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Crafting the Character Arc
Many writers believe once they have their basic plot points in place, their stories are destined to succeed. But many narratives fall flat between those plot points and lose their audience before the big finish. Engaging the audience and moving the story forward in every scene is the responsibility of the characters, not the plot. But while many books on the craft of writing state that characters need to be three dimensional and change, a beginning writer isn’t always sure how to turn these rather abstract ideas into concrete craft on the page.
Crafting the Character Arc offers a practical guide to character creation and development by expanding upon the concept of the character arc and creating a step-by-step guide for writers to ensure that their characters are dynamic and engaging. Using narrative examples from multiple platforms, including novels, films and games, this is the essential guide for helping writers create an active and well-defined character arc.
Crafting The Character Arc is structured in three main parts.
Part One covers the more traditional, basic approach to creating character, including personality traits, depth, secrets, goals versus emotional needs, active versus reactive protagonists, and dramatic functions.
Part Two introduces the Major Dramatic Curve, a detailed pictorial representation of a character arc and its major elements: place of rest, inciting incident, rising action, crisis point, climax and falling action/resolution.
Part Three offers practical applications of the Major Dramatic Curve. The writer is given guidance for using the curve to create a dynamic and engaging narrative work. Lastly, some variations in using the Major Dramatic Curve are explored and exceptions to the rules are addressed.
Character Arcs are a critical part of every story making this guide applicable to multiple mediums: novels, short stories, films, TV, games, plays, and Web series.
Crafting the Character Arc offers a practical guide to character creation and development by expanding upon the concept of the character arc and creating a step-by-step guide for writers to ensure that their characters are dynamic and engaging. Using narrative examples from multiple platforms, including novels, films and games, this is the essential guide for helping writers create an active and well-defined character arc.
Crafting The Character Arc is structured in three main parts.
Part One covers the more traditional, basic approach to creating character, including personality traits, depth, secrets, goals versus emotional needs, active versus reactive protagonists, and dramatic functions.
Part Two introduces the Major Dramatic Curve, a detailed pictorial representation of a character arc and its major elements: place of rest, inciting incident, rising action, crisis point, climax and falling action/resolution.
Part Three offers practical applications of the Major Dramatic Curve. The writer is given guidance for using the curve to create a dynamic and engaging narrative work. Lastly, some variations in using the Major Dramatic Curve are explored and exceptions to the rules are addressed.
Character Arcs are a critical part of every story making this guide applicable to multiple mediums: novels, short stories, films, TV, games, plays, and Web series.
- GenresWritingNonfiction
184 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 19, 2014
24 people are currently reading
450 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 24, 2014
My Review:
As a obsessive reader, a lot of my writing is instinctual. I've never taken fiction or creative writing courses and definitely don't have any formal training to do what I do on a daily basis...at all. That's fine, until the book isn't working. The nice thing about those instincts is that I can usually tell when the book isn't working, too. What I can't do a lot of the time is figure out how to fix it. That's where writing craft books come in. But I'll be honest, books about writing beats or acts sound all well and good, but for me, when it comes down to my writing...I'm kind of baffled about how to apply those ideas to my books. Instinct vs. knowledge...not so easy in practical application.
Which is why when it comes to finding a book like this one, I'm thrilled. This book is so easy to understand. EVEN I can read it and apply it to my writing. Jennie Jarvis has done an amazing job breaking down the writing process (i.e. those beats/acts) into a dramatic curve that works and is easily understandable. She uses a wide range of examples...from movies, to TV shows, to video games to show how the curve works and how to apply it to your work in progress.
The dramatic curve that she employs (you can see the diagram of it on the cover up there) is made up of seven elements and she breaks down what needs to happen in each of those elements to get your book/story to where it needs to be. She illustrates the ideas so well through movies like Harry Potter, Pride and Prejudice, and even the not-so-great classics like Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. She even shows how to build that same plot structure within the book for sub-plots.
