Wednesday, November 2, 2016

What Gives with Character Arcs?

I'm being a little tricky today: I'm in two places at once. Sharing about my move to Brisbane and my next adventure, I'm with Denise Covey. And, sharing a couple of truths about myself and one naughty lie, I'm over at Crystal Collier's blog where you have a chance to win an ebook copy of Cling to God! I'd love it if you could visit both awesome blogs.

IWSG question of the month:  What is your favorite aspect of being a writer? 

Being able to find clarity of thought and creative expression through the written word, and sharing that with others. How about you?

Please welcome Crystal Collier here today sharing her new book and some writing tips!

In 1771, Alexia had everything: the man of her dreams, reconciliation with her father, even a child on the way. But she was never meant to stay. It broke her heart, but Alexia heeded destiny and traveled five hundred years back to stop the Soulless from becoming.

In the thirteenth century, the Holy Roman Church has ordered the Knights Templar to exterminate the Passionate, her bloodline. As Alexia fights this new threat—along with an unfathomable evil and her own heart—the Soulless genesis nears. But none of her hard-won battles may matter if she dies in childbirth before completing her mission.

Can Alexia escape her own clock?

Add to Goodreads
Buy: Amazon, Barnes and Noble


What Gives with Character Arcs? 

Thank you for having me here today, Lynda!

As you become a seasoned writer, you slowly master a whole slew of issues. First is getting actual words on a page. Next is translating the story in your head onto the page. Once you've written a WHOLE BOOK (!!!), you blissfully believe it's the best thing on the planet, until someone kindly tells you it isn't. And that's the moment a writer either gets off the horse, or learns the buiz.

That's when we learn the intricacies of plot, and as we're about to discuss today, character.

One subject I don't see very many people discussing online is character arcs. Every main character should have their own arc. (Including antagonists.) This is just like a plot arc.




  1. The protagonist starts out with status quo.
  2. Plot: Status quo is disrupted. Character: Reacts to status quo changing.
  3. Character tries to get back to status quo, or a new sense of normal.
  4. Conflicts keep the character from reaching their goals.
  5. No matter how hard the character fights, they are completely defeated.
  6. Character find the strength to start again, usually with a reversal of what they first wanted in the story.
  7. Character builds toward achieving their new goal.
  8. Character faces a crisis that forces them to make a key decision leading to the end.
  9. Climax: Big battle brings out the best or worst in the character.
  10. Character has achieved a new sense of normal.
There are the mechanics, so what does this look like when applied to an actual story? Let's try it with Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
  1. Status Quo: Goldilocks is taking a jaunt in the woods.
  2. Status quo interrupted: She sees a house in the middle of the woods. Strange.
  3. Character tries to get back to status quo: She knocks on the door to see if someone is home, to discover what kind of weirdo lives in the middle of the woods.
  4. Conflict keeps the character from reaching their goal: No one answers. 
  5. Character is defeated: She goes inside to have her question answered and sees the porridge.
  6. Character starts again: Now she forgets about her original inquiry and remembers that she's hungry. Goldilocks tries the porridge in her investigation. She's burned, chilled, and then at ease.
  7. Character builds toward achieving their new goal: Sated, she tries each chair. Now she's just looking for comfort and has forgotten her original intent.
  8. On to the beds, and she finds exactly the comfort she's looking for in the last one.
  9. Climax: The bears return home and Goldilocks is terrified. She runs away.
  10. Character has achieved a new sense of normal: She never returns to the home of the three bears.
Character arcs are AS intrinsic or more so than a plot arc. They're like the music portion of a musical. A MUSICAL wouldn't amount to much with just a script. The music is what makes you FEEL the story. If you want satisfied readers, the characters had better make the full journey from start to finish.

Just for fun, I'd like to show you how Status Quo is broken in each of my books:

In the beginning of MOONLESS, Alexia's status quo is disrupted by an unexplainable murder and everyone abruptly forgetting about it, except for her.









In SOULLESS, her status quo is broken when she flees from her home forever to escape the Soulless and a group of Passionate who have come to kidnap her.









In TIMELESS, Alexia has thrown her own world out of whack by stepping into a time where the Knights Templar are trying to wipe out her bloodline.








We all want to see the change in people. It's fascinating. It's what makes our lives worth living.

Do your characters make the full journey?


Crystal Collier is an eclectic author who pens clean fantasy/sci-fi, historical, and romance stories with the occasional touch of humor, horror, or inspiration. She practices her brother-induced ninja skills while teaching children or madly typing about fantastic and impossible creatures. She has lived from coast to coast and now calls Florida home with her creative husband, four littles, and “friend” (a.k.a. the zombie locked in her closet). Secretly, she dreams of world domination and a bottomless supply of cheese.







