BY MCKENNA GARDNER
I have decided that in order to make a character interesting, they must fully commit to their arc of change. And it works both ways – for heroes or villains. Either they overcome their trials, see the light, and lead a fulfilling life, or they succumb to their struggles, serve their baser self, and sink to the bottom.
But what is interesting is the path that gets them there. It’s filled with single choices along the way that push them toward their final end. It’s not as if one choice will commit them to one side or the other.
I have seen many antagonists change their ways and become the hero of their own story, and I have seen many heroes fall from their glorious perches, simply by the tiny steps they take along the road of choices.
So, what will your character do? And not just your major characters; what kind of arc will your minor character follow? Do they remain stagnant? Do their choices pretty much occur for your own convenience of furthering the plot along, or do they make choices that screw everything up and really make your other characters struggle?
If everyone has motivations that are at odds with one another, you create a very solid platform upon which to build your story. If you find that your scenes are just one answer after another, it may be time to throw a wrench into the works.
I read a book a few years ago where the main character was required to go on a journey to survive/escape the villain. Although I love survival stories—especially in the wilderness—and stories where it seems like the characters are never truly safe, this book had one huge problem. The plot had tons of conflict in it, but it did nothing for the character’s internal arc. The character never changed, at least not recognizably; they ended up where they had begun.
There was threat after threat, problem after problem. But nothing really happened inside the character’s heart. I lost interest and found that the story was draining instead of invigorating.
It is not enough to simply throw obstacles in your character’s path. It is vital to throw the right obstacles to challenge the way they think, see, act, and believe, thus providing them with the opportunity to change. Will they make a negative choice, driving them to succumb to their weakness? Or will they find the hero within and overcome their hardship with honor?
Either path is acceptable. Both paths are interesting. They embrace what is human, and that is ultimately what we want our characters to feel like. Unless they are vampires, mermaids, or ghosts. Then you come up with your own rules.
As senior editor, McKenna Gardner makes everyone tow the line from Arizona, where she lives with her husband and two daughters. Find McKenna on Facebook and Twitter.
Find McKenna on Facebook and Twitter.
As M. Irish Gardner, her short story, “Reformation” appeared in A Dash of Madness: a Thriller Anthology, published in July, 2013.
Her last project, Shadow of the Last Men by J. M. Salyards, will be released in September 2013.
