Character Arc - Part 1 - The Basics

https://www.emaze.com/@AOWWTRTL/Pride-and-Prejudice

Have you ever read a story where the characters clung to you long after you closed the book?

Somehow your thoughts turned a little fuzzy from the whirlwind of emotion, drama, humor, or danger which propelled these characters through a palpable discovery or change which your mind cannot release? Been there?

Oh, I have. It’s a wonderful, and sometimes painful, release for some of the very best stories.

But what are we mourning or celebrating in this fiction-filtered fog?

Usually…it’s characters.

Dynamic characters.

A quick reference in your handy-dandy Webster’s dictionary will tell you that the word dynamic means “marked by usually continuous and productive activity or change” (bolded for emphasis)

This is not to say that all that continuous and productive change is for the greater good, but any memorable character (whether hero or villain) becomes more potent when they’re dynamic.

Dynamic can mean large changes or small ones, but there ARE changes, nonetheless, and they impact not only your character, but usually the characters around them.

Some of the most memorable stories are made up of dynamic characters – and one of the main tools used to create these dynamic characters is the development of the character arc.

I really like how Wikipedia gives a simple definition of character arc: “the transformation or inner journey of a character over the course of a story”

Pretty straight forward, right?

Well… what does ‘transformation’ really mean? Or for that matter, if we go back to the definition of ‘dynamic’, what does ‘productive’ mean?

Both answers might look different based on our character, right? A ‘productive’ change for the Joker is going to probably look different than one for The Dark Knight, right?

Aha, so…here’s the hallmark of a character arc.

It’s PERSONAL!

The best character arcs are those so entwined uniquely and personally with the character’s personality, past, plans, and progress, that the change is logical, believable, and realistic.

So, to write a solid arc, you need a good idea of who your character is…and where you want them to go.

http://earnthis.net/the-top-10-characters-from-avatar-the-last-airbender/

There are three possible directions your character can go with an arc.

1.     He can transform – a move from a weak, nobody to a hero of the known world J Or…Beauty and the Beast (both figuratively and literal change in this one)

Does your character become a whole new person by the end of the story? From dark to light?

Edmund in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Zuko in Avatar the Last Airbender (animated series), George Bailey in It’s a Wonderful Life. Can you name a few?

2.     He can grow (and arguably the most common in popular fiction). The basic heart of the character doesn’t change/transform, but the character grows from a weaker person, lesser understanding, undecided, etc. In most novels, we read, the character arc is a growth from a lesser developed character to a more developed one due to growth…not necessarily a big change. Lizzie in Pride and Prejudcie really stays the same person, but has grown in her understanding of herself and Mr. Darcy. Peter in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe grows to become a braver, stronger, humbler Peter, but the main component of who Peter is stays the same. Jane from Jane Eyre grows in her understanding of who she is and what she can do as an independent woman, but her core personality doesn’t transform, it grows.

3.     He can fail – the one I don’t like to discuss because I’m a happily-ever-after girl ;-) This is your usual tragedy. Romeo and Juliet. The character goes from an area of strength, knowledge, understanding, and declines throughout the story. Personally, I felt that Henry VIII in the movie/book The Other Bolyen Girl shows this arc brilliantly.

What about YOU?

Next time I’ll talk about what aspects SHAPE a character arc but for now, can you list some books where you’ve seen an example of a certain type of arc? Maybe an example of all three??

Eight Days a Week: Learning from the Greats in Our Writing Lives

Greatness. According to William Shakespeare:

Some are born great,

Some achieve greatness ,

and some have greatness thrust upon them.

Look at history, politics, art, music, literature, and sciences…what do all of the best in these fields have in common?

I would suggest in almost all cases they achieved greatness.

I recently attended a conference where a speaker was Mark Hamby of Lamplighter ministries and was inspired by his ideas of excellence and how they might apply to the writing life. He has some wonderful books for children available at Lamplighter Ministries.

Why do many of the artists of the 15^th century still continue to be considered as extraordinary?

According to Hamby,these artists came from a time period in which the Agon philosophy of education was valued. This school of thought is where we get our word “agony” from. It means a relentless pursuit of excellence.

What else do DaVinci, Bill Gates, the Beatles, Abraham Lincoln, and Steve Jobs have in common? And how do we apply their secrets of greatness to our writing lives?

<!--[if !supportLists]-->                 1.Find a group of like-minded individuals to inspire, encourage and challenge you. 

C. S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien had the Inklings society. Writers of the 21^st century had the Algonquin Round Table.

- Who is in your “posse”?

- Make sure to surround yourself with those who will help you achieve your personal best.

- Value your critics, not just those that love your voice but those who have constructive criticism to bring to bear. Proverbs 27:6 says "faithful are the wounds of a friend".

- Who can you add to your circle who challenges you to be more than you currently are?