It's an incredibly readable book (I read it in a day and a half and am known for never finishing non-fiction books, so that's saying something for me.) She talks about how to develop characters and push them outside their boundaries. She has some great points about protagonists vs. antagonists and how to create conflict within relationships. And as a romance writer, I really liked the point that the antagonist can actually be either your hero or heroine...what a completely revolutionary idea...at least to me where I've always considered the antagonist to be the bad guy.
The book employs some great writing techniques and I spent the weekend running all my current works-in-progress through the plotting technique the book illustrates with very positive results.
I definitely recommend this book!
As a obsessive reader, a lot of my writing is instinctual. I've never taken fiction or creative writing courses and definitely don't have any formal training to do what I do on a daily basis...at all. That's fine, until the book isn't working. The nice thing about those instincts is that I can usually tell when the book isn't working, too. What I can't do a lot of the time is figure out how to fix it. That's where writing craft books come in. But I'll be honest, books about writing beats or acts sound all well and good, but for me, when it comes down to my writing...I'm kind of baffled about how to apply those ideas to my books. Instinct vs. knowledge...not so easy in practical application.
Which is why when it comes to finding a book like this one, I'm thrilled. This book is so easy to understand. EVEN I can read it and apply it to my writing. Jennie Jarvis has done an amazing job breaking down the writing process (i.e. those beats/acts) into a dramatic curve that works and is easily understandable. She uses a wide range of examples...from movies, to TV shows, to video games to show how the curve works and how to apply it to your work in progress.
The dramatic curve that she employs (you can see the diagram of it on the cover up there) is made up of seven elements and she breaks down what needs to happen in each of those elements to get your book/story to where it needs to be. She illustrates the ideas so well through movies like Harry Potter, Pride and Prejudice, and even the not-so-great classics like Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure. She even shows how to build that same plot structure within the book for sub-plots.
It's an incredibly readable book (I read it in a day and a half and am known for never finishing non-fiction books, so that's saying something for me.) She talks about how to develop characters and push them outside their boundaries. She has some great points about protagonists vs. antagonists and how to create conflict within relationships. And as a romance writer, I really liked the point that the antagonist can actually be either your hero or heroine...what a completely revolutionary idea...at least to me where I've always considered the antagonist to be the bad guy.
The book employs some great writing techniques and I spent the weekend running all my current works-in-progress through the plotting technique the book illustrates with very positive results.
I definitely recommend this book!
November 30, 2014
A quick Google search for writing advice will result in approximately 7 billion hits. That’s a craft article for every person on the planet. There is more writing about writing on the Internet than there is actual writing. Some of this advice is good, some bad, and some – I’m pretty sure was put there by highly competitive writers that are hoping you will follow it so that your writing will SUCK FOREVER.
Something one hears often is that characters should be engaging, relatable, and must change over the course of the story. It’s obvious advice. But unless you are already a pro, how to pull this off might not be so obvious. And if you’re a pro, you probably don’t need the advice in the first place – but thanks for reading my book review anyway. You’re a peach!
If you are looking to create a path for your character that will be compelling -- a character that your readers will connect with and root for – this book is a great place to start. Jarvis presents the blueprint for a character arc that will put them through the paces, challenge them, and ultimately force them to grow.
The lessons and information provided are clear and practical. The examples used are from popular stories and although you might not know all of them, you are certain to know some. There’s also a dash of wit about it that makes it a fun read, even if you are a peach of a pro.
Crafting the Character Arc: A Practical Guide to Character Creation and Development by Jennie Jarvis is a worthy book for any writer’s reference shelf.
Something one hears often is that characters should be engaging, relatable, and must change over the course of the story. It’s obvious advice. But unless you are already a pro, how to pull this off might not be so obvious. And if you’re a pro, you probably don’t need the advice in the first place – but thanks for reading my book review anyway. You’re a peach!
