How Characters Change in Stories (And How to Write Believable Change)

How Characters Change in Stories (And How to Write Believable Change)

You’ve probably heard this one before: Your character must change throughout the course of your story. Characters need to transform.

I see a lot of confusion over this concept. Writers can normally nail the change (weak to strong; bad to good; cynical to optimistic) but it often comes from a weird place that doesn’t sit quite right with what we know about the protagonist. Or it’s too big of a change (or too much of a “fairy tale ending”) to be believable.

Writers think that great characters need drastic changes, but this isn’t always the case. 

Let’s take a look at how writers should deal with character change, and how creating a character arc might make for a more interesting cast and plot.

How to Write a Book Using Microsoft Word

How to Write a Book Using Microsoft Word

If you want to write a book, you'll need book writing software that's up to the task. Yes, you can invest in dedicated book writing programs. But you don't have to: a great writing tool is likely already at your fingertips, if you know how to write a book using...
Encouragement for Writers: 3 Writing Prompts That Will Rekindle Your Writing Enthusiasm

Encouragement for Writers: 3 Writing Prompts That Will Rekindle Your Writing Enthusiasm

New goals can be stressful, and even a momentary lapse can make a person want to scream and kick and cry. Perhaps eat an entire pint of ice cream. Perhaps lay on the couch and wallow in self-pity, lamenting over the magnificent writing career that could’ve been if only you hadn’t skipped writing that one day.

Today I’m going to ask you to think about your writing a little differently, and hopefully renew some of the enthusiasm you may have already lost.