Some of you will be thrilled to hear that for the past few months, I’ve been writing a book on the subject of storytelling. I’m hoping to release it later this year, and one chapter deals with Story Structure. Basically my goal for that chapter is to explain how Plot Structure and Character Arcs work together to create meaning, and I’m trying to explain it in the simplest way possible. With that in mind, don’t hesitate to give me feedback on what you’re still confused by or other concerns you might have about Character Arcs.
I have a question I was hoping you could give me some advice on? The main character in my story is a very dishonest man. He lied to his girlfriend (the second main protagonist) about a lot of things, ranging from not telling her about the criminal work he was doing, to withholding information on the true nature of the world they had been isekaied to, which would recontextualize everything he had done for her. When all of his lies are finally exposed, she leaves him. After this point, there's a time skip of a few years. The man seemingly allies with the main antagonist, after he offers to give him something that could brainwash his now ex-girlfriend into loving him again. Turns out, it was all a ruse. He double crosses the main antagonist, and manages to defeat him with the help of his ex. The man fakes his death, because he wants both of them to move on, but doesn't think either of them will be able to if they both make it out together. After he does this, he begins a romance with another love interest and the story ends. What I wanted to ask you, was how I could fit some kind of character arc revolving around his dishonesty into the story? There are moments where he uses his lying nature for good, like when he tricked the main antagonist, but he also lies to his ex-girlfriend all the way through to the end of the story. I don't want this character to enter into a new relationship with the reader expecting him to continue to lie to his new girlfriend. I've considered the idea of moving some events around before, like maybe the man gets in a relationship with the new love interest during the time skip, which could help change him, and also avoid the whole faking his death thing, but I wanted to know what you think? What would you recommend I do to establish a coherent arc for this character? I left out a few pieces of information, either because I didn't think they were that relevant, or I thought they revealed too much, so some of the details may be a little vague, but I tried to explain them as best as I could. If you have any questions I would be happy to answer them in one way or another.
This is excellent, and well deserving of a rewatch. My only note is to maybe say more about why overcoming lies is necessary whereas overcoming flaws is optional. Couldn’t quite follow that one point.
@WriterBrandonMcNulty Hey, can you also make a video on subtext? Not just on dialogue but in other scenes as well. Like how Jimmy Mcguiels cup won't fit in his new car indicating how he is out of place in his job, in Better Call Saul show.
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty No, Brandon, you may actually be. Definitely the best on TH-cam. You give us a ton of info, organized, and in a manner that respects all of our time.
I'll go to the best character arc I've ever watched: Prince Zuko. The flaw: his myopic, singular focus of capturing the Avatar. The lie: that his honor can be given back to him. Succumbing to the lie: at the moment of truth, instead of listening to his wise uncle and his own heart, he gives in to his old desire to have his honor "restored" and helps Azula "kill" the Avatar Overcoming the lie and flaw: he realizes through his own actions that he chose the wrong path, and through great trials and selfless acts of helping Aang, Sokka, and Katara, he renounces his old ways, earns the trust of the good guys, and helps them defeat his father once and for all.
In a show filled to bursting with great characters who all had incredible arcs, Zuko still manages to stand out. That show is almost perfect, and I wish they'd stop trying to adapt it to live action when the most it could ever do is be an imitation (people need to stop pretending that only live action stuff is "real" art and that animation isn't just as valid a medium).
Zukos flaw is not that he’s focused on the avatar ..it’s that he wants to be accepted by his father and ppl no matter if it’s a immoral path ..that’s why the pivotal point is his arc was when he rejected his fathers acceptance and joined the avatar ..
His lie is he believes capturing the avatar (being his fathers loyal solider) will bring him his father’s love and acceptance ..this is also evident cuz his sister Azula has the same lie and flaw but she succumbed to it cuz she lacked the alternate love zuko received from friendship ..zuko finds the truth azula succumbs to the lie
I really love when a characters strength gets turned into a "flaw" (can we even say that?). one example would be Boromir, who I would argue it's not that his flaw is weakness or pride. Those don't trigger his downfall. It's actually his noble worry about his people and his desire to defend them that makes it so easy for the ring to corrupt him.
