CHARACTER ARCS & REAL LIFE: A Writer's Reflection and Advice
You don’t want a stagnant character.
I think about this a lot:
The main character of a book is not the same at the end of the book.
That’s a great way to look at it in terms of plot and character arcs.
A useful concept to keep in mind when writing a book.
Because just like in real life, books are a moment in time, a specific timespan that changes the character forever.
It could be a heart wrenching change, a happy change or whatever other kind of change. It depends on the book you’re writing.
But the person you wrote in the beginning is no longer the same in the end. Their entire life has shifted. They’ve grown somehow.
When I look back on PAOLA UNRAVELING (my debut novel, currently querying) and how much her story mimics what I went through in love and domestic abuse, it puts me in awe. Mainly because writing the book was cathartic, and it was a way to look at that point in my life through a different lens. As an outsider, an analyzer.
It was healing, terrifying, and heart breaking to have the ability to read the story through and through. To quite literally watch it unfold in hours. It wasn’t just me living it anymore.
Although Paola and my story share plenty of similarities, the abuse I endured was seven years not four.
It’s crazy how one night can change you forever.
One person has the power to change the trajectory of your entire life FOREVER.
It’s quite terrifying really.
Would I say the experience is something I would change or regret? No. As much as my life during that time was torture, I wouldn’t change a thing.
You may ask, “Why not?”
It’s simple.
I like who I am today.
Do I like how I got here? No.
I wouldn’t wish this trauma on anyone, because this type of trauma quite literally sticks to you forever.
I left her four years ago this May and I still have triggers, although manageable now.
As much as I don’t like to admit this, she still crosses my mind from time to time. I still dream of her sometimes. But I’m glad I’m out of that nightmare.
I’m hopeful to share my story - especially the fictionalized version - with the world.
I hope PAOLA UNRAVELING validates someone.
I hope she helps someone see the signs and safely leave.
I hope someone feels less alone.
I hope educators will use her to spread awareness of domestic abuse in the LGBTQ+ community.
I hope the message I want to send shines and changes someone’s life for the better.
I hope I heal someone, the way writing PAOLA UNRAVELING healed me.
With all that to say, if you are writing a book, write it with your heart.
Don’t fear your character being a completely different person in the end, with a completely different life compared to how the book started.
You don’t want a stagnant character.
That’s unrealistic.
If you’re unsure how to execute this, read a lot of books! Ask a lot of questions.
Practice, practice, practice.
I also recommend outlining - and when I say outlining, I don’t mean it has to be strict. You can always add or subtract to a loose outline.
Happy writing!
Happy Reading!
Ferni Escoto <3