As I try to turn the lifelong hobby of writing into a serious pursuit, I’ve been working on understanding how to transform an idea into a book. When I was writing just to entertain myself, I never thought much about character arcs and story structure, or how essential those tools are for constructing a compelling and readable story. Your future readers may not think about character arcs either, but they will certainly expect a pay off for the investment of their time and money. K.M. Weiland’s Creating Character Arcs will help you deliver on that unspoken promise.
One great thing about Creating Character Arcs is that it doesn't just leave off at showing how to build an interesting and believable character. It discusses the evolution of character development alongside the waypoints of the larger story structure. What should be happening at the first plot point? What decisions should the character be facing? How does your character react to the events that have brought him or her to the midpoint? How have you shown the contrast in your character’s evolution up through the resolution? These details can be overwhelming when you're beginning to find your way, but Weiland has a straightforward and logical approach to providing helpful guidance that allows you to answer these questions for yourself.
Weiland uses examples from well-known books and films that demonstrate the principles being taught. Using, among others, Jane Eyre and Jurassic Park, she carries those examples through the entire book so that you can see the changes in Jane Eyre and Alan Grant as they move through the key points of their character arcs and story structures. Using familiar material provides immediate recognition of the principles in a very accessible format.
You may want to use the “look inside” feature on Amazon to view the chapter titles so you can see the depth of the material covered. Aside from these major sections, she also covers an array of thought-provoking topics like:
How to convince readers to invest in your character.
What is a characteristic moment?
The symbolism of the normal world.
Should all my minor characters have arcs?
What is an impact character, and why does every story need one?
How do I write a character arc in a series?
Even if you've already written your draft, this book is an excellent guide for testing the foundation of your story, analyzing your main character’s journey, and suggesting improvements you may not have considered.
K.M. Weiland has become my explainer-in-chief for the nuts and bolts of storytelling. If you feel intimidated by structure and planning and are afraid you might not “get it,” you’ve come to the right place: Weiland is a fabulous teacher, and Creating Character Arcs delivers.
Enthusiastically recommended.
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Relative writing instruction on how to create memorable characters who will grow on readers and remain in our indelible memory.
After I read Structure Your Novel by Weiland, I snatched up every instructional writing book this author has published. Creating Character Arcs is one more gem in my resource library of books on craft. This book makes little things like characteristic scene moments and characters who act on false assumptions understandable and easy to balance. Using the clear thought provoking questions at the end of each chapter deepen the entire writing process. Not only am I impressed enough to own a digital copy of the book, I bought a hard copy so that I can flip to pertinent sections that relate to my current WIP.Weiland's instructional style has changed how readers perceive my writing. So many have commented on the major improvements I've made. I owe this to Ms. Weiland and her command of the crafted word. Creating Character Arcs is a timely publication that will be relative to authors for years to come. Don't miss this one!Sherrie Marshall[...]
Top reviews from other countries
Cliente Amazon
Livro muito bom e vale cada centavo
Reviewed in Brazil on September 26, 2023
Josie Johnston Romance
Brilliant guide for writers on character arcs
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 1, 2024