Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Qualityâ Free Actions
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
Okay, so. Ranting time. How to find a theme, my personal run-down of what a theme is, character arc discussions, etc.Â
Theme is a pretty major part of a story. Even in plot-driven stories, thereâs gonna be some underlying theme or lesson that an author is trying to show to an audience, even if itâs unintentional. The most basic good vs. evil, totally plot driven story will still have a theme...good vs. evil. Which is vague. But itâs enough, technically speaking, to be classified as a theme.Â
Stories are built to convey meaning, as well as to entertain. Itâs totally fine if you put the majority of your focus on developing interesting and unique plots and characters, because thatâs whatâs going to hold your readersâ attention.Â
But your story will carry the most meaning for both you and your readers if you give your characters arcs and have a theme running through your story.Â
What is a theme?
The simplest way of explaining a theme that Iâve found:
The theme is the lesson or idea youâre trying to teach an audience through character development and change, without being preachy.Â
If all the characters are obnoxious, perfect angels who talk way too much about love and joy and sunflowers, youâll probably just end up annoying readers. And, we donât want to be too on the nose with it. Often, characters wonât even be able to identify their own issues and what they need to fix, but the plot will provide them with a good opportunity for them to take matters into their own hands and fix it (or make it worse, if you want to write a negative arc).Â
How to find your theme?
Pick whatever lesson or idea you want your audience to see. If you have a few ideas, write âem all down and roll with one, or even multiple if you want to tackle that.Â
Pick something youâre passionate about, you feel like you could improve on, you want others to come to understand, whatever you want.Â
Positive, negative, and flat arcs
For example, a theme could be standing up for yourself. You could have a main character who lets themselves get pushed around a lot, and through character arcs and the magical plot, they come out better and learn how to stand up for themselves. Thatâs a positive arc. Goes in bad, comes out better.Â
In How To Train Your Dragon, Hiccup learns to let go of what others expect of him, and to do what he believes is right. He blatantly disobeys his father, whom he desperately wants to please, all for the sake of doing what he believes is right. The dragons donât deserve to die, and Hiccup learns to stand up for that.Â
Or, as a negative arc, a theme could be standing up for and defending yourself, but the character could, through the events of the plot, become so afraid of being hurt again that they take self-defense too far and turn to âthe dark side.â Negative arc. Goes in bad or good, depending on your story, and comes out worse.Â
I would say Azula from The Last Airbender is a pretty good one here. Sheâs the perfect princess. Talented. Smart. Beautiful. She has her fatherâs approval, and he literally crowned her as the new Fire Lord. But itâs not enough for her. The emotional abuse has left her permanently scarred, and she canât take it anymore. She loses her sanity and is defeated. No matter how many terrible choices sheâs made, the audience still feels pity for her because of her sympathetic background.Â
Youâve also got flat arcs, which are less focused on personal growth within the character and more on the events around them. The characterâs morals and ideas donât shift much over the course of the story.Â
Basically, it often results in boring characters. Everybody likes to see their characters change, and flat arcs just donât do it for me most of the time.Â
Character arcs can be as complicated or as simple as you want.Â
When it comes to character arcs getting complicated, thatâs...the plot. So, your arc can be as simple as the plot, or it can be as complicated as the plot. They go hand-in-hand.Â
So if you want a simple, clear-cut character arc and a nicely packaged theme, you can keep the plot simple. Or you can make it complicated if thatâs your cup of tea.Â
Simple. Does. Not. Mean. Boring.Â
If your characters are good and have interesting arcs, trust me. It wonât be a boring story. Look at Pride and Prejudice. I have no idea who first said it, but âitâs basically just a bunch of people going to each othersâ houses.â Itâs true. But the characters are interesting and have good arcs, and you root for them no matter how boring the exterior plot may seem.Â
How to know if your character has a good arc?
Compare your character at the start to how they are at the end. Have they changed in any way, either growing as a character or becoming worse in some way? Character arc. Boom. Thatâs it.Â
How to avoid being too on the nose while trying to write your theme?
Show your theme. Donât tell it.Â
And story structure! We want to see a character at a low point in a story, the disaster right before the climax, or perhaps theyâre offered everything they ever thought they wanted. This moment tests them to the extreme, and they have to make the choice to change in some way, either negatively or positively.Â
The character makes the realization and has to pick themselves up and defeat the antagonistic force in the story, whatever it may consist of, or perhaps join the antagonist force if the arc is negative?
