The Secrets to Creating Character Arcs: A Fiction Writer's Guide to Masterful Character Creation

The art of writing is lot like the practice of prayer. Like prayer, many people either mimic prior practice or they ramble with little discernable structure. Yet, even for those that adopt a formal structure, like an ACTS (adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication) prayer or the form of a letter, prayer reflects our theology. Reflecting on that theology can go along ways towards developing a more polished prayer life. And so it is with writing.IntroductionIn the introduction to The Secrets to Creating Character Arcs, John S. Warner writes:“The book is designed as a guide for all the writers who have great potential but lac the confidence to write an interesting, engaging story that can keep the readers glued to the pages.” (11)While Warner outlines the components of a complete guide to fiction writing, he concentrates on the specific challenge of crafting interesting characters. He observes: “A great character is born when the reader starts to relate the character’s actions to their past emotional struggles.” (22) This connection between the plot and the emotional life of the characters is what makes great writing out of the reach of so many authors.Background and OrganizationJohn S. Warner is a self-published author in the Oxfordshire, United Kingdom with minimal online presence. He writes in ten chapters:1. The Holy Trinity2. Plotting It Out3. Sculpting the Structure4. Characters, Not Caricature5. Building Your Character6. Your Character Journey7. Combining the Lot8. Supporting Characters9. Dos and Don’ts of Character Creation10. Taking Your Story to the Next Level (v-vii)These chapters are preceded by an introduction and followed by a conclusion and references.The Holy TrinityWarner describes plot, structure, and characters as the Holy Trinity of writing (13).He writes that: “A plot is a sequence of events that happens in a story.” (15) Plot serves to “inspire different emotional responses in the readers.” (17) He sees suspense, anticipation, surprise, and empathy as elements in evoking an emotional response (17-18).For structure, Warner writes: “In literature, the structure is nothing more than a pattern that keeps you story organized and engaging for the reader.” (18) The basic structure is beginning, middle, and end, the traditional three-act play (19).I cited Warner’s definition of a character above. He sees characters as either flat or round, with round characters being central to the plot (20). Great characters have internal conflict, as well as external conflict (21).Five Must-Have CharactersWarner sees five characters as the pillars of every great story: protagonist, antagonist, mentor, sidekick, and skeptic (80).The protagonist is the hero or heroine whose voice often carries the plot and is relatable (80). Warner writes: “Provide the protagonist with both good and bad qualities, but make sure that their good qualities surpass the bad ones.” (21). Warner sees four protagonist types: The hero, the underdog, Mr. average, and the dark soul (94-95) The protagonist is someone with a goal whose flaws stymie its achievement, keeping it out of reach until the flaw is overcome with the story evolving out of a rise in the stake should the flaw be ignored (96-97.The antagonist is: “A character [who] is moving against the protagonist and not with them.” (81-82) The antagonist is not necessarily a villain and should have some redeeming quality. This character should be well-rounded and their motivate for opposing the protagonist should be justified (82). Warner sees the antagonist as ideally someone being self-righteous, a worthy opponent, known to the protagonist, with a dark past, and who can in some way be charming (89-90).A sidekick is: “Most often the protagonist’s sibling, cousin, friend, or colleague…a loyal companion of your protagonist throughout the story.” (83). The sidekick enables the reader to view the protagonist through a different lens, displaying vulnerabilities. A skeptic is like a sidekick only not nearly so supportive (84).Story versus Character ArcsThe story and character arcs are related, but separate trajectories that distinguish between the external and internal struggles. Warner writes: “While the plot is a series of events that together build your story, the character arc is a series of events that build your character.” (106) Character arcs add emotional weight, depth, and a foundation for the story arc (109).Warner sees three types of character arcs: Change, growth, and fall. A change arc shows an underdog achieving important goals beyond themselves. A growth arc involves more personal growth. A fall arc shows a character who self-destructs (107-108).At the heart of character arcs is a lie that the character tells themselves. The sequence of events shows how they come to accept the truth. Warner gives the example of a person who believes that they are unworthy of being loved and comes to realize that that is not true (113). A fall arc evolves from the characters unwillingness to give up the lie or to accept the truth (114). Static characters may already know and accept the truth, but struggle with the temptations posed by various lies (115-116).AssessmentJohn S. Warner’s The Secrets to Creating Character Arcs provides a foundation for understanding and developing multidimensional, fiction characters, interesting and instructive to most fiction writers. Warner places his discussion of character development squarely in the context of constructing the plot and story structure, making it easy for writers in their formative process to move a few steps closer to their creative potential. Warner’s easy-going writing style can be disarming, but it contributes to its accessibility. Fiction writers should buy and read this book.

I am a newer writer still searching for a process I can sustain and found this book helpful. The topics are detailed enough and few enough to not feel overwhelming. The exercises enabled me to read, review and then experiment with what I just learned. If you're in a similar spot in your writing adventure as me I'd have no reservations recommending this book.

I was given the opportunity to read John S. Warner's book The Secrets to Creating Character Arcs: A Fiction Writer's Guide to Masterful Character Creation (Growing Authors Out of Writers). I want to thank the author/publisher for the opportunity to listen to and review this book. However, the follow review is not influenced by their generosity.As a published author, I've listed to a lot of craft books. As a general whole, this book really doesn't provide anything new to the actual conversation of writing craft. I also found this book less about creating character acrs than it was a general book about writing. If you're looking for a book that's a deep dive into character and character arcs, this is not going to enhance your skills set. If you are an advanced novelist who has read a ton of craft books, this book is probably not for you either.So, you may be wondering why I rated it high based on my previous paragraph. Here's why. I think the book is a short, sweet book that gets to the basics of narrative form and how to craft a story. I wish I had read this book years ago when I was first starting out as a novelist because it would have saved me a lot of time. So, is this book for advanced writers? Not at all. Would I recommend this book for someone just starting out as a writer? Most definitely.

This is perfect for amateur writers who want to better develop their characters.

John Warner has created a tool that belongs in every writer's toolbox. As writers, we sometimes develop tunnel-vision. We become engrossed in the plot and story to the extent that we sometimes assume the reader knows what we are thinking until we read our own work and discover how shallow we have made our character(s). We then struggle to make them alive. John's book helps to remove the pain and struggle from our work by giving us in-depth analysis and suggestions for building our characters from the ground up. He also reminds us of the basics of writing which we are prone to forget in our practice of story creation. I think you will find this to be a very helpful implement that deserves a permanent place on your writing desk.

This book was one of the most helpful craft books I've read so far! If guidance on character building in your stories is what you need, then you need this! It really helped me understand the nuances of character arcs and helped me learn more about the craft of writing in general! I will be reading and referencing this again as I continue to plow through writing my novel.

This is a good book to refer to when writing and developing characters.

I had to quit highlighting a sentence or two in every third paragraph. So much good advice - some I remembered, some was new. But I realized why I stopped writing after the first 300 pages, what had me blocked. I highly recommend this book. Borrowed on Unlimited, going to purchase in paperback and start over again from the beginning with notebook in hand.