- Read the work of authors who are better than you are. The more you read the greats and immerse yourself in their language, the more your words will be transformed.

                                                        2. Turn off the TV. 

Did you know that Steven Spielberg’s children did not grow up on a diet of television? He knew the power of the media and encouraged his children to use their imaginations.

- Pretend you are a child. Allow yourself to play hard. Most of the best business owners throughout history are hard workers and enjoy their free time.

- Enjoy the simplicity of life. Your writing will then become more original by default.
- It may not be the TV. For me it's emails that suck me into the spiraling vortex. What voices of the culture or forms of amusement are drowning out your creativity?

                             3. Competition CAN be a good thing when kept in perspective.

I just looked over scores from a writing competition before I wrote this. These thoughts come to mind:

- It is an opportunity to learn graciousness.

- It can be humbling.

- We need to take a Christ-like view of trying to be our own personal best.

- Look for an opportunity to stretch yourself this week. Maybe by entering a contest, maybe by applying for a job.

                       4. Place yourself under the tutorship of masters.

- Ask for lots of help.

- Rub shoulders with the best around the world.

- If there are opportunities to meet authors or artists, take advantage of it.

- Listen to the stories and experiences of great men and women.

- Read great biographies. Many of us read fiction or specific how-to books on craft, but much benefit can be gained by reading about others’ experiences.

                                            5.   <!--[endif]-->Put in 10,000 hours.  

Do you know the origin of The Beatles popular song “Eight Days a Week”?

The Beatles were a mediocre group who were heard by a German producer. He told them, “your music stinks, but I’m going to hire you and make you great.”

Each day of the week they played in a different genre, a different venue. Monday classical music, Thursday Jazz, Friday rock and roll, and so on. They played in these venues for 15 hours a day. In addition they were expected to practice for an extra three hours. Eighteen hour days seven days a week. So they were literally working 8 days a week.

Translate that into time spent in a year. It's over 10,000 hours, the proven amount of time it takes to achieve mastery.

Have you really put your time in? Are you willing to sacrifice of your precious time?

Most important: imagine how our writing would be transformed (not to mention everything else in our life) if we first put this principle into play in Bible study. What can we sacrifice for extra time in “mastery” of God’s word? Not for head knowledge, but out of love for Jesus.

In a future post I’ll be discussing what I believe is the most important common secret of the greats.

What “greats” have breathed their passion into your life? Who do you most admire and do you think their influence is seen in your writing life?

Julia enjoys writing women's fiction whenever she can find a chair free of smushed peanut butter sandwiches and lego blocks. She is a wife and homeschooling mama of two littles. She also enjoys reading and reviewing books for Library Journal, The Title Trakk, and Christian Library Journal.

Bringing the Bible to Life through Amazing Love with K. Dawn Byrd

Good morning, Alley Pals and visitors. Pepper here, and today, help me welcome author, K. Dawn Byrd for a little chat about writing, and more specifically about writing Biblical allegory. Dawn is author of over 10 books, and all of them have come out within the past 4 years. She works full time as a counselor and spends her free-time writing, hanging out with her sweet hubby, or riding on her Harley J

I was blessed to get to attend my first ACFW conference with Dawn in 2010. We roomed together - and she put up with me quite well.

Now, for you readers out there, Dawn is a fantastic resource regarding epublishing and writing in the ‘nooks and crannies’ of life. She’s also adept at writing in various genres (so we have another thing in common J)

She’s written nonfiction, YA, contemporary romance, historical, and suspense….but today, she’s going to specifically target her new release, Amazing Love – a modern day retelling of the Hosea/Gomer story.

Welcome to The Writers Alley, Dawn!

Let's talk about the joys and challenges of bringing a Biblical story to the modern day. Authors are lucky that Scripture is sometimes vague about the details in some stories. For example, my latest novel, Amazing Love, is a modern-day Hosea and Gomer story. We know from Scripture that Hosea marries a prostitute and that she is unfaithful. The fact that the Bible doesn't give much detail allowed my imagination to run wild about how my heroine would betray her preacher husband and the consequences she would suffer for her sin.

Amazing Love was such a joy to write. It ministered to my heart in so many ways. The reader take away is that God loves us unconditionally no matter what. Period. No matter how low we sink in sin, no matter how great our indiscretions, no matter how many tears we bring to God's eyes, He loves us with an everlasting love. That's not to say that He won't let us suffer the consequences for our actions. Amazing Joy was such a joy to write because it reminded of God's unfailing love for His children.

It really sounds like a great story. So now that you’ve been writing a while, what books on writing have been the most helpful to you and why?

It's not really a book, but I'll tell you about it anyway. Margie Lawson's on-line classes made more impact on me and my writing style that anything else I've ever studied. They're very affordable too!

Every writer has a different reason for writing. What’s yours?

I write because I can't stop. It's more than a hobby, it's a passion. It's the most fun I've ever had in my life!

