In a guest post on Jane Friedman’s blog, Adele Annesi says maybe we can sometimes ignore character arcs as we develop our stories. “While the use of a traditional character or story arc remains a valuable tool in the writer’s toolkit, there is something to be said for dispensing with tradition, whether in character development, story creation or both,” she says.
Sometimes, your character isn’t traditional, so a traditional arc won’t work. Other times, your character remains steadfast when all around him are losing their heads. Annesi suggests a few other reasons your might eschew character arcs, including:
- Flat characters. “Contrary to how they sound, flat characters can be complex and exhibit a full range of emotions and responses,” she says. “But they don’t usually change much or at all from the start of a story to its conclusion.” For example, Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy doesn’t change dramatically throughout Pride and Prejudice, but Elizabeth’s view of him does.
- Discovery. “Seasoned and adventuresome writers alike can expand their vision and craft by not rigidly blocking out who a character is or not using arc to define or direct the character,” Annesi writes.
- Creative freedom. Playing with structure may mean that a traditional character arc isn’t right for the kind of story you want to tell.
But when do you want to use traditional arcs? Annesi suggests the following reasons:
- Order. “A more traditional arc for a character or plot can offer stability for emerging writers and early drafts,” she says. While you can change it later, starting with a traditional arc can give you a platform for exploring complicated characters or plots, or when exploring your theme is important.
- Structure. “If a story includes varied plot points and characters, the overall work could benefit from a traditional arc for at least one of the characters and/or aspect of the plot, as this will better support the structure of the work as a whole,” Annesi writes.
