How to Write Character Arcs – Whatever Your Genre
Discover how plot and character work together to help you write better stories.
Which is more important: plots or characters?
Or is it a chicken-and-egg thing?
Plot and character work hand-in-hand to keep people turning the page. And, more importantly, keep people coming back for the next book. That’s what builds your fanbase – and your income.
You need characters readers don't just love – they root for them. And you can only build your reader's attachments to them by putting your characters through hell 😈
That’s where character arcs come in.
Building your character arcs
How do you get your character arc to tie in with your plot?
Are character arcs and plots two completely different things, or are they more related than we’ve been told?
How do you create character arcs that build deeper relationships with readers – and keep them coming back?
How can make sure your character arc works when you edit?
We’ll answer all these questions and more.
You'll finish understanding how to:
- Get your plot and character arc to work together
- Decide on character arcs for your supporting characters (or if they even need them)
- Craft character arcs for any genre including (but not limited to): fantasy, crime, action, and romance
- Build a character arc for a series, even if you don't know the end point yet
- Use positive, negative, circular, and flat arcs in your stories
- Use a character arc as a subplot – or a main plot
- Work out which character arc fits your genre
- Come up with your character's fatal fear or flaw...
- ...and tie that into your plot AND character arc
Workshop structure
This two-hour workshop involves three parts: theory, practice, and Q&A.
In the theory sections, we analyse character arcs using examples from pop culture to explore how – and why – they work.
During the activities, you'll be experimenting with characters and plot elements devised exclusively for this workshop.
You don't even need your own story for this one – we'll be giving you all the tools you need!
Success stories
Clear and engaging
The workshop is great for those who want to have strong characters but don’t really know how to do that. As a person who loves characterisation and considers it very important, I found Kristina’s advice to be wonderfully encompassing of the main points of what a character arc is, why it’s important, and how to make improvements. Her way of explaining things is very clear and engaging. If you have trouble with characters and don’t understand how to help a character grow across the arc of your story, this course is a perfect fit for you.
Immediately applicable to my work in progress
A really helpful breakdown of character arcs in their different types, with examples and formulas which not only made things very clear, but made the lessons learned immediately applicable to my work in progress. I'd recommend this to anyone looking to add depth to their characters and weave their different arcs into a cohesive and coherent plot. People always say that genre novels are heavy on plot, whereas literary novels are heavy on character. You know what? Get them right and you can have both a riveting plot and wonderfully realised characters. This course will help you achieve that.
It revealed my characters' true feelings
It revealed my characters' true feelings without being direct. Great exercise. It helped me see my other main character is actually jealous of the protagonist. I found the dialogue between the two characters changes over the course of the story, as their level of self-confidence changes.
About Kristina's How to Write Realistic Characters workshop
Kristina has helped me write a coherent and compelling plot as well create realistic characters
Kristina has a caring a passionate approach to what she does. She has helped me to control my need to add every possible idea into my story and to write a coherent and compelling plot as well create realistic characters. She instils confidence into you and helps you wade through the all the negativity that writers put themselves through, helping you find the positives. I highly recommend Kristina as she has a vast publishing history to back up her credentials.
About Kristina's author coaching
Meet your guides
Kristina Adams
Kristina Adams is the bestselling author of seven novels, two novellas, and three nonfiction books for writers.
Her blog, The Writer's Cookbook, has helped over 100,000 writers to develop their writing craft and mindset. She's taught in-person and online courses for writers on topics including mindset, blogging, and characterisation.
Her bestselling What Happens in... series is loved by readers all over the world. And what keeps readers coming back? You guessed it – the characters.
When she isn't writing, she's baking or taking naps with her dog Millie.
Ellie Betts
Ellie Betts is co-host of The Writer's Cookbook podcast, Creative Writing MA student, writer, and tech support person.
She loves all things writing, especially short stories, fantasy, and life writing. Her blog posts are some of The Writer's Cookbook's most popular in its seven-year history.
Her current work-in-progress is an urban fantasy novel with a sarcastic, wine-loving female protagonist we know you're going to love.
She can normally be found either working on her latest project or studying writing, usually with a black coffee in her hand and her cat, Frankie, by her side.
What others say...
Immediately applicable to my work in progress
A really helpful breakdown of character arcs in their different types, with examples and formulas which not only made things very clear, but made the lessons learned immediately applicable to my work in progress. I'd recommend this to anyone looking to add depth to their characters and weave their different arcs into a cohesive and coherent plot. People always say that genre novels are heavy on plot, whereas literary novels are heavy on character. You know what? Get them right and you can have both a riveting plot and wonderfully realised characters. This course will help you achieve that.
I felt immediately enthused, confident and empowered
After my session with Kristina, I felt immediately enthused, confident and empowered. A great listener, she is immense at giving highly tailored guidance based on wherever you are in your publishing journey. No two aspiring authors are in the same place, either creatively or from a distribution and marketing perspective, but Kristina strengthens your abilities wherever they are. Thanks to her impressive publishing history, she’ll instill confidence in you without ever being aloof or condescending, in fact, her warmth and reassuring approach is what I most remember and appreciated. I wholeheartedly recommend Kristina.
About Kristina's author coaching
Comprehensive and informative
Whether you’re a new writer or an experienced one, there’s something in here for you. Creating believable characters can sometimes be a hard thing, especially under pressure to write more and more, and in an internet world where every type of character has already been written before. This book gives you new angles to consider with helpful 'how to' bits that will bring your writing to the next level!
About Kristina's book, How to Write Believable Characters: Character Development Tips for Novelists Poets, and Scriptwriters