How to develop your novel’s character arcs | Novel revision tips

Inconsistent character arcs are an essential big-picture issue that should be addressed early in the revise and refine stage of the novel writing process. A character arc is the transformation or development of a character over the course of the story. It’s the emotional or psychological journey that a character goes through as they face and overcome challenges or obstacles and change as a result.

To address these issues during the revise and refine stage of the novel writing process, it is important to first determine which of your characters are important enough for them to experience a defined character arc over the course of your story. This will often include both your protagonist and antagonist as well as any other characters who are essential to the plot of your story.

To get started on this task, first make a list of these characters, and then review your manuscript draft with your attention cast toward each of these individual characters. Ask yourself if each of these characters has an arc that evolves over the following three stages:

1. The beginning: At the start of the story, the character has a certain personality, beliefs, or values. They may have strengths and weaknesses, but there is something about them that needs to change or evolve to move the story forward.
2. The middle: As the story progresses, the character faces challenges, undergoes experiences, and interacts with other characters. These events and experiences may cause the character to question their beliefs, confront their flaws, or change their perspective.
3. The end: By the end of the story, the character has transformed or grown in some way. They may have overcome their flaws, learned a valuable lesson, or achieved a personal goal.

NOTE: It is important to remember that not every character will evolve into a better form of themselves by the end of your story. In fact, you antagonist or anti-hero may even evolve into a worse person by the end!

If you discover that one of your main characters has NOT experienced an arc as described above, then it’s possible the character needs to be rounded out more as you revise and refine your novel. Well-crafted character arcs can make a story more engaging and memorable for readers. They can also help readers connect with the characters on a deeper level and understand their motivations and actions throughout the story. This is just one more way to develop verisimilitude in your novel so that readers can be immersed in the reading experience in a way that keeps your story moving for them from start to finish.

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Now that Jack has been forced to reflect on everything he has to lose, he resolves to do better. He’s determined to spend more time at home with his family and repair the relationships that have suffered over the years while he’s been so focused on work. But as Callie’s behavior becomes increasingly bizarre, Jack realizes he has a lot more room to improve than he realized – and it might be too late to save his daughter after all.

For fans of We Need to Talk About Kevin, The Push, and Baby Teeth.