Does My Character Have to Arc?

Some writers wonder if their character has to have a character arc. 

Usually those who ask this, view character arcs as a protagonist changing, and from that perspective, the answer is no. Your character does not have to "arc" (read: change).

But perhaps the more accurate question is, "Does my character have to have an internal plotline?" That is what is really being asked here.

Because at the basic level, all characters arguably "arc," but not all characters have internal plotlines. If the protagonist has no internal plotline, then usually that means a different plotline needs to be emphasized in its place.

Let's dig into what a "character with no arc" actually means (at least imho).

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The 4 Basic Types of Relationship Arcs (with Examples & Variations)

Much has been written about character arcs, but little has been taught about relationship arcs--despite relationship plotlines playing key roles in most stories, in most genres. Writing instructors such as Blake Snyder and Robert McKee, and approaches such as Dramatica Theory, all touch on the importance of having a central relationship in a story.

But there aren't very many resources on how to actually write or arc the relationship itself--unless of course, you are writing in the romance genre (and if you are, definitely take advantage of those resources--a great one is Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes). 

The central relationship in a story (which often involves the protagonist and the Influence Character) isn't always a romantic one though. It can be a relationship between allies, friends, coworkers, siblings, a mentor and student, or even rivals or enemies. 

So while the romance resources can help you write a lot of stories, they won't work for all central relationship types, as you'll see by the end of this article.

Because, while it's most common for the central relationship characters to become close, it's not the only option. And some characters are already close when the story begins. How do we write about them? By undoing their past and re-doing it, like so many writers have done poorly in sequels?

Plus, your protagonist (and any other key characters) will likely have important relationships with others outside the central relationship (even if they aren't a major plotline)--few relationships stay stagnant, so how do we arc those? They can't all follow the same format!

These are concerns that have been on my mind over the years, particularly because multiple writing approaches emphasize the need for a relationship plotline for the B Story (secondary plotline), but then those same approaches tend to be awfully vague on how to actually do that.

Well, several weeks ago while I was doing my hair and thinking about the basic character arcs, something clicked with me on a level it hadn't before. And a bunch of these questions I've had about relationships started getting answers! Suddenly things that had felt vague and elusive (and, I admit to some degree, unimportant) started making complete sense.

The info is more than I can fit in a single article. But the best place to start, is with the four basic types of relationship arcs.

Which is great, because arcs build off concepts you probably already know . . . 

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The 4 Basic Types of Character Arcs (with Examples & Variations)

A character arc is how a character grows or changes through a story. At the most basic level, there are four types of character arcs: change positively, change negatively, remain steadfast positively, or remain steadfast negatively. Any other character arc should be able to--theoretically--fit into one of these four types. This article will go through each, while also giving examples and variations, and talking about common misconceptions.

While I've discussed character arcs on my blog before, including breaking down these four types, I've been missing an article that focuses solely on them to refer readers and clients to, so . . . I figured it was time. 😊  

When you understand the different character arcs, you'll be able to understand your protagonist better and write a stronger story for him or her. You'll also be able to write stronger antagonists and Influence Characters, as well as better side characters. Because character, plot, and theme all interconnect, you'll also be able to write better plots and themes, too.

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