Archive for July, 2013

The importance of Character Arc

Saturday, July 6th, 2013

After reading “Twilight” by Stephanie Meyer, I couldn’t figure out why some of my writer friends called it popcorn, poorly written material.

At a party last month, I asked one of those friends to explain, particularly because I had gotten caught up in the young adult story and liked the characters, though now I can’t remember their names and had to look them up (Bella Swan and Edward Cullen). That should have been a clue right there. Memorable characters have memorable names, like Scarlet O’Hara, Scout, Jay Gatsby, Elizabeth Bennett and the couple Jake Barnes and Lady Brett Ashley.

One writer friend said that the point-of-view character, Bella, who falls in love with Edward, a sexy vampire whose extreme beauty is almost un-human, doesn’t change.

In other words, there is no character arc for her where she undergoes some kind of transition and learns something in the process. She’s just a pretty girl who ends up with the vampire boyfriend.

A character arc demonstrates the point-of-view character’s growth process through the unfolding of the story through beginning, middle and end. Without a character arc, which is graphed as a curve alongside the plot, the story becomes a series of events lacking anything tying them together.

The character has to want something, or she already has what she wants and loses it. She has a certain viewpoint at the onset that changes by the end. She is impacted by the plot, and as a result changes and grows.

The character arc is the line of movement in the story as this character faces her flaws, fears, attitudes and limitations and overcomes them to get what she wants or needs but does not initially recognize or acknowledge. When she faces her flaws, she is forced to face the truth about herself and as she does so, is able to consciously choose to change or not to change.

The inner or outer journey she undergoes from beginning to end causes growth and transformation of who she is. A negative arc will take her from a good place to bad, while a positive one takes her from bad to good. An arc that isn’t so clear cut allows her to achieve some of what she wants or needs, but not everything.

Regardless, she is a different character at the end of the book and not the same old Bella, or beauty, she was at the beginning.

Choosing to Live in Love

Tuesday, July 2nd, 2013

I was exuberant with joy this morning. The Reporter Herald contained a good-sized article about my new life-coaching business – Paths 4 Change. The young reporter had been very attentive during our conversation. He described the role of labyrinths in my work and gave examples of ways that people can use labyrinths in spiritual practices.

I was sitting at my computer around noon when my telephone rang. The caller ID read anonymous, so I figured it was another solicitation call, but I answered anyway. There was silence, so I thought a recording was coming.

Imagine my surprise when the hesitant voice of a woman asked me if I had been the subject of the article in the newspaper today. “Yes!” I responded quickly thinking this sounded like someone sorely in need of my services.

Imagine my greater surprise when the woman said, “What you are doing is New Age. Labyrinths are not in the Bible and I cannot believe that they built one at First Christian Church.” Somewhat flabbergasted, I told her that labyrinths have been used in churches for hundreds of years. The labyrinth in Chartres Cathedral was built in 1200.

She was not convinced. Jesus did not walk labyrinths, and, furthermore, meditation is evil. Just another New Age thing. And you might not think about Jesus when you are meditating.

“I felt sick reading the article,” she said, “I know you are making a lot of money with this New Age stuff. It’s probably paying your rent. I looked up your address and you live in Lincoln Place Apartments, so you’re making a lot of money.”

At the close of the mostly one-sided conversation and when I got my breath back, I tried to understand where this woman is coming from. We make our decisions based on love or fear. I did not detect any love in either her tone of voice or in her words. She is obviously living in fear. I do not know what she is afraid of, but I refuse to be pulled into the depths of her despair.

I am so grateful for the positive, supportive people in my life. I am blessed.