If you are looking to create a path for your character that will be compelling -- a character that your readers will connect with and root for – this book is a great place to start. Jarvis presents the blueprint for a character arc that will put them through the paces, challenge them, and ultimately force them to grow.
The lessons and information provided are clear and practical. The examples used are from popular stories and although you might not know all of them, you are certain to know some. There’s also a dash of wit about it that makes it a fun read, even if you are a peach of a pro.
Crafting the Character Arc: A Practical Guide to Character Creation and Development by Jennie Jarvis is a worthy book for any writer’s reference shelf.
March 16, 2015
I devoured "Crafting the Character Arc: A Practical Guide to Character Creation and Development," written by author, Jenny Jarvis. It reads like a cool drink of water, to offer a practical approach to bring life and dimension to character development. This is one book I will always keep near. Thanks, Jenny!
January 7, 2020
TL; DR: This book doesn't describe character arc in a way K.M. Weiland's book does and I didn't agree with everything the author claimed, however, I did find some useful new tips in this book that I will definitely be incorporating in my own writing. Definitely recommend.
First of all, this book needs a line editor. I'm not one to complain about one or two typo's, but for a book of this price point I don't expect to spot as many typo's as I did. Sean Beam, anyone? There aren't as many as for the text to become unreadable, but they were enough to notice and for me to make a mention of it.
One of the things where I found this book lacking was the area between what the character wants and what they need. The way Jarvis explains this, it's like they're the one and the same and it often isn't. It touches on it briefly here and there, so I wouldn't say it isn't there at all, but it's all very much on the surface.
There was also a bit about Hamlet where she claims that killing Claudius isn't Hamlet's goal, it is avenging his father. This didn't make sense since earlier she claimed that a goal needed to be tangible and avenging his father's death can take one many forms, so the qualifier of killing Claudius would be needed to determine whether or not the goal has succeeded. To be fair, i haven't read Hamlet, so I wouldn't know if any of this is true, but to me the goal of 'avenging something/someone' needs a qualifier of how the avenging is going to take place for the above mentioned reasons.
The Rising Action was also a bit fuzzy, but the excellent explanation of Crisis, Climax and Dramatic Question more than makes up for it. Part 3 was also extremely useful when it came to the Dramatic Curve for ensemble characters and provided me with some new insights.
All in all, I think this is a great addition to any writer's tool box. It reads easy enough and the way the material is explained is engaging. I finished this in about two days and made tons of notes. Definitely recommend.
First of all, this book needs a line editor. I'm not one to complain about one or two typo's, but for a book of this price point I don't expect to spot as many typo's as I did. Sean Beam, anyone? There aren't as many as for the text to become unreadable, but they were enough to notice and for me to make a mention of it.
One of the things where I found this book lacking was the area between what the character wants and what they need. The way Jarvis explains this, it's like they're the one and the same and it often isn't. It touches on it briefly here and there, so I wouldn't say it isn't there at all, but it's all very much on the surface.
There was also a bit about Hamlet where she claims that killing Claudius isn't Hamlet's goal, it is avenging his father. This didn't make sense since earlier she claimed that a goal needed to be tangible and avenging his father's death can take one many forms, so the qualifier of killing Claudius would be needed to determine whether or not the goal has succeeded. To be fair, i haven't read Hamlet, so I wouldn't know if any of this is true, but to me the goal of 'avenging something/someone' needs a qualifier of how the avenging is going to take place for the above mentioned reasons.
The Rising Action was also a bit fuzzy, but the excellent explanation of Crisis, Climax and Dramatic Question more than makes up for it. Part 3 was also extremely useful when it came to the Dramatic Curve for ensemble characters and provided me with some new insights.
All in all, I think this is a great addition to any writer's tool box. It reads easy enough and the way the material is explained is engaging. I finished this in about two days and made tons of notes. Definitely recommend.
