Creating Character Arcs: The Masterful Author's Guide to Uniting Story Structure, Plot, and Character Development

by K.M. Weiland

We cannot ask which is more important, structure or character, because structure is character; character is structure. They’re the same thing, and therefore one cannot be more important than the other.

“There is always room for at least two truths.” —Colum McCann

In a word, the Thing Your Character Needs is the Truth. He needs the personalized antidote to his Lie.

The Thing Your Character Needs is usually going to be nothing more than a realization.

“You take people, you put them on a journey, you give them peril, you find out who they really are.” ―Joss Whedon

“Stories do not happen in ordinary worlds—stories happen when choices and events propel the main character into a world far more exciting, different and challenging than the ordinary day-to-day experience...” —Charles Deemer

[Stories] are often built in three acts, which can be regarded as representing 1) the hero’s decision to act, 2) the action itself, and 3) the consequences of the action.

Good inciting events at first appear to be bothers out of the blue, but they end up being individually tailored for the hero.

He’s reacting to new events in the same ol’ way—and it’s not working.

Speaking generally, the Second Half of the Second Act is the “action” phase. The protagonist charges ahead, thinking he now sees clearly. But the key thing to remember about this section of the story is that your character is still half-blinded by the Lie.

“Life begins at the end of your comfort zone.” —Neale Donald Walsch

“Better a cruel truth than a comfortable delusion.” —Edward Abbey