Character Arcs & Their Screwiness

(P&N arc) What Your Character Is Missing [Part I]

Whew...

It's been a while since I've dusted off this book. Been at least five months since I last put pen to paper. I might be a bit rusty, but hey, let's dive in and do this thing!😆

BEFORE we go into the missing dough bit I talked about earlier and yada yada yada I need to talk about this FIRST.

Ok, so, as we all know by now that you suck at writing character arcs. Why? Because I said so.

(I'm just kidding, please don't kill me)

Seriously though, it's highly likely that both you and I are struggling when it comes to crafting compelling characters.

Why?

Because we're missing that special something in our characters—a little substance, if you will.

And by substance, I don't mean drugs.

I'm talking about that human touch. The personality, the quirks, the insecurities that make you, well... you. It's also what makes your characters interesting.

Sometimes, even having no personality can be a character trait in itself.

For instance, imagine one of your main characters in the book you're writing is an alien or some other non-human creature. Or maybe they just don't have a soul. This character would behave, speak, and live differently from everyone else. Yet, readers would find them intriguing. Some might even grow fond of them.

Why?

Because this character is different. They're unique. They're special.

It's the individuality and distinctiveness of each person in your story that captivates readers. They'll find them fascinating and want to dig deeper because it feels like they truly exist, thanks to their realism.

Okay, if you're still not getting it, let me hit you with an analogy:

Picture this—you're writing a book, and you create a couple of characters who are meant to be lovers. But here's the catch: you accidentally make them too similar. Their personalities are carbon copies of each other.

What do you think will happen?

You'll end up with a colossal pile of utter nonsense, a swirling vortex of dumbfuckery, a disastrous shitstorm of hooligan monkey shit!

*cough*

Ahem... Excuse me.

But essentially, if you did that, you'd be nothing short of a lil' dumb shit.

The whole point of having a cast of characters is to embrace a thrilling range of personalities. Their differences compensate for the contrasting traits or abilities others lack.

Nobody's perfect. That's the universal truth.

So, don't make your character have the conscience of a literal mollusc. It's an insult—to yourself as a writer and to all that is good in this world.

Embrace the variation, my friend.

Peace out.

drops mic

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In the next chapter, we are gonna talk about the dough thing I mentioned in the intro. And I'm gonna help you start your character arc!!!✌️