 Sounds familiar. :-)

Thanks so much for being a part of The Alley today, Dawn, and sharing your excitement about your new book.

Okay, so Dawn is going to try and stop by today to answer some questions. Bring them on. Also, if you’ve read a book or books that have taken a Bible story and modernized it (or placed it somewhere else in history) what did you like about it?

If you could rewrite a Bible story, which would you choose?

Biblical retellings are more common than you think, and range from closely linked version to loose interpretations. C.S. Lewis paints a closer allegory of the story of Christ in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. Liz Curtis Higgs brings the Old Testament to Scotland in her beautiful stories beginning with Thorn in My Heart and MY favorite, Mine is the Night.

What are your thoughts?

Dear C. S. Lewis

I am a fiction writer.  I take facts and imagine what if to create a story. 


Today, you're invited to share in a fictitious correspondence with C.S. Lewis. Formulated answers came from blogs, articles, memories and photos from my daughter's dream come true trip, and Lewis' books.


Dear C.S.,
Several writers have expressed an interest in your writings and would like to ask a few questions.

Dear Mary et al,
Interesting. Let me light my pipe first then we can chat. Oh, and by the way, I prefer to be called Jack. If we have time I'll tell you why later.


There. Now. How may I assist you?


Dear Jack,
For this conversation, my questions pertain to your fiction writings. Where did you find your ideas?


Dear Mary et al,
One really must write what one knows. My long term infatuation with mythology became seed for stories. I tasted Norse mythology first as a teen then ventured into Greek, Roman, and of course, Celtic.  I consumed details then analyzed and integrated the information as a fire consumes paper. My desire to learn more could not be quenched. Chronicles of Narnia, Space Triology, and other fiction works grew from this in depth repertoire of information. 


Dear Jack,
I understand you discussed ideas with J.R.R.Tolkien. How did you know each other?


Dear Mary et al,
Tolkien played an important role in my life. I had walked away from God as a teen. While teaching at Oxford, he and Hugo Dyson argued with me late into many nights until I realized the truth and chose to engage in a deep relationship with Christ. With this, my life and writing morphed into a resonance of my new faith. 


Dear Jack,
Did you meet in coffee shops to discuss or edit your works? 


Dear Mary et. al,
We formed a literary discussion society along with three other men from Oxford called ourselves the Inklings. Talks centered around fiction, especially fantasy.  From this group, Tolkien and I read each other's work and agreed to meet regularly to edit each other's manuscripts.


I understand American writers from your period meet in coffee shops to critique or edit each other's works. We, in the UK, met in pubs. Tolkien and I specifically met at the Eagle and Child pub nearly every evening to discuss, mold, prune, and enhance each other's work. His English background infiltrated my writings and my Irish background seeped into his works.


Dear Jack,
Can you tell us about the settings you each chose (re: Narnia and Lord of the Rings)?


Dear Mary et al,
We both grew up in religious homes. He remained close to his faith, but I didn't. Under the influence of Tolkien and others I truly started a life-walk with Christ. 


With Tolkien's help, the memories of special childhood places became settings for my stories. If you travel to Tintern Abbey you might just see the Wood between the Worlds. You won't hear a sound, not a bird, water, or a person talking, you'll only sense the trees growing.


Dear Jack,
What are your thoughts about marketing? I assume you didn't have to blog or FB to promote your book. Did you need to market your works?


Dear Mary et al,
One could say I marketed my books. I felt a need to correspond to readers questions. Why, I remember one particular letter from a ten-year-old girl living in Hertfordshire. She asked a question about a statement Aslan made toward the end of the Silver Chair. Quite delightful that question was, yes, indeed.  I responded to her inquiry immediately. 


Years before, in 1956, I responded to an American girl's question about writing well. Among several points, I listed:  Never use abstract nouns when concrete ones will do. If you mean “More people died” don’t say “Mortality rose.”  (C.S. Lewis, Letters to Children, p. 64.)


Dear Jack,
You certainly invested a lot of time in your writing.


Dear Mary et al,
Perhaps. However, when one finds a passion, time will be invested. I can't imagine doing anything else. Let me leave you with this thought: I sometimes think that writing is like driving sheep down a road. If there is any gate open to the left or the right the reader will most certainly go into it.  (“Cross-Examination,” in C.S. Lewis: Essay Collection and Other Short Pieces, ed. Lesley Walmsley, p. 555.)


Dear Jack,
Thank you for chatting with us. You wouldn't mind answering any questions that might pop up from comments, would you?


Dear Mary et al,
Of course not.  Let me refresh my pipe then we can have at it.

***

THE wardrobe C.S. used is in a small museum on the Wheaton College campus.  While attending the Write to Publish conference, a friend took my picture. I am the one on the left.

What would you like to ask C.S. Lewis, aka Jack?

What have you learned for past or current writers/ authors?