Transcript:

It’s Novel November, which means writers all over the world — myself included — are knee-deep in new stories, messy drafts, and caffeine-fueled plotting sessions.

And as we build those stories, one of the most common challenges I see is this: Your plot is moving, your world is rich, but your characters? They feel… flat.

Flat characters are like unseasoned soup. The ingredients might be there, but the flavor — the emotional depth — is missing.

The characters who stay with us, like Zuko, Elizabeth Bennet, Miles Morales, and Katniss Everdeen, all change in meaningful ways. That’s the magic of a character arc.

So today, we’re going to break down how to take your character from flat to fantastic — and craft an arc that truly hits.

Hi, I’m C. Sloan Lewis, your virtual writing coach, and my goal is to help you not just improve your writing, but to support you as a writer. Welcome to my channel!

Types of Arcs

Let’s start by talking about the three main types of character arcs you can write:

1. Positive Arc

The positive arc is the most common one — a story of growth and transformation.

Your character starts flawed, scared, or stuck. Through challenges, they learn, adapt, and emerge stronger or wiser.

Zuko in Avatar: The Last Airbender goes from an angry, angsty Fire Nation prince who is trying to hunt down the Avatar to reclaim his honor in the eyes of his evil fire lord father to becoming best friends with the person he once hunted and helping to defeat his evil father and bring balance back to the world.

Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit goes from a scared and kind of lazy homebody to a brave adventurer who faces dragons and stands up for what he believes in.

Characters of positive arcs start out as bad people, possibly even villains, or ill-equipped to become a hero, whether through lack of skill, confidence, or resources. Then, over the course of the story, even though they don’t become perfect, they become better versions of themselves.

2. Negative Arc

Then there’s the tragic twin: the negative arc.

This is a story of downfall, corruption, or regression. The character starts strong or hopeful — but through their choices or beliefs, they spiral.

Anakin Skywalker lets his fear weaken him and open him to the manipulations of Darth Sidious to the point where he is the one responsible for the very thing he feared: the death of Padme.

Walter White lets his pride and drive for power morph him into a villain who ultimately pushes away his family through violence and crime, even though he started his whole journey as a meth maker to keep his family from financial ruin.

These arcs are powerful because they warn us what happens when someone refuses to change — or changes in the wrong direction. Most of the time, the catalyst for this type of arc is pride or misguided ambition, and like the Greek Tragedies of old, we learn from their mistakes.

3. Flat Arc

Finally, there’s the flat arc.

This one’s misunderstood. The character doesn’t necessarily change — but the world around them does. They start the story knowing the truth, and their journey is about proving it to others.

Flat arc characters remain true to their core beliefs — but the people they touch evolve because of them.

Captain America will and has always been about justice and doing what’s right. Unlike his counterpart Iron Man, he doesn’t go through any significant growth in any of the movies. It’s the world and other characters who change around him.

The same goes for Sherlock Holmes, even though there are many character traits he could stand to work on, but his unwavering personality as he solves case after case is actually part of his charm.

Arc Structure

Now, how does a character arc actually work?

You can think of it like this structure: Inciting Incident → Trials → Growth → Resolution.

The inciting incident shakes their world. The trials test their beliefs. The growth happens when they realize what needs to change. And the resolution is where they either succeed or fail in making that change permanent.

A strong arc intertwines your character’s internal journey with the external plot.

For example, in Frozen, Elsa’s external goal is to control her ice powers and protect Arendelle — but internally, she’s struggling to accept herself and stop living in fear. By the end, she learns from the help of her sister Anna that love, not isolation, is the key to mastering her magic and embracing who she is.

That’s a perfect merge of plot and arc.

Techniques to Show Change

So how do you show transformation without spelling it out?

Here are three techniques:

1. Decisions. Every key choice should reveal growth (or regression). Early on, your character might run from conflict. Later, they might face it head-on.
2. Dialogue and Reactions. Show how they respond differently over time. The same situation that made them panic in Chapter 1 might make them calm or defiant in Chapter 20.
3. Avoid info dumps. Don’t tell your reader “she had changed.” Let the contrast do the talking.

In other words, let the reader see the shift through what the character says, does, and values.

Connecting Arc to GMC

Now, if you watched my last video on GMC — Goal, Motivation, Conflict — this is where it all connects.

A character’s goal gives them direction. Their motivation gives it meaning. Their conflict forces them to grow.

Change doesn’t happen in comfort zones — it happens when your character’s motivation collides with obstacles that challenge who they think they are.

For example:

• Goal: Prove they’re brave.
• Motivation: They were once helpless.
• Conflict: Facing a threat that can’t be conquered by courage alone.

That’s where transformation happens — right at the intersection of desire and difficulty.

Quick Exercise / Takeaway

Alright, Novel November writers — grab your notebook or open your draft.

Write down three key moments in your character’s arc:

1. Where they start. (What belief or flaw defines them?)
2. The turning point. (When do they realize something must change?)
3. The resolution. (How are they different by the end?)

Here’s an example:

Beginning: She believes emotions make her weak.

Turning Point: She realizes vulnerability builds trust.

Resolution: She saves the day — not by shutting down, but by opening up.

Those three moments are the bones of an unforgettable arc.

Character arcs are what make readers feel. Plots can thrill us, worlds can impress us — but arcs make us care. So as you write your Novel November story — whether it’s draft number one or rewrite number five — remember this:

Your characters don’t need to be perfect. They just need to change*.*

But that’s all from me today. You’ve got some writing to do, and may your characters grow — or fall — exactly as they’re meant to. Ta-ta!