Today, let's talk about character arcs. An arc refers to the type of journey your character goes through during the story. This journey most often is an internal change, whether it is positive or negative, though it is just as valid to use a flat arc where no true change takes place.

Why is it important to have character arcs in a story?

Characters are the means through which a reader connects to your fictional world, which is why giving the characters depth and an inner journey makes them more relatable and compelling to follow. Beyond just an interesting setting, the reader wants to know that the characters they're going to ride along with will have a worthwhile path to experience.

Additionally, character arcs are a great and powerful way to explore ideas or a message you want to give to your audience. By having your characters' own views tested and possibly changed, you are able to spark thought over the topic at hand.

What do proper character arcs look like?

Arcs involve the beliefs your character has about themselves or the world around them. If you want your character to change, this belief should be a lie that is challenged within the story until the character eventually discovers the truth. However, you might also try having their starting belief be the truth, and throughout the story, they are led to believe a lie instead.

If you want your arc to be clear and well-grasped by your audience, it is crucial to establish your character's beliefs early on and make it clear that their belief is either true or false.

One method of doing this is to break down your character's wants versus their needs. Establish early in the story what your character thinks they want, then throughout the plot, have them realize through different interactions and events that their want is not what they actually need. Eventually, your character will start pursuing the need after they've accepted it.

You also want to make sure that you connect their arc to the main plot of the story. The journey they go on and what they come across should be the driving force behind the arc that they experience.

What are the options when it comes to types of arcs?

Now to go into a bit more detail, lets look at some of the most common types of character arcs and the general formula they follow:

The Positive Change/Growth Arc: Just as it sounds, this is an arc which involves a positive change in the character's beliefs. The character must start off believing in some sort of lie, and they should have a reason for believing it. Background and motivation often coincide with a character's beliefs, so keep in mind what I went over in that chapter. As the story progresses, the character will have this belief challenged when they encounter the truth, which can be done through other characters, events, and/or conflicts. For example, you might have your character meet someone who believes in the same lie but to a deeper extent, and their extremity could wake your character up to the faults of that lie. Finally, the character will overcome the lie when they learn to accept the truth, which in this case should be a positive one.

The Flat Arc: Don't believe anyone who tells you that a character must experience a change in a story. A flat arc is just as valid and, when done well, just as entertaining as a change arc.
In a flat arc, the character begins by believing in a truth. The crucial part in making this arc still compelling to read about is bringing up obstacles that challenge this belief, just like with a change arc. When this truth is tested, the character will decide to hold tight to the truth, and most likely feel more strongly about it than before. Another aspect to remember with flat arcs is that this character can (and I would say should) spark change in surrounding characters by sharing the truth.

The Disillusionment Arc:
This arc follows the same formula as The Positive Change Arc, except that the truth they come to accept is a negative or tragic one instead. Often, this involves the concept of the character having to bend their previous morals in acceptance of the darker truth.

The Fall Arc:
This arc again involves the character starting off with the belief in a lie, however, in this formula, they reject the truth when they encounter it. Their refusal to accept the truth will cause them to fall farther into the lie, and often the lie is even worse than before. Their decision to stick to their lie will usually cause suffering to the character or those around them. This arc must have a strong cause/motivation behind the belief to be most successful.

The Corruption Arc:
In this type of arc, the character will start off with knowledge of the truth. Within the events that take place in the story, the character will eventually choose to reject the truth they know for a lie instead. Again, there must be a strong reason behind their decision to adopt the lie, where the character believes it is more appealing or perhaps a lesser evil (even if the reader knows it is not).

Keep in mind: The Fall Arc starts with the character already believing in a lie, while in The Corruption Arc, they believe first in the truth or at least are aware of it.

There still are more character arcs to explore, but these are some of the most common ones I've come across, and with good reason. Each arc, when done properly, helps create a memorable journey between the character and the audience.

A few summarizing notes to end on: remember that no matter which type of arc you want follow, backstory and motivation play an important role in the beliefs your character has within their arc. Testing the beliefs, whether these challenges will cause a change or not, is an important part in keeping things believable and entertaining. Also, weaving the arc into the plot is the best way to make the story feel cohesive and satisfying. Use other characters, important plot points, and conflicts as catalysts for the testing of your character's beliefs. And keep in mind, the protagonist doesn't need to be the only one going through an arc. Secondary characters can—and depending on how important they are to the story, should—undergo arcs as well.