the960writers: snarktheater: A great Twitter thread on character-driven stories, character arcs, and
the960writers: snarktheater: A great Twitter thread on character-driven stories, character arcs, and agency by Naomi Hughes (The link she referenced is this article) ID: A twitter thread:Naomi Hughes@NaomiHughesYAAs an editor, I find myself spotting a few of the same big-picture issues over and over. So, a quick thread!Top 3 big-picture problems I see most often:1. Lack of agency2. Impersonal stakes3. No character arc4. (Bonus!) For romance: no conflictAgency= a protagonist’s (or any character’s) ability to act on the plot more than the plot acts on them.Lack of agency results in plot-driven stories, where the characters are constantly just reacting to events & other’s people decisions.Plot-driven stories are okay in some genres (mystery series, etc), but in most cases, you need a better balance of character- & plot-driven.Character-driven stories= protagonist *causes* the plot. They’re active, going after a goal, causing plot twists w/ their actions & choices.Character-driven stories (or ones that have a good balance between being plot & character-driven) have protagonists with agency.Here’s a great article on character agency & how to know if your protagonist has it: http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2014/06/03/just-what-the-humping-heck-is-character-agency-anyway/ #writetipOn impersonal stakes: these are stakes that either *seem* to matter but don’t really, or stakes that matter but not to the MC personally.Superhero stories often have impersonal stakes. “I must save the city!” Okay. Why does “the city” matter more to you than anyone else?To make impersonal stakes personal, layer them into the character’s backstory and/or motivation.Character arcs are arguably one of the best ways to take a story from “a nice read” to “THIS STORY MADE ME CRY/HAPPY-SIGH/HULK SMASH.”Character arcs provide your audience with evidence that your story matters enough to change someone (the characters, & hopefully readers).Character arcs are the process by which your plot challenges your characters & forces them to change & grow, for better or worse.For positive arcs, the character starts with some internal problem or flawed world-view. They acknowledge it, try to overcome, & finally do.Negative arcs (usually villains, or sometimes in literary fiction) are reverse: they eventually give in to or are seduced by their flaw.Lastly, romances! I see MANY where there’s no actual conflict, nothing (or only a superficial thing) keeping the couple from being together.Personal pet peeve: when a miscommunication, lack of communication, or sheer stubbornness is the only thing keeping the lovers apart.A really strong, organic way to develop romantic conflict is to give your lovers opposing goals.Okay, that’s it for today’s thread, as my preschooler is trying to abscond with my mouse. -- source link
#character#storytelling#characterization#writing