October 6, 2019
I read this as a requirement for one of my classes, and I gained some valuable insight and advice from this author. I love her examples and breakdowns of the different forms of writing, and how I can apply the concepts and techniques effectively to each one. It was easy to follow and to the point. Whether you are a plotter or a purger, this book can definitely be useful.
October 7, 2021
Read for class and used it to fulfill one of the BOTWATHON prompts. This book had valuable insight on outlining and I really enjoyed it. I will be trying out a version of this method for preptober before nanowrimo begins to see if it helps improve how the characters grow in the story. I only docked a star mainly for some typos found while reading.
July 27, 2022
Helpful and to the point. I've read other texts about crafting characters but this one is the most succinct I've come across so far. I like that she mentions other popular books on writing (i.e. Save The Cat) and what is useful about those methods but provide a more fluid yet structured approaching to crafting character arcs.
August 3, 2017
What an incredible book! It was so easy to read and so full of information that I will have to read it at least two more times to really get everything this author had to share. Tons of dogeared pages, sorry Jennie! So excited that this book was recommended to me.
September 23, 2017
A good guide on creating really good arcs for characters. Might seem constricting and rigid, so it requires a certain level of discipline to not let it get in the way of writing/creativity.
March 18, 2018
Had to read this for my class at school this month. Great insight and information. Every writer should have a copy of this on hand.
January 1, 2020
Fantastic read for new authors
This book was easy to read and very structured. It is geared a bit more to plotters, which is what I was looking for.
This book was easy to read and very structured. It is geared a bit more to plotters, which is what I was looking for.
November 30, 2020
Def useful. Not too long. The Major Dramatic Curve was something new for me and Jarvis does what she needed to do and breaks it down simply and understandably. Plenty of examples are given.
August 10, 2015
This guidebook for understanding the character arc was an easy, comfortable read. Jarvis delivers a great deal of information in a short book that adults and young/teen readers can appreciate. She uses characters from novels and films as examples from a variety of genres and makes industry information accessible. At the end of many chapters, Jarvis includes questions and activities to help writers work through the process of character development.
I'm a writer and a have taken a class with Jarvis, but was actually stunned at how reading this book deepened my joy as a reader. I'll be using this book as a resource for my middle school creative writing class.
I'm a writer and a have taken a class with Jarvis, but was actually stunned at how reading this book deepened my joy as a reader. I'll be using this book as a resource for my middle school creative writing class.
January 31, 2015
This is one of the best and most helpful books on writing I have read. It doesn't waste time on unnecessary fluff, which allows you to get back to writing much sooner. It also uses a lot of examples to help drive home its points. The book breaks down the rules of how to tell a story (and ways that writers can break said rules once they have learned them well enough), and is a must read for all writers, especially those new to the craft.
July 11, 2015
I was really happy to win this book from Goodreads because I would like to write a book myself. I had no idea so many concepts need to be in a book for it to be good. This is the perfect guidebook for any one who wants to starts writing. She explains in details all the things a person has to get into a book.
July 11, 2015
In this textbook for scriptwriters, the author discusses creating and developing characters for the film or screen play using examples from films. Some of the info is suitable for adaption by print writers. There is an excellent glossary at the end. This was a free review copy obtained through Goodreads.com.
January 10, 2015
A good book with sound advice and excellent examples. As a lover of Save the Cat I found a lot of the content to be a repeat of that particular structure. A good read for any newer authors or someone who is interested in Save the Cat, but uninterested in the more micro breakdown it includes.
February 9, 2015
Good advice for both beginning and experienced writers
Jennie Jarvis knows how to write. This book is packed with examples from both movies and books. She will give the reader many ideas on constructing plots that reveal and develop characters.
Jennie Jarvis knows how to write. This book is packed with examples from both movies and books. She will give the reader many ideas on constructing plots that reveal and develop characters.
April 30, 2020
Crafting the Character Arc by Jennie Jarvis is a practical guide for writers across mediums to use as their methodical six-prong attack..
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews