Character isn't something you were born with and can't change, like your fingerprints. It's something you weren't born with and must take responsibility for forming. — Jim Rohn, American Entrepreneur and Motivational Speaker

A character arc is the journey of a character over the course of a story. A compelling character arc has a character facing fears and overcoming challenges as the story unfolds, often resulting in the character's personal growth. Character arcs usually progress in tandem with the story arc. Learning how to construct a strong character arc will turn a good character into a great character and improve your story in the process.

Four Types of Character Arcs

1. Transformational arc is a character arc in which the main character goes from being a regular person to a hero over the course of the story. This type of character arc is associated with epic stories and the archetypal hero's journey story structure. Examples include Luke Skywalker and Harry Potter.

2. Positive change arc is similar to a transformational arc but usually not quite as dramatic. A positive arc requires that a character experience positive change over the course of a story. Characters generally start out with negative outlooks or characteristics and develop a positive worldview by the end of the story. Examples include Ebenezer Scrooge and The Grinch.

3. Negative change arc involves a character starting out as good or benevolent and descending into evil or ill intent over the course of a story. An example of this would be Michael Corleone in The Godfather, who starts as a squeaky clean army veteran with a good reputation despite being from an organized crime family. By the end of the story, Michael finds himself at the head of the crime family, consumed by a bloodthirsty need to maintain power and control.

4. Flat or static character arc is a much less common form of character arc and can mostly be found in action and thriller stories. Examples include Sherlock Holmes and Indiana Jones, who remain emotionally stoic and highly capable regardless of the danger they find themselves in. 

Tips for Outlining a Character Arc

Now that you have an understanding of character arcs and the categories most character arcs fall into, it's time to think about how you might outline your character arcs and flesh out their development.

► Consider the story's genre: Genre often helps determine the way your character arcs will unfold. If you're writing a tragedy, your protagonist will most likely undergo a negative arc—ending the story at a much lower point than where they began. If you're writing a hero's journey, you'll probably have a character change to meet the demands put on them and follow a transformational arc.

► Identify each major character's role in the story: The role a character plays will help determine the direction the protagonist's arc will go. A good story generally has a strong set of well fleshed out characters in addition to the protagonist. Knowing each of the characters' roles will help inform what the protagonist needs and what shape their arc will take.

► Create a strong story outline: It's important to have a strong outline with all the acts clearly defined before you map out character arcs. Characters change alongside your larger narrative. Knowing where an important plot point or turning point might be can provide signposts as you plan out your corresponding character arc.

► Know what your characters want, as well as what they need: Do they want to be king? Do they not want to be king? Do they want to find the holy grail? Do they want to graduate with honors? Having an idea of your protagonist's goal or deepest desire will help you decide how to get them from where they start out to where they end up—and, more importantly, whether you give them what they want at all. Sometimes, it's better for the story to have your protagonist achieve a realization or epiphany rather than that "thing" they envisioned as their deepest desire. This realization may change nothing about the character's external life, but it will always transform their perspective of themselves and the world around them, leaving them more capable of coping with their problems.

Ultimately, you want your characters to go through stages as they move through the story—Order, Chaos, Reorder. Or Goal, Lie, Truth. Just be sure that what happens in those stages doesn't betray the character's original core traits and relates in some way to the story's resolution.

Character Arcs in a Series

If you've decided to write a series, you can still approach your character arcs as if you were writing a standalone novel, but you will need to ask yourself this question: Will this be one continuous storyline over the course of the series, or one character's continuing adventures throughout the series? An example of a continuous storyline would be Star Wars or The Hunger Games, while an example of a character's continuing adventures might be Sherlock Holmes or the Marvel Universe.

Continuous Storyline Series: When writing a character arc that spans a series through a continuous storyline, you can plot out your arc just as you might plot out the acts of a standalone novel. In each book, the protagonist confronts a distinct conflict, and in seeking its resolution they are changed a little each time. By the end of the series, the reader should see a profound change in the character.

📌 PRO TIP: In a continuous storyline series, every book should be complete unto itself: beginning, middle, end; opening dramatic question and resolution answering that question.

Continuing Adventures Series: The thing to keep in mind in structuring character arcs for this kind of series is that each book has a strong and self-contained story arc that corresponds to that book's plot. This sounds a lot like the 'continuous storyline' series, but the key difference is in the character's growth over time. 

Let's say you're writing an adventure series of ten books and you get to the end and realize every book is basically your character rehashing the same lesson over and over again? Is that as compelling as a character who grows over the course of their adventures? Adversity and experience change a person, so they should change your protagonist in profound ways as well.

📌 PRO TIP: Even with a flat or static character, they can still face obstacles that challenge their integrity or have them questioning their worth, providing opportunities for small character arcs.

Here's an exercise for helping you find your character arc in a series:

Let's say you have a general idea of the overarching story arc, but you're not sure how your character arc works alongside it. You can start by writing a quick summary of the plot for each book. It doesn't have to be completely developed; any information about the individual storylines will help.

► Write the titles of each book; if you don't know them yet, write book 1, book 2, and so on.

► Beneath each title, write the plot summary for that book, then ask yourself: What is the main conflict that gets resolved within this first book? What related problem is my protagonist facing that challenges their status quo? Whatever you come up with here is (Book I) Point A of your character arc.

► Now ask yourself: How does this main conflict get resolved at the end of the book? How does my protagonist overcome his or her problem and establish a "new normal"? This is (Book I) Point B of your character arc.

► Repeat this process for each book then take a step back and look at your outline. What do you notice about each book's Point A and Point B? Is there a common thread? How are they similar? How are they different? Can you see an overall arc emerging?

Creating a Static Character Arc

Typically, we will see our favorite characters grow over the course of a novel or series. So, what about those characters who don't experience an internal transformation? Do they lack the development needed to make their stories rich and compelling? No.

A character who experiences a static arc is largely the same person at the end of their journey as they were when it began. From the first page, they carry with them a strong sense of identity and personal belief, enabling them to transform the world around them rather than the world changing them. Despite the static nature of your protagonist, many novels of this type are very effective and last longer (such as in a series) with this sort of small character arc.

Some advice for creating a successful static character, or cast of characters, with loyal fans is to take the time to develop your protagonist's personality, mannerisms, and voice. They need to be instantly recognizable, which means they sound different from all the other characters when they speak; think syntax (the way the words are organized in a sentence) and whether your character uses slang or perfect grammar. Then let them overcome obstacles and challenges to test their mettle. Each success, or failure, will provide opportunities for subtle character arcs.

Crafting Multiple Character Arcs

Most of your major characters will be affected by the plot in some way. Therefore, you will want to create more than one character arc for your book, or even for your series, because your stories will likely feature a cast of characters. 

Mapping out multiple character arcs doesn't have to be as difficult as it sounds. If you keep a list of your four basic character arcs (transformational, positive, negative, flat/static), you can use that list to identify which type of arc you'd like each of your characters to face. If you're unsure, consider how your story's events affect them on a physical, emotional, or spiritual level.

If your plot forces your character to overcome an insecurity, they'll likely experience a positive change arc.

If it tests their core beliefs, you have a flat arc on your hands.

If it preys heavily on their fears, it may make the most sense for your character to experience a negative change arc. 

📌 PRO TIP: Plot and character are a push and pull. One will always affect the other. An event may force a character into action, but that action should relate to the plot. Rather than have your character jump blindly from one conflict to the next, give them something to gain or learn from the experience. 

Look for Part 3 in our Characters series: Diverse Characters, Stereotypes & Sidekicks