(Email address is required for awarding prizes.)




Don't forget to visit Denise and Crystal!

86 comments:

Denise Covey said...

Hi Lyn! I hope it's fun rattling around in an empty house. I hope the pics are showing up for everyone on my blog. I re-posted them in case it wasn't just you.

Thank you Crystal for the post on Character Arcs. I need this right now. Awesome. I like the way you linked it to your books.

Denise :-)

Raimey Gallant said...

A needed review of character arcs for me. Just in time for nano. Thank you!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Breaking it down with Goldilocks - brilliant. Congratulations, Crystal!
Pray the move is going well, Lynda.

Nicola said...

Great writing advice, Crystal. Thanks for sharing. Wishing you lots of luck with Cling to God, Lynda. Have a great November.

Unknown said...

Character arcs are super important. I always decide on mine and then make sure to plot them out as I outline the actual plot. (I don't get pantsers at all. They never know what they're doing with arcs; they always come too early or fall flat at the end. :P)

Natalie Aguirre said...

I am much better with a plot ARC than character development. Thanks for breaking it down for us, Crystal.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

The character arc, and the character's goals and how that person changes during the story, should prety much BE the plot.

Doreen McGettigan said...

I hope everything goes smoothly with your move Lynda. Crystal thanks for this great breakdown on character arcs.I love the way you explained it.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Lynda - good luck with the move ... I'm sure all will be well - the best thing is having friends and family at the other end to help with the odd snag that will arise. Good story making too ...

Crystal's thoughts on character ARCs ... are just great - good luck to you both - Hilary

Pat Hatt said...

Great part of writing indeed. Hopefully the move is going well.

Character arcs are sure needed indeed, without them it can be rather stagnant.

Jennifer Hawes said...

Enjoy your move! I hope to see lots of pics. Character arcs are a must. I'm developing one for my MC and one for the antagonist!

Crystal Collier said...

Denise, I'm so glad it was helpful! I'm headed to your place in a bit.

Crystal Collier said...

Woot! Good timing for writers. Here's wishing you epic success with your goals!

Crystal Collier said...

Thanks, Alex!

Crystal Collier said...

Thanks, Nicola!

Crystal Collier said...

LOL. Some pantsers end up smoothing out the ARCs in the edits. *shrugs* Different approaches for different types of brains, eh?

Crystal Collier said...

Glad to do it, Natalie!

Crystal Collier said...

AGREED.

Crystal Collier said...

Thanks, Doreen. This is pretty much how I plot a story.

Crystal Collier said...

Hilary, thank you!

Crystal Collier said...

And who wants to read stagnant, eh?

Crystal Collier said...

Sweet! I wish you the best with your efforts, and a TON of cheese along the way!

Crystal Collier said...

Lynda (King) Young, ;) I hope you've emptied enough boxes to find some sanity--especially around all this book release fun.

DEZMOND said...

sounds like a whole science indeed!

Madeline Mora-Summonte said...

Good luck with your move, Lynda!

And yeh for Crystal!

Rachna Chhabria said...

Hi Lynda, its nice to see Crystal here and learn all about character arcs.

Joylene Nowell Butler said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Joylene Nowell Butler said...

I will come back and study this closer. In a bit of a rush right now. You are a great source of helpful information, Crystal. Thank you for that. Off to visit Lynda.

The Cynical Sailor said...

Crystal - your Goldilocks example was so useful! It makes a lot more sense presented like that. Lynda - I really enjoyed hearing about your move over at Denise's blog. Cheers - Ellen

H. R. Sinclair said...

The Goldilocks example was 'priceless'!

cleemckenzie said...

Writing is a way to clarify your thoughts. You have to be so careful to choose the right words and the way to set them down so others will "get" your message. Thanks for the Goldilocks post!

Crystal Collier said...

You said it!

Crystal Collier said...

Yeh for me!

Crystal Collier said...

Learning is 50% of writing, eh?

Crystal Collier said...

Thanks, Joylene. I hope your tour is rockin'!

Crystal Collier said...

Right?! Better to see something in execution for it to actually sink in.

Crystal Collier said...

Is that a spin on my "less" trend? ;)

Crystal Collier said...

Agreed! It's worthy taking the time to get the right words down, eh?

Erika Beebe said...

Congratulations to both you! Great tips Crystal:)

H. R. Sinclair said...

YES IT IS! I'm so happy you got it.

Crystal Collier said...

LOL!

Crystal Collier said...

Thanks, Erika!

Chemist Ken said...

I do tend to spend more time on the external story arc than the character (internal) arc. I have to keep going back and reminding myself that the character had better be growing throughout the story or else the readers will be disappointed.

