Characters who don’t change leave readers cold. But don’t worry, “arc” doesn’t have to mean building a complicated chart or memorizing craft jargon. I’ve seen hundreds (if not thousands) of many different charts and templates to craft characters that are well fleshed out, yet it can be very easy to over-complicate things.
At its heart, a character arc is just how your protagonist changes (or refuses to).
Let’s start with the basics. Usually, we can find three different kinds of Character Arc:
- Positive Arc → A character with a positive arc usually changes for the better, grows and becomes overall a better person, overcoming personal challenges. Redeeming arcs are a kind of positive arc.
- Negative Arc → A character with a negative arc, as I imagine you already suspect, goes in the opposite direction from a character with a positive arc. They usually would get corrupted, make choices against any better judgment, and basically go from good to bad, or from bad to worse.
- Flat Arc → A character with a Flat arc is a character who doesn’t go through any change. They already know who they are and are secure in their identity, therefore the events don’t change them. An example, that you may not expect, of a character with a flat arc is Dumbledore.
Before diving into how to build a compelling character arc, let me briefly explain one thing:
Flat character arc ≠ Flat character
Characters can be round or flat.
Round characters are complex characters, their inner lives are layered, and their personalities are multifaceted with depth and dimension. They can go through a positive, negative or flat character arc, aka they can change or stay the same from beginning to ending.
Flat characters, instead, are one-dimensional and highly predictable. Think of the evil stepmother in Cinderella or the Wicked Witch of the West in The Wizard of Oz. Flat characters are just one thing: a witch is only evil, a princess is only kind, a knight is only brave, and so on. Flat characters only go through flat character arcs, because they have absolutely no potential to grow and change, no emotional nuances and no inner conflict.
So, how do you build a character arc? Here’s a few things to consider:
- Ask yourself: What belief, flaw, or mindset defines them at the beginning?
Maybe your heroine thinks she’s unworthy of love. Or your hero believes the world is against him. This starting point is the root of their arc. - Stories test beliefs. What happens that pushes your character to question theirs? Conflict isn’t just external — it’s the friction between who your character is and who they might become.
- Every great story has a moment where the character must choose: cling to the old belief, or step into a new one. This is the heart of transformation.
- By the end, your character either learns and grows (positive arc), refuses and falls (negative arc), or holds strong and teaches others (flat arc).
Next time you’re stuck, ask: What belief is my character starting with, and how will the story test it?
Remember, your story is traumatizing the characters, one way or another. Know who they are, and you will know how they will react to what you throw at them.
Now it’s time to bring them to life.
Happy writing!
