HOW TO WRITE A CHARACTER| NEGATIVE CHARACTER ARC|FT. K.M. WEILAND

Описание: In today’s video, the character series continues with How to Write a character arc. In this video, we will talk specifically about the negative character arc.

What is a character arc? 

Character arcs are the character’s inner journey to discovery. Some people say that a character arc is when the character wants something, but they discover their need, which is the truth. By the end of the story, the character learns some kind of lesson that changes them for the better. But Weiland explains the different arcs the best.

There is more to them than we’ve learned in the past. A character arc helps with character development.

These are tips I use in my current work in progress.

There are three different character arcs.

Positive Character Arc

Flat Character Arc

Negative Character Arc

What is a negative character arc?

A negative character arc is when a character starts off the story in a good or of place but ends the story in a worse place. Because without the truth, they can’t get the happiness they’re desperately seeking.

According to Weiland, there are three manifestations of a negative character arc.

Disillusionment arc, Fall arc, and Corruption arc.

I will use Weiland’s examples from the book.

Negative arc: The character believes lie - discovers the truth - rejects the truth.

Each manifestation has its own variation of the arc, but that is a negative arc in a nutshell.

Disillusionment arc: Character believes lie - Discovers truth - Embraces truth, but the truth is tragic. And in this case, the character’s worldview goes from a positive one to a negative one, very pessimistic, which may even drive the person crazy.

Fall arc: Character believes lie - Discovers truth rejects truth -Continues believing the lie or embraces even worse lie. Here, the character is heading to their doom like this person can’t be saved at all.

Corruption arc: Character believes truth - Character rejects truth - Embraces lie.

In the corruption arc, the character rejects the truth to embrace the lie because they believe that the lie will give them what they want. Believing in the truth hasn’t helped them be happy, so maybe the lie will.

Timestamps:

0:00 Intro
1:04 How to write a Character with a negative Character Arc?
4:17 The lie the Character believes.
5:42 The Disillusionment Arc.
6:57 The Fall Arc.
8:41 The Corruption Arc.
10:32 The first act in a negative character arc.
11:19 The second act in a negative character arc.
12:18 The third act in a negative character arc.

Hopefully, this writing advice will give you some clarity on character development.

Below are Character Profile worksheets you can download for free!

http://bit.ly/2XTogIe

Read the blog post here:
https://justwritenow.co/how-to-create...

Recommended books for character development:

Characters, Emotion, and Viewpoint By Nancy Kress

http://amzn.to/37B7K5J

Creating Character Arcs By K.M. Weiland

http://amzn.to/37yCsMM

The Corruption arc: 

In a corruption arc, the character starts off already embracing the truth, but the character is lured away by the lie. Weiland says in a positive arc the truth is already inside the character. I believe the same applies to the corruption arc the lie is already inside the character as well. Something fuels and wakes up the lie and grows the lie to take over the character’s life. 

Anakin from the Star Wars prequel starts off as an optimistic hopeful child who brings light and kindness to the world. The truth is love is stronger than physical power. But the seed of the lie is already within Anakin.  

Character Ghost. Anakin was an oppressed and powerless slave.

The thing he wants most is to protect and save those he cares about but what he needs is to let go of everything he is afraid to lose. 

The character environment 

The character will start off in a comparatively Normal World where the character is already blessed living in the truth. It may not be perfect but it offers the character a safe place of happiness.

This video is influenced and inspired by content creators like Jenna Moreci and iWriterly.

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