Crystal Collier said...

Or you can just wait until the next draft and clean some of that up. ;)

Nick Wilford said...

I like the line about clarity of thought. Writing is about making sense of the world, even if you're building another one.

Great breakdown of character arc from Crystal. There wouldn't really be a plot unless the characters were facing things that challenged them and building from them.

Carol Kilgore said...

Surprised to see you here, Crystal. Character is so important. I'm glad you tackled it here. Especially the antagonist. A lot of writers have trouble with that one.

Crystal Collier said...

Too true! Yet some people get so stuck in "plot" that they forget the character's growth.

Crystal Collier said...

I agree. It seems that many writers don't put as much thought into their antagonist as their MC, and they really should.

Susan Gourley/Kelley said...

Thanks for the mini lesson on character arcs. It's one of my favorite subjects to talk about.

Rachel Pattinson said...

Fantastic post, Crystal - this is something I was literally just thinking about yesterday. At the moment, my character doesn't seem to have much of an arc, so that's the next piece of the puzzle I need to figure out - how do I raise the stakes high enough for people to care? Something to bear in mind during NaNoWriMo!

Jemi Fraser said...

I'm learning (slowly and painfully) to plot and do arcs and beats and things. Tough on the brain, but I think it's helping!

Crystal Collier said...

Right? And it never gets enough attention.

Crystal Collier said...

I'm sure you'll figure it out, Rachel. I remember a day and age when I wasn't even aware that there was such a thing as a character arc. LOL. Here's wishing you cheese as you edit!

Crystal Collier said...

It's definitely a learning curve, but you can do it!

S.P. Bowers said...

Lynda, writing really does provide me with clarity of thought. I like that answer.

Crystal. Character arcs are essential. Scrivener has a great tool for helping with character arcs.

Sheena-kay Graham said...

Congrats ladies. Best of luck. Thanks for the tips on character arcs.

Crystal Collier said...

So I tried Scrivener. It was too rigid for me. I know it works for many, many people, but it stopped up my process. We have to figure out what works for us, eh?

Crystal Collier said...

Thanks for reading and commenting, Sheena-kay! *salute*

Tyrean Martinson said...

Congratulations to Crystal and to you, Lynda!!! Way to go with writing awesome books!
Love the plot arc. I hadn't thought of the inciting incident as an interruption of status quo, but it is.

Crystal Collier said...

When evaluating it from a character's perspective, that's exactly what it is. From staight plot, it's an inciting incident.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

The house echoes! But this is the last day here. We head off tomorrow, taking our time to drive up to Brisbane. And yes, the pics are working now. Thanks again for having me!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thanks for the prayers. Much appreciated.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thanks, Nicola. November will be awesome!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thanks, Doreen.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

It will be excellent story-making!!

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Yep, it's going swimmingly. I'm rattling around an empty house at the moment.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thanks, Jennifer. I hope to share some pics once I move in.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

You cheeky thing, you. No emptying of boxes yet. The furniture and boxes have moved, but I haven't yet. Staying in an empty house today and then I'm off on my big adventure.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thanks, Madeline.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

So glad to hear that. Thanks, Ellen.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I'm always getting my words muddled when speaking, so writing gives me the time to clear the thoughts, lol.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

writing IS about making sense of the world, and publishing it is about sharing that perspective.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Thanks, Sara.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

You made me blush, Tyrean. Thanks so much for your enthusiasm. Big big hugs.

H.R. Bennett said...

Great advice, although ironically not useful for my current work since it's not super character focused. haha. Thanks though!

Crystal Collier said...

Hey, it applies to plot too--but I bet you have some of this stuff worked into your plot anyway. ;)

Tamara Narayan said...

Thanks for the character plot lesson. I'd be interested in seeing how it applies to some of my stories. I'm pretty sure I got at least some of these in there.

Chrys Fey said...

I guess when I write, my character arc is included in the detailed plot that I map out, because I don't do it separately or even think about it. lol It's all in my plot. ;)

Crystal Collier said...

I always do a detailed analysis after completing a book--along with a graph to show where in the story they fall (for pacing purposes).

Crystal Collier said...

That works. I tend to include both aspects as well.

Juneta key said...

What a fun and informative post. Great post.
Juneta @ Writer's Gambit

Cathrina Constantine said...

Great Post, Girls!

Crystal Collier said...

Thanks, Juneta.

Crystal Collier said...

*bows*

Carol Riggs said...

Good stuff about character arcs! I probably need to pay more attention to them. Sometimes I don't think about them until I finish the book, then I tweak later. lol Congrats, Crystal, on your newest book!

Crystal Collier said...

Tweaking later works too. =) Thanks, Carol!