Get creative with it.Â
This way, the audience gets to see the theme, the lesson, the thing the character learned, and you donât have to be preachy. By watching that character go through everything theyâve gone through, we can see the change and learn with them.Â
And even if the audience canât see the arc clearly, they know something is there. They know something about this character has changed, even if they canât put their finger on it.Â
Iâm not saying you should be super ambiguous with theme, but itâs okay if itâs not the clearest thing ever. The audience will still appreciate it, and those who want to can dig deeper into an analysis of the character.Â
I'm writing an AU fanfiction of canon (a murder mystery) and I changed this one big thing that happened three years ago before canon time that butterfly-effected to all: characterisation and even the murder mystery itself. For important plot's sake, I want to make a plot twist that the missing victim in the original timeline is actually the culprit, but I'm having a hard time with make it believable in characterisation aspect, that they are capable of doing it, even with the butterfly effect. They have some grey morals, but they are not black.
Do you perhaps have tips?
I'm sorry it took me so long to answer this, but I kept staring at it, not knowing how to help.
All I can think is that sometimes, characters make bad decisions. People change with the circumstances, everyone always finds an excuse for their actions. If your main character sees that grey morals person now being worse, you can hint at how their life took a different path, making them hard and cynical.
People are not made of logic, they're made of messy emotions. If you feel like your character is not "dark" enough to do these things, let shit happen to them. Again, even the worst people you know, still think they're good and have good reasons to do the things they do. People will justify anything to themselves.
I don't know if it helps, but you could look up things like archetypes, or negative character arcs. Maybe this can get you started.
Consider the following four approaches to how to use archetypes in a series so you can determine which feels most resonant for your story.
Explores nine negative character arcs in the Enneagram personality theory, including the thematic Truths the characters are missing.
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, I wrote an article on character arcs. In that article, I explained the importance of developin
âââââ§âââââ
There are three sub-types of a negative arcs. They are:
⢠The Disillusionment Arc: a character overcomes their Lie but finds the Truth to be tragic
⢠The Fall Arc: a character desperately clings to their Lie despite the presence of a positive Truth, leading them further into tragedy and sorrow
⢠The Corruption Arc: a character lives in close proximity to the Truth but ultimately rejects it to embrace a Lie
Establishing The âWhyâ Behind Your Negative Change ArcâŚ
As mentioned above, every negative change arc rests on the foundation of the Lie your character believes and the Truth that counteracts that Lie, though these elements can manifest in several ways. The Truth might be what your character needs to find happiness or peace, while the Lie represents what they falsely believe will bring them resolution. Or, the Truth might be a harsh reality, with the Lie serving as a false and often idealized notion of this reality.
Before developing your characterâs Lie and Truth, identify the tragic flaw that will prove their ultimate downfall. Is it pride, fear, cowardice? Something else entirely? With this tragic flaw established, you can then define the limiting belief that will serve as the basis for your characterâs story specific Lie and Truth.
With these elements established, you can begin developing the goals and motivations that will drive your character to action (or a distinct lack of action) throughout your story, making it far easier to map the beats of your negative change arc using the structure I break down below.
During this time, you may wish to ask yourself the following questions:
With these elements established, you can begin developing the goals and motivations that will drive your character to action (or a distinct lack of action) throughout your story, making it far easier to map the beats of your negative change arc using the structure I break down below.
During this time, you may wish to ask yourself the following questions:
What does my character want, believing it will bring them peace, happiness, or resolution?
What does my character actually need to achieve this or a far better emotional desire?
What are my characterâs personal values and moral beliefs?
What line would my character claim never to cross, even under duress?
What would it take to push my character over this moral ledge?
Whatâs at stake if my character fails to overcome their Lie and/or accept the Truth?
What does my character believe is at stake if they release their Lie and/or acknowledge the Truth?
How does my characterâs limiting belief affect those around them?
Mapping the beats of a negative character arc:
BEAT #1: THE HOOK
This opening beat introduces your character in their everyday world (i.e. before they become entangled in the arcâs core conflict). In Disillusionment and Fall arcs, the hook introduces how the Lie your character believes impacts their daily life, creating conflict within themselves and with others.
In Corruption arcs, this beat introduces your characterâs Truth instead. This is best accomplished by showing how your characterâs tragic flaw, which will eventually lead them to reject the Truth by the end of your story, creates conflict in their everyday life.
BEAT #2: THE INCITING INCIDENT
Shortly after the hook, an unexpected event introduces a change in your characterâs life.
Unlike in a positive change arc, where characters often mislike the opportunity the inciting incident presents, the change introduced in a negative arc often appeals to your character because it doesnât contradict the Lie they believe. Rather, it offers the character an opportunity to reaffirm their Lie.
The most notable exception to this âruleâ occurs in a Corruption arc, where the inciting incident prompts a change that will lead your character on a journey in which they reject the Truth in favor of a Lie.
BEAT #3: THE FIRST PLOT POINT
Whether theyâre attracted to or forced to accept the opportunity presented by the inciting incident, your character sets out on a literal or figurative journey in this moment, failing to recognize that this choice will prove the catalyst for their ultimate downfall.
