Characters are the lifeblood of novels. They drive the plot forward and give us someone to identify with. We read on to find out what’s going to happen to them, whether they’ll triumph over the antagonist and how the events of the novel will change them. It’s this last point that I want to pick up on: how the events of the novel will change the characters. This is better known as a character arc.
What Are Character Arcs?
A character arc is essentially the inner journey a character goes on through the novel. They usually have some goal (usually physical), but what they believe (their lie) is standing in their way. The conflict, and therefore the plot, comes from their goal clashing with the lie they believe. They must discard the lie to achieve their goal. Some change for the better (positive character arcs); some for the worse (negative character arcs); and some don’t change much at all (flat arcs).
What Are Positive Character Arcs?
In positive character arcs, the character begins the novel with varying levels of unfulfillment, disillusionment and denial. They may or may not be aware of their problems, but they are definitely not doing anything about it.
Over the course of the novel, they will be forced to challenge the lie they believe and, ultimately, reject it in order to triumph over the antagonist. They become a better person in the process, hence the name: ‘positive character arc’.
Your Character’s Lie, Want, Need and Ghost
Every character will believe something about themselves or their world at the beginning of the novel or they will lack a vital quality. We call this their ‘lie’. Their lie should be specific to their world, and it should be holding them back or making them miserable. It has to be big enough to force them to change but also realistic for that character. They may not be aware of this lie, but, once they realise, they should cling to it (for a while, at least). Humans resist change. This resistance creates conflict, and conflict drives the plot.
Your character believes this lie for a reason. Something has happened in their past that has caused them to believe it. This is their ghost. This ghost will still be affecting your character greatly, whether they will acknowledge it or not. If the lie is destructive, their ghost should be equally destructive.
The character’s lie will stand in the way of what they want. This want should be deep, deep enough that they are willing to change for it. It’s nearly always something physical or external, and they will spend most of the story pursuing it. But, what they want is rarely what they need. What they need is their truth (the antidote to their lie). In the latter half of the novel, your character will encounter their truth, and they will have to embrace it to defeat the antagonist and secure what they need.
Conclusion
Positive character arcs are common in fiction because we love to see a character better themselves. We like them to confront and overcome their demons to become a nicer or more successful person. In some stories, becoming a better person helps the main character save their world; other times, the reward is the growth itself. Positive character arcs tend to have happy endings, so, if you want things to work well for your character, this may be a good arc to use.
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