Today we’ll be tackling the pre-writing task of plotting your character arcs. The journeys your characters take are what make or break a story. The victories, losses, failures, wins and self-improvements our characters face are what drive our stories and plots toward their happily-ever-after (or the opposite). There are three different types of character arcs: Change arc, Static arc and Failed arc.
The Change Arc
The change arc is when the character goes an internal evolution that leaves them free of their fears, wounds, and baggage from the past and allows them to become a better person and overcome any unmet needs or conflicts that have cropped up in our stories.
The Static Arc
The static arc is used for largely plot driven, action-packed stories where the internal struggles of the character are on the backburner compared to the story structure and plot points. Where the character is focused on a specific, external goal there is little need to get lost in the nitty gritty of a character’s internal development as a consequence.
The Failed Arc
When the character fails and ideas of happily-ever-after are shattered, the character possesses a failed arc. Generally, this is because of a series of trials against the character’s internal fears, shortcomings or flaws that get the better of our characters and lead to breakdown and failure to achieve their goals. Sometimes the character starts out whole and fulfilled before being broken by the story and defeated. Other times, our characters start the story chasing some unmet need in the form of a physical goal, only to fall short at the last minute and have everything ripped from them in the end.
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