CHARACTERS’ EVOLUTION IN STORY STRUCTURE Kimmery Martin kimmerymartin.com
WHAT IS A CHARACTER ARC? A Transformation, Evolution, or Inner Journey The Hero Changes and Becomes Successful Or… The Hero Fails And Becomes Tragic
DOES EVERY HERO NEED AN ARC? All Protagonists Must Adapt Not All Protags Have Fundamental Changes But Something In The Story Has To Change
TYPES OF CHARACTER ARCS The Hero’s Journey Harry Potter Frodo Baggins in The Lord of The Rings Simba in The Lion King
TYPES OF CHARACTER ARCS The Arc Of Maturity Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol Jaime Lannister in the Game of Thrones series Rodion Romanovich Raskolnikov in Crime and Punishment
TYPES OF CHARACTER ARCS The Arc Of Decline Patrick Bateman in American Pyscho Walter White in Breaking Bad Scarlett O’Hara in Gone With the Wind
TYPES OF CHARACTER ARCS The Flat Arc James Bond action series Sherlock Holmes mystery series Hercule Poirot mystery series Zadie Anson in The Queen of Hearts
TYPES OF CHARACTER ARCS The External Arc Odysseus in The Odyssey The film Ghandi Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games
CREATING COMPELLING PROTAGONISTS Sympathetic Characters (adapted from John D. Brown) Vulnerable: They Face Ruin Deserving: Positive Character Traits Underdogs: More Likely to Engender Empathy In Trouble: Strong Characters In Imminent Danger
CREATING COMPELLING PROTAGONISTS Interesting Characters (adapted from John D. Brown) Unusual: Something Sets Them Apart Surprising: They Don’t Fit The Mold Powerful: They Wield Influence or Authority Other: Gifted, Skilled, Beautiful, Humorous, Dangerous
NAME THAT ARC What Are The Dominant Characteristics? Harriet M. Welsh, Harriet the Spy, by Louise Fitzhugh Tom Ripley, The Talented Mr. Ripley, by Patricia Highsmith Lisbeth Salander, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson Nick Carraway, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
NAME THAT ARC What Are The Dominant Characteristics? Bridget Jones in Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding Jack Reacher in the series by Lee Child Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling