
Likewise, flat arcs are just as critical to get right as positive or negative arcs-they will still define your character’s journey, and still serve to keep your readers engaged.įlat arcs are still character arcs, but instead of growing and changing as a character, flat arc characters stay the same.

Of course, change arcs and flat arcs still follow many of the same principles.īoth will be intimately tied to your story’s structure, and both will shape your novel’s theme. This flat arc focuses on a character who doesn’t need to change personally, and instead needs to improve and shape the world around them.

You see, both positive and negative character arcs are what’s called a “change arc.” These arcs are all about the character growing and learning, ultimately transforming as a person-either for better or for worse.Īlongside these two change arcs is the flat arc, or the black sheep of character arcs. However, that is only part of a much larger picture. “A character arc is the internal transformation of a character as they struggle to overcome major flaws or wounds.”įrom there, most character arcs are classified as one of two types: For starters, a character arc is defined as: While I introduced the basics of character arcs in much more detail in Character Arcs 101: Positive and Negative Arcs, let’s cover a few quick definitions to make sure you’re up to speed if you missed that post.
