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

by K.M. Weiland

The Positive Change Arc, in its simplest manifestation, is all about the protagonist’s changing priorities. He realizes the reason he’s not getting what he wants in the plot is because either:

One of the most common mistakes made by authors of every level of experience is to create a problem for their Main Character that has nothing to do with the story at large. The reasoning behind this is not to separate the two, but usually occurs because an author works out a story and then realizes that he has not made it personal enough.

Your character is incomplete on the inside. He is harboring some deeply held misconception about either himself, the world, or probably both.

Thing He Needs (the Truth) and the Thing He Wants (the perceived cure for the symptoms of the Lie).

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

Yes, because it would help him seek justice from the abuse and torment he and others endured because of him.

His lie is holding the thing he needs and wants.

Wounds are often kept secret from others because embedded within them is the lie—an untruth that the character believes about himself…. For example, if a man believes he is unworthy of love (the lie) because he was unable to stop his fiancée from being shot during a robbery (the wound), he may adopt attitudes, habits, and negative traits that make him undesirable to other women.

The bigger and more destructive the Lie, the more shocking and impactful the Ghost should be. Or to flip that on its head: the bigger the Ghost, the bigger the Lie, the bigger the arc.

You must establish identification with your hero before revealing major flaws that could reduce sympathy.

with a second Characteristic Moment.

Mortiss 1. His most important trait is his analytical/protective behavior. 2. I can show Mortiss protecting his pet owl Noctua from a large winged creature. 3. Can this large winged creature belong to a demon commander coming back from his coma? If going s route, Mortiss recognizes the winged creature belonging to the demon commander. 4. I can show him beating himself up for not saving Noctua (or Noctus if the owl is a male. Vitae’s owl is named Noctua.) from her injuries. I can show him giving Noctus to Vitae and using his scythe to protect him when he sees a glimpse of the demon commander. I can show his body shaking and getting tense. The DC participated in the abuse towards Mortiss. Before Noctus gets injured, he is showing playful behavior towards Mortiss and Vitae and Noctua. 5. I can show Mortiss giving Diablo’s journal he decoded. It showed a drawing of Mortiss. Then a vial was inside a secret compartment containing Mortiss’s blood. He explained that his brother did tests on him to learn more about his demon side. 6. I can show him his dedication to find Diablo’s soul. I was thinking that Diablo’s loyal demon reincarnated to seek Diablo’s soul. The demon said,” Your brother would be impressed by the progress you made.” 7. Scene Goal: Investigate Hell for more clues leading to find Diablo’s soul. His goal: Defeat Diablo. Obstacle: A mysterious man is following them. Mortiss and Vitae were on their way to Hell when Mortiss senses something is following them. They were about to turn back when the winged creature attack Noctus. They see a glimpse of DC before he disappears. Mortiss orders Vitae to take Noctus and Noctua to safety, allowing Grim to protect him. Note: Mortiss covered the entrance of Hell with willow tree branches using his shadow powers. Since he used its powers, anytime something touches the barrier, he can sense someone is there.

8. Vitae mentions his name. Vitae describes him pushing back his glasses, his black hair, skeleton hands.

Vitae’s normal world is Mortem, full of beauty and peace. She grows gardens everywhere as a why to hide and distract herself from the evils of the world.

Mortiss His normal world is Mortem, it’s peaceful and balanced. His personal world is his bedroom full of books,

Mortiss refusing to hang out with his brothers. Cassius wanting to see all of his demon side as Jacitus only got to see a small glimpse of it in the past. Cassius wants to see how Mortiss can be an huge advantage to destroy Diablo. Mortiss refuses and says, “You won’t like what you see.” He also says, “I will only develop my shadow manipulation to the fullest extent.” Cassius asked him, “What happens when you reach it, and it doesn’t defeat Diablo.” “It will” “What if it doesn’t.” “It will” “Mortiss, you need a backup plan, “ “It will!” Mortiss’s lie: He feels that he is a monster like Diablo and will end up like him and doesn’t deserve love. Cassius pulls on his collar and says, “There is something your not telling me Mortiss.” Mortiss pushes him away and says, “There is nothing else to say.”