Character Arcs in sequels

[Chris]

It's tempting to write a sequel to stories..but I think it's tough because the character usually shows some maturity growth by being brave in the first book. You don't want to have flat characters. What type arcs have you noticed in sequels?

[Jen]

Often I see a secondary character have an arc in the sequel. Or the main character will grow a little each book, but there's a larger emotional arc that you see only when you've read the last book.

"Back to the Future" is a good example of this (I know, it's a movie trilogy, but stay with me here). In the first movie, Marty's main arc is to have the confidence to take risks and "go for it" if he wants something. But the overarching story (over all three movies) is to take risks because it's worth it rather than to simply avoid looking chicken. (Being called chicken is his fatal flaw for most of the trilogy.)

[Chris]

Thanks for the great insight! I actually love the Back To The Future example because of my love for 80s and film in general :)

[Madeline]

I agree with Jen. A secondary character can definitely be the one to change. I recently finished Ignite me by Tahereh Mafi. There was a love triangle, and in the first book, Tahereh basically told us that Juliette had made her decision on who she really loved. However, in the sequel, the underdog reveals a different side of himself which makes Juliette wonder about who she should really choose.

As you can see, by building up a secondary character, they impact and change the main character, providing a character arc for two important characters :)