1. CHARACTERS’ EVOLUTION
IN STORY STRUCTURE
Kimmery Martin
kimmerymartin.com

2. WHAT IS A CHARACTER ARC? A Transformation, Evolution, or Inner Journey
The Hero Changes and Becomes Successful
Or… The Hero Fails And Becomes Tragic

3. DOES EVERY HERO NEED AN ARC?
All Protagonists Must Adapt
Not All Protags Have Fundamental Changes
But Something In The Story Has To Change

4. TYPES OF CHARACTER ARCS
The Hero’s Journey
Harry Potter
Frodo Baggins in The Lord of The Rings
Simba in The Lion King

5. 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. TYPES OF CHARACTER ARCS
The External Arc
Odysseus in The Odyssey
The film Ghandi
Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games

9. 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

10. 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

11. 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

12. 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