Arc

Ah, the one where they become a better person. This is also the arc that most of us think of first. It’s rags to riches, the bad seed turned philanthropist, Mr. Darcy cutting out all of his bullshit insults to Elizabeth Bennet and becomes a single man in possession of a good fortune who’s actually worth the hassle.

This character either starts off good and grows, or starts off bad and redeems themselves through change. Either way, they follow a similar pattern.

  • The character holds a false belief about something that’s usually in direct conflict with what they truly want.
    • Like that jerk, Mr. Darcy, proclaiming Elizabeth’s tolerable even though she’s obviously not handsome enough to tempt him. LOLZ.
  • The truth is quickly introduced.
    • And damn it, just like that Darcy likes Elizabeth. Albeit against his will, reason, and his very character.
  • A setback ensues.
    • Elizabeth’s having none of these contradictions declarations of love. Against your will? I’ll die penniless, thank you very much.
  • And so, the adventure or quest begins, where the truth of the matter takes over the character’s belief system so completely that they change.
    • In which, Darcy rescues Lydia from that scoundrel Wickham and restores honor to Elizabeth’s family so Elizabeth herself isn’t harmed by the scandal.
    • And that, in turn, changes Elizabeth’s opinion of him.

The Negative Character Arc

This one hits hard because there’s so much hope. There’s so much potential for this to turn itself around. Like your best friend giving Chad chance after chance. The will they/won’t they back and forth is hypnotizing. But even with all the struggle, the reasoning, the bargaining, the pleading for crying out loud, it’s all for not.

This character is either going to fall back into the lie, be disillusioned by it, or become a villain in their own right.

  • The character holds a false belief about something that’s usually supporting some story they’ve been telling themselves, or props up an ideal that they’ve bought hook, line, and sinker.
    • Lydia, Elizabeth Bennet’s flibbertigibbet sister, is so boy crazy that she believes any pretty whisperings in her ear. No matter which rake is whispering them. She’s idealized romance to such a degree that she’s blind to possible pitfalls.
    • It doesn’t help that Mrs. Bennet is desperate to marry her daughters off and the first bidder is just fine with her.
  • The truth is quickly introduced.
    • While Mr. Wickham is in the army and that seems respectable enough, there’s something off about him. But it all has to do with Mr. Darcy, who’s a jackass, so is he bad? Not to Lydia because offscreen Wickham is wooing the dewy-eyed lass.
  • A setback ensues.
    • The reader is fully aware of what it means if Lydia ruins herself. Lydia even knows. And still, she fights for the idea of Wickham. The disillusionment about marriage, and to him in particular, hits a fever pitch.
  • And so, the adventure or quest begins, where the character actively chooses the lie over the truth of the matter.
    • Lydia elopes with that scoundrel Wickham, and threatens dishonor to Elizabeth’s family until she’s rescued by Mr. Darcy and he sets the whole thing right.

The Flat Character Arc

But I thought you said the character had to change? What’s this flat arc business? Change here happens because of the character. While we might think that super hero stories would fit into the Positive Character Arc, superheroes don’t grow and only occasionally have to redeem themselves. They’re super in the beginning and they stay super. That’s why we watch every Knives Out film and read every Hercule Poirot novel. That’s why Marvel is blockbuster franchise. This character is reliable.

That means, this arc requires a ton of characterization upfront. While this can be a main character like James Bond, they’re often supporting cast and act as foils, comic relief, or a point of contrast to the other characters who are changing.

  • The character already knows the truth. The internal battle here is being able to maintain that truth.
    • Enter Mr. Collins, the idiotic social climbing clergyman and his incessant rambling about Lady Catherine De Bourgh. He believes that he’s really something important because of who he’s connected to, and he’s determined that everyone else does as well.
  • The truth is quickly tested.
    • Mr. Collins sets his cap at marrying Elizabeth Bennett. Only our girl is having none of it. After a lengthy and rambling sales pitch proposal, Elizabeth rejects him again and again.
      • “I am perfectly serious in my refusal. You could not make me happy, and I am convinced that I am the last woman in the world who could make you so.” OUCH. But does it change his belief? Nope.
  • And so, the quest begins to find another character who will either believe the same truth with him or let him continue believing it. ie – Changing the conditions, or the story around him, to keep the truth alive.
    • Hello, Charlotte Lucas.
      • 27 years old.
      • No money.
      • No prospects.
      • A burden to her parents.
      • Frightened.
    • Charlotte sees Mr. Collins as a means of survival, and arranges their home and married life in such a way that sees him as little as possible.
    • This marriage keeps Mr. Collins truth alive. That’s he’s a real somebody.
    • We also see Elizabeth and Jane marry well, and the contrast is startling.

A note on plotting

Now you might be thinking, holy hell. I’ve got to plot a character and plot a plot and plot the timeline and, and, and. That can feel like a ton at first, but here’s where it gets good. These plots take care of each other. When you find a character’s motivation, their beliefs and values, and what they want, the Plot plot starts to write itself. Because the ways in which you can complicate this character’s life become very clear.

So. Deep breath. You’ve got this.

“Read” this post as a YouTube video instead, if you’re so inclined!

Join our Writing Community Hour over on The Rogue MFA YouTube channel (which meets every other Thursday evening at 4pm PST/ 7pm EST), where we’ll be building routine and community with YOU. Subscribe to get notified, and if you’re even a little bit interested, please fill out our quick survey so we can expand these in the future with you in mind.