In life, no one stays the same their whole lives. All human beings undergo some type of change, whether minimal or radical.
In literature, the same goes for characters. Because we, as humans, never stay the same, characters of a story must also be subjected to what are known as character arcs in order to be relatable.
A character arc can be described as a process by which your protagonist or character of a story start off in one way and, by the end of the story, they perceivably end up in another.
Examples of such arcs could be your protagonist going from being timid and insecure to becoming confident and courageous, or from ill-tempered to an understanding and loving figure, or even from a mischievous individual to a pious and honest bloke.
For new writers, the prospect of ‘carrying’ characters through such process can be quite disorienting and daunting.
Don’t fear!
Following are the key elements that will help you to construct a believable character arc:
- Take Your Time
Before even beginning to put pen to paper, you should know that character arcs are a marathon, not a sprint.
What is meant by that is, you should not think (or wish) to achieve a character arc in the first three chapters of your novel.
The significant change in your protagonist’s behaviour, personality and/or mindset should only be witnessed in the last few chapters of the story.
The reason for this is simple: relatability.
Normally, as humans, it takes us long periods of time before we can affirm to have changed in an aspect of our lives. The same should happen for your characters.
So, let the change happen gradually, little by little. For, generally, anything which feels too rushed or sudden will not be perceived as ‘realistic’ by your readers.
2. Introduction
Self-evidently, this element of a character arc concerns the introduction of your protagonist.
Make sure it happens quickly. Make sure it is intentional and that it gives a clear insight into your protagonist’s way of seeing the world.
Nobody wants to read reams of pages about incredible world-building. Yes, that can happen later.
But the focus should be on your protagonist.
Ideally, after reading the very first chapter of your story, your readers should have a precise idea of who your protagonist is as a person.
What makes them tick? Why are they so irritable? Why do they feel such aversion towards another character or situation?
The quicker your readers will be filled in on the details, the higher the chances that they will invest more of their time in reading the ‘arching journey’ of your protagonist.
3. Inciting Incident
Equally as important as the introduction of your protagonist is the description of the inciting incident.
Simply put, an inciting incident is an event which occurred or will occur in your protagonist’s life which will cause them to veer towards a changed version of themselves.
Think the death of a loved on, or an encounter where the protagonist felt belittled, embarrassed, traumatised etc.
Whatever the event, the inciting incident must be powerful enough to influence your character’s outlook on the world they belong in or the decisions they make.
4. Internal Conflict
As defined in another post, internal conflict is the chaos happening within the protagonist.
In other words: what does your character struggle with internally that other characters may not know about?
Clarity in depicting this struggle is vital. The reason being that it will it help you – the writer – to know ‘what behaviour or thought you want your protagonist to break free of’ and who you ‘want your protagonist to become’.
Though, another reason why the internal struggle of the protagonist should be spelled out clearly is because, whilst witnessing the arching journey, readers will ultimately gauge how far your character has come from the oppressive thoughts or mindset which so easily affected them at the very beginning.
5. Failure
From the start, your protagonist should have a specific goal in mind.
Make the goal interesting, your protagonist likeable, and the stakes high, and your readers will be rooting for your protagonist to attain his goal.
However, because none of us is perfect, we stumble and fall sometimes as we chase our dreams.
Make your protagonists fail.
In literature, failure isn’t to be perceived as a negative element. Especially failures from which your protagonist can recover.
Those types of failures are a great way to a) further shape and forge the internal attributes of the protagonist and b) endear your protagonist even more to your readers.
6. Don’t Overdo It
Ever heard of a homeless man becoming the president of a world power? Or a sixteen-year-old kid becoming an olympic champion in the men’s category?
No, right?
Similarly, should your story be rooted in realistic fiction, you should aim not to exaggerate and stray into the far-fetched.