Agree. The very same thing that can be a strength in one set of circumstances can become a flaw in another. A great example of this is General Ironwood from "RWBY." His "lie" is that the ends always justify the means, and that anyone and anything must be sacrifices for the greater good. He quickly goes from hero to villain depending on the situation, but always coming from this same belief.
In Zootopia, both protagonists follow significant arcs. Judy keeps her "make the world a better place" idealism, but learns that she has biases of her own, and starts approaching her goal of making the world a better place more realistically. Nick learns that he can be more than just a stereotypically shifty and untrustworthy fox, leaves his con jobs behind, and becomes the city's first fox police officer.
You should make a video on how to write a comic relief character, good versus bad. Examples: Jar-Jar Binks from Star Wars (bad) vs. Rattrap from Beast Wars (good) Or Charlie Frost from 2012 (bad) vs. Merry and Pippin from LotR (good) Not sure where the brownies from Willow would stand, though
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty Maybe add a bit about quality versus quantity? I feel some films are ruined by too many characters trying to be the comic relief.
I feel like the brownies are close to, but not as good as, Merry and Pippin. They're fun comic relief but they also add to the plot. That's the film though, I haven't watched the TV show and don't even know if the brownies are in it.
@@Valkanna.Nublet that's because if everyone is comical, noone is the comic relief. Those characters are supossed to balance too much seriousness. Today we're likely to be looking for "serious relief" characters.
I like the character arc for Robert Pattinson's The Batman. He starts out believing the lie that he must represent vengeance in order to help Gotham. By the end, he realizes that what Gotham really needs is hope. Here's hoping they don't screw that trajectory up in the sequel.
One writing topic that does not tie into writing exactly is finding a good title. A video on it would be cool because there is no greater pain than creating an incredible story only to go "wait, what do I call this?"
To me, this is the most informative and significant video on the channel. I don’t consider myself a writer but I’m always intrigued by the craft of storytelling and knowing the process and structure of a good story.
For a while, I have struggled at writing my story. Thanks to your channel and some friends, my characters and their flaws have become a lot more clear to me. Keep up the good work
I think you oversimplified Luke's character arc in ROTJ. His way of being a Jedi, including force-chokes and making death threats, puts him a lot closer to the Sith than he'd like to believe. It's the fact that he straddles the line between light and dark that makes him susceptible to being turned to the Dark Side, which almost happens at the film's climax. It isn't until he once and for all time rejects following his father's path that he completes his rising character arc (which at that point had turned downward). Likewise, it was Luke's ability to fall so far and then reverse course that convinced Vader it was possible for him to finally reverse course, too. So I would say Luke's arc was hardly "flat". BTW, if you are interested in reading a comic book series with a fantastic character arc, check out Rick Remender's 4-volume series SEVEN TO ETERNITY.
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty I would posit that Luke’s initial lie is that using his power to achieve success comes before everything else. The whole opening sequence at Jabba’s Palace not only affirms this for Luke, it effectively convinces the audience of this lie as well. By the time Luke faces off against the Emperor and Vader, he is confronted with the idea that his success is not necessarily in the best interests of the people he cares about. The shot of Luke looking at his wounded cybernetic hand is a moment of realization during which he sees that his actions have led him down the path of following in his father’s footsteps. Growth occurs when he demonstrates his willingness to refuse his power altogether.
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty It may not be a lie that he needs to overcome, but rather his own youth and inexperience. His flaw would be his emotional responses to situations that call for caution and discipline.
A better example of a flat character arc is Steve Rogers/Captain America in the MCU. He starts believing in a truth, faces forces and events that make him doubt that truth; which he eventually proves incorrect, and changes those around him to also see/ believe his truth. FYI: Steve's 'truth' is summed up in "I don't like bullies" = power shouldn't be abused by those who wield it.
