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Joined: 3/13/2011
Posts: 102
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I'm having trouble reconciling my MC's character arc with what I want to do versus what I know I'm supposed to do. Specifically, my MC currently goes from being a follower to a leader.
I want to show my MC, at least at the beginning of the story, doesn't make her own decisions. Letting someone else figure out what to do makes her life easier, until that no longer works for her and the character arc begins. I know MC's should be the focus of their own story at all times, but my story is written in 1st person, and I don't know how to do that without "shining the spotlight" on the character my MC is following to show the character to reader, the way my MC sees her.
Am I trying to do too much with this character arc? Should I start somewhere closer to the middle (i.e. only a follower after she tries and fails to figure it out herself, or rebelling against someone trying to make decisions for her)?
How big of a character arc are you using? Have you ever tried a follower to leader character arc? How did you make it work?
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Joined: 4/3/2011
Posts: 22
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I usually don't set out trying to write an arc into a story. I don't really believe every story requires an arc either. But when I do see the burgeoning of an arc presenting itself into a story I just try to shape and mold what's already there. This is after I've written quite a bit of story already.
One suggestion I could give you though is to write your MC in a way that shows that she has her own ideas and is capable of being a leader, but for whatever reason, be it her lack of confidence in herself or whatever, she follows the person she has more confidence in or looks up to. Just because she's a follower doesn't mean she can't think for herself or isn't strong or determined.
The saying goes: You have to know how to follow before you can lead. That could be taken as your MCs strength, knowing how to follow. And the "leader's" weakness could be not having followed enough to be considered a true leader. As the leader's shortcomings display themselves, that's when your MC steps in and saves the day.
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Joined: 3/13/2011
Posts: 222
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I don't specifically plan my arcs... I plan my story, but the character arcs tend to develop naturally. I start with a character type I want the character to start with, and try to identify what type of person would accomplish the goals needed by the main character.
Usually, the two types don't match, so I have to then figure out what would trigger someone to change in the way necessary.
I can't say I plan my character arcs though, they just 'happen'.
Wish I could be more helpful there, but.. :/
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Joined: 3/15/2011
Posts: 13
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I think planning your story along your character's arc is a good idea - and I'm going to disagree with Michael here, because I think that your character's arc IS the story. The arc doesn't need to be complete, and you don't have to fundamentally change the character, but I think they need to be different in at least some significant way from how they started in order for the story to have any emotional weight.
In your case, I don't think you're trying to do too much, but it's good that you recognize that this is a pretty major change for the character. I would say that your MC should have at least some inklings of leadership to begin with, or some desire that she's been suppressing, so it doesn't completely come out of nowhere. I think it makes sense that she would be really focused on the character she's following; just make sure that you're not so much writing about that other character, but instead the way your MC sees that character. That way all her observations can reflect something about your MC, and she'll still be the focus, if subtly.
I would ask yourself why your MC admires this other character so much. What aspects of that person does your MC wish she herself had? Those are exactly the things she should struggle to gain as the story goes on. What scares her about becoming like the other character, such that she'd rather follow than emulate? These are the challenges she'll need to overcome.
Keep in mind that a character needs setbacks as they travel their arc - usually bigger and more serious ones as the story goes on. I wrote a character once who had a lot of admiration for her mother, although she was often kind of a brat because she didn't feel like she lived up to her mother's standards. Then her mother died and she was forced to take on her responsibilities. She got over her fears and self-doubt and did admirably, but that was only the first step - soon she came upon bigger and more difficult challenges that she wasn't prepared for, and she began to make big mistakes. Then she realized that she was only imitating what her mother had done, and she needed to find her own voice as a leader, and start developing and following her own instincts if she were to succeed. I feel like you might want to do something along those lines: give your MC a path toward being a leader but make sure it's not a direct path, and allow her to make some wrong assumptions and/or bad decisions along the way. That will feel more realistic and easier for readers to relate to.
Hope that helps!
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Joined: 3/13/2011
Posts: 102
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Wow! Thank you so much.
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Joined: 2/9/2012
Posts: 427
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Bumping this up for new followers to see as I think that this is super important! Many of the books that I've read lately, young adult ones in particular, are lacking or successful based on exactly this issue: whether they illustrate the hero/heroine's emotional and psychological journey in a credible way.
Thanks, Marcie!
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I agree, Nevena. One YA trilogy in particular comes to mind. There's zero character arc between the first page and the last page, and it's a problem.
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Joined: 6/14/2012
Posts: 194
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I agree with Quinn, and have another suggestion.
Consider trying a third person viewpoint...it's easier to control--to differentiate the character from yourself-- for most people than first-person. It's also easier to let readers see the leader your character is admiring and following when they're not distracted by wondering how much of your character is straight from you...if you also see the leader-character in the same light.
If you don't want to try that, or don't like it when you have, you might have room for the occasional other POV that could give readers insight into the leader your protagonist is following. Direct insight into the leader's mind via a short POV section can let readers decide if your MC is being manipulated, if she has a clue about the leader, etc.
You asked how, if someone else had done it, how we did it. My first books took a young person from a naive farm girl to a leader, and--similar to yours--she had to transition from blind loyalty of a follower to a more mature attitude, able to think for herself and recognize when the leader she admired screwed up. She wasn't analytic--she had a simple view of things (good people/bad people) and a very simplistic approach to labeling others. If she liked someone, they must be good...and thus deserve her loyalty.
It will help if you think out whether your MC's acceptance of a follower role comes from social convention (for her age? for her sex? for her position in a group?) or from some past experience that makes her doubt her ability to lead.
In another book, a character whose leadership potential had been short-circuited by early trauma revealed it only in a crisis when the character was the most senior person alive after a mutiny. As the character and the organization both discovered her talent, the discrepancy between her everyday behavior and her crisis behavior caused additional problems...people tend to trust those who are the same every day, not the ones who switch from meek, shy, subdued to decisive, outgoing, bold. Unlike the farm girl, this one was constantly self-questioning, over-thinking things, and expected to be overlooked, disapproved of, etc. Same basic situation (grow into a leadership role) but very different person with very different background (so very different story.)
Each of my young characters who moves toward responsibility and leadership, male or female, has had a different path, relating to the character's innate, permanent personality traits and skills...and relating to the character's experiences. Some showed their talents quickly, and their errors were often overconfidence, having too much initiative, ignoring advice. Some were slower to develop (one made it to full adulthood--father of a grown child-- before breaking out of a defined inferior social role to lead a peasant rebellion.) Some ran into problems not of their making--really big problems that sapped their confidence for a long time. Along with them were secondary and minor characters who contrasted with them (some stayed contented followers, some were competitive but revealed traits that made them permanent failures as leaders, etc.) and the contrasts sharpened the characterization of the main characters.
Quinn is certainly right that as your character develops, mistakes and blind alleys in the progress are necessary. Those mistakes, those obstacles, should be organic to your individual character--grow out of your character's traits and experience--not be stuck in just to be obstacles.
Good luck!
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