Character Arcs 101: Positive and Negative Arcs

by Lewis / August 1, 2018 / Character Development

Your characters will define your novel’s success…

After all, there are few better testaments to the quality of your story than the characters you create. So, how can you make sure you’re creating a cast that is compelling, memorable, and engaging for your readers? Well, the answer is through character arcs.

Character arcs answer the all-important question, “why should I care?” that readers will ask throughout your book. Not only that, but they give your readers something meaningful to stick around for. It’s for this reason that writing character arcs is one of the most fundamental skills in storytelling, regardless of whether you write fast-paced action novels or in-depth character dramas.

An Introduction to the Three Act Structure

by Lewis / July 29, 2018 / Story Structure

“Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.” ― Pablo Picasso

Despite the plethora of stories that use structure in exciting ways, popular perception seems to be that structure stifles your creativity and creates cookie-cutter storytelling. I bought into this belief for a long time, holding firm that if I wrote my stories without concern for these “restrictive” ideas, I could produce great works of fiction. Unfortunately, what I ended up doing was getting lost—a lot!

My stories never found a solid conclusion and never gave the reader—or myself—any payoff. Worst of all, I didn’t understand what I was doing wrong. I had believed the Three Act Structure would hurt my writing, but once I stepped back, I realized it was what I needed the most.

Inner Struggle: The Foundation of Compelling Character Arcs

by Lewis / July 23, 2018 / Character Development

Conflict is at the center of any good story…

Not only does it move your plot forward, but it also gives your characters something to fight against. This conflict doesn’t stop at massive wars and alien invasions either—your characters will face inner conflict as well. Sometimes called their inner struggle, sometimes their central problem, this internal conflict will shape every facet of their character arc.

Of course, creating a compelling inner struggle isn’t always straightforward. With how vital it is to your character’s development, let’s figure out what exactly a character’s inner struggle is, as well as how you can choose one for each member of your cast.

Want Versus Need: the Secret to Character Conflict

by Lewis / July 23, 2018 / Character Development

What is the key to a compelling story?

If you asked ten people this exact question, you’d get at least twelve different answers, from action and drama to prose and description. However, beyond all these things is a single element that readers respond to, even if they don’t know it at first—want versus need.

You see, characters are the real drivers of a compelling story, even in more action focused genres. So, what does want versus need have to do with writing interesting characters? Well, it’s the secret to creating realistic character conflict!

8 Key Archetypes of the Hero’s Journey

by Lewis / July 14, 2018 / Character Development

Archetypes are something we experience every day…

An older coworker passing along important tips at your new job or a friend turns out to be talking behind your back. Most of us can recognize these as archetypes, but can we apply these familiar patterns to our fictional worlds and characters? The answer is a resounding yes!

Just as we see these character archetypes mirrored in our own lives, they’ll show up in our storytelling as well. Not only do they provide guidelines for making our characters feel like real people, but they can add a whole new layer of complexity and depth to our stories too.