Another example (I think) is Marty McFly’s flaw across the series that prevents him from turning down a challenge if his courage is questioned. However, in the end of the series he does overcome the flaw which ends up saving his life.
Thank you for this tremendous video. This is one of those watershed writing moments for me (where you all of a sudden see the process a bit clearer). I had never heard the lie/flaw dichotomy/overlap and it makes a ton of sense.
My favourite character flaw probably comes from Succession. (Spoilers ahead) In succession, Kendall's flaw is that he believes he's better than his father Logan and his extreme amounts of overconfidence that come crashing down on him again and again. It ends in tragedy where by the end of the series, he becomes more and more like Logan until he eventually becomes him and the world around him eventually comes crashing down when he loses everything which now is worse because there's now no going back and he's left a rich man with no purpose.
The one that pops to mind is Captain Mal from Firefly. His flaw is that he lets the defeat of the browncoats control him, leading to the lie that he's better off living apart from society and doing his own thing. Over time his lie is challenged as he creates a family with his crew, and an extended community, which leads him to risk everything fighting back one more time.
I think some of the best stories I've read may have jumbles of flaws for main characters and solid articulate ways for that character to overcome them. Ex. Naruto Uzumaki from the manga/anime "Naruto". His flaw would be that he desires to be a leader to gain approval, rather than to guide people somewhere. He has no real goal or direction for what he desires. His lie would be tangential to this, in that he believes that he gains their approval by becoming the leader of his village, not by gaining their approval. Both of these are accompanied by a lot of subtle and not so subtle flaws and lies. He is easily angered, often blusters his way through intellectual situations, has a bit of an inferiority complex, just to name a few flaws. He believes he and his village are the "right side". He constantly fights against a sense of worthlessness by trying to be the brightest person in a situation. He believes receiving the things that people most desire will give HIM respect.
Can you please do a video or two on revenge plots, including, good and bad ways to start the protagonist on the path for revenge? So many stories start with close family or friends getting murdered, and the protagonist just seeking everyone out to kill them. Surely there are better ways for the plot to unfold? Star Wars did it well, by not having Luke seek revenge, and he still achieved justice for his murdered adopted family.
tbh revenge plots in any sense are incredibly passe. Much better to make PREVENTING a character from being vengeful a tension, instead of having someone who is out for revenge the tension.
You're in the kitchen with that one. A character who only exists as part of a plot is not a character. They're a plot device. If a character cannot be talked about apart from a story, then that is a failed character. Even a character with no arc and simple motivations is better than a active plot device.@SirJoelsuf1
This video was insanely useful for me as I am trying to write a story for the first time and I’ve never made a character before. So far my characters feel empty and fake and I think this idea of lies and flaws is exactly what I was missing 👍
WallE has two characters with flat arcs, and everyone else has positive ones. WallE throughout the film shows how he has learned so much and experiences wonder at everything, as he has long since broken his programming. The ship's computer sticks rigidly to it's programming throughout, and will stop at nothing to keep the status quo. Every other character, be they robot or human, starts in Camp Status Quo, but over the course of the movie, they all start breaking their metaphorical chains and move firmly to Camp WallE. It's only then that everyone stops purely existing, and instead start living.
Your lessons have been invaluable for getting me unstuck and moving in a better direction. Everything I learn both illuminates how much I still need to figure out, and empowers me to feel capable enough to do so. It’s like being gifted a full workshop of tools; now I need to practice using them. Sincerely: Thank you. You’ve renewed my optimism and salvaged my confidence. Your books will be at eye-level on my shelves.
Among my favorites involving a character from a long running series is the story arc of Jim Kirk in Wrath of Khan and then in Undiscovered Country in both movies he's still the same consistent character has the same personality, sense of duty, moral compass etc, but in one he's coming to the middle of his life and wondering what the rest is going to