BEAT #4: A SERIES OF DISCOMFORTING EVENTS
As your arcâs core conflict gets underway, a series of events begins to shake your characterâs firm hold on their Lie or Truth. In a Disillusionment arc, your character experiences a series of conflicts that hint at their tragic Truth. But instead of facing this Truth, your character clings to the comfort of their Lie.
In a Fall arc, this series of conflicts sees your characterâs Lie act as an obstacle in their pursuit of a goal or resolution.
Finally, in a Corruption arc, your character is repeatedly tempted to reject their Truth in favor of achieving a desire related to their Lie. They may being showing signs of corruption during this time, though theyâll likely experience great inner turmoil as a result of their choices.
BEAT #5: THE MIDPOINT
Roughly half way through your negative change arc, an event forces your character to confront their Lie or Truth, leading them to take seemingly irreversible action.
In a Disillusionment arc, your character recognizes the tragic Truth at last, leading them to question and even act against their Lie for the first time. Alternatively, in a Fall arc, the character recognizes their Truth but actively chooses to reject it.
In a Corruption arc, your character rejects their Truth in favor of taking action to achieve the desire related to their Lie.
BEAT #6: A SERIES OF DEVOLVING EVENTS
After the events of the midpoint, your characterâs ultimate downfall should be firmly underway. In the series of events that follow in Fall and Corruption arcs, your character embraces their Lie, even as part of them recognizes the consequences of doing so and tempts them to return to the Truth.
In a Disillusionment arc, this series of events sees your character come to understand their tragic Truth more deeply, even as part of them yet wishes to reject this Truth and return to the comfort of their Lie.
BEAT #7: A TRAGIC REALIZATION
Throughout the second half of your arc, your character has glimpsed the consequences of the Lie theyâve embraced or the tragedy of the Truth they now recognize. However, it isnât until this beat that they truly experience the devastation of their Lie or tragic Truth.
Suddenly, an event makes this devastation painfully apparent. In Fall and Corruption arcs, this event is typically a tragedy that forces your character to confront the consequences of their actions after having embraced their Lie.
In a Disillusionment arc, your character is instead forced to watch as their tragic Truth proves to be their own undoing or the undoing of those they love.
BEAT #8: THE THIRD PLOT POINT
Devastated by the tragedy of their Truth or Lie, your character sees no hope for the future. Itâs in this moment that characters in Fall and Corruption arcs wholly reject their Truth and willingly devolve into the darkness of their Lie, pursuing their Lie-driven goal with reckless abandon.
In a Disillusionment arc, your character instead rejects their Lie once and for all and sets out to either remove themselves from the tragedy of the Truth or face its inevitable consequences.
BEAT #9: THE CLIMACTIC SEQUENCE
In Fall and Corruption arcs, the climactic sequence proves the culmination of your characterâs attempt to achieve their Lie-driven desire. Ultimately, theyâll either achieve this goal and find the victory to be hollow or simply fail to achieve any victory at all.
In a Disillusionment Arc, the climactic sequence instead sees your character experience one final tragedy, often as a result of a course they previously set in motion. Itâs all your character can do to stand by and watch the tragic fruits of their labor unfold.
However, depending on the events of your particular arc, this moment might instead see your character actively cause a tragedy, often their own death.
BEAT #10: THE RESOLUTION
Most negative change arcs wrap up quickly after their climactic sequences, as thereâs little your character can do to resolve any of the consequences of their tragic downfall. Instead, the resolution usually gives readers a glimpse of the characterâs new unhappy reality or shows how the characterâs actions during the climactic sequence impacted those around them.
A Final Note on Crafting Effective Negative Change ArcsâŚ
When crafting negative change arcs, many writers make the mistake of trying to shock readers with an unexpected tragic ending, such as death or imprisonment. However, what makes a negative change arc so tragic isnât the characterâs ultimate downfall but rather all the opportunities they had to avoid that downfall.
For a negative change arc to play out successfully, readers need to see the tragedy coming. Perhaps not in explicit detail, but your characterâs actions should nevertheless foreshadow their ultimate downfall. As a writer, you want readers on the edges of their seats, screaming at your character to stop being so bull-headed, or weeping into a pillow over your characterâs hurts.
More often than not, shock factor will only leave your readers feeling cheated because it so rarely pairs with any real narrative purpose.
To craft a truly effective negative arc, instead establish exactly who your character is as a person and ensure that any actions they take reflect the person they are and the journey theyâre experiencing. The more intentionally you highlight your characterâs inevitable downfall, the more successful your negative change arc will be.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
â Live Streamingâ Interactive Chatâ Private Showsâ HD Qualityâ Free Actions
Free to watch ⢠No registration required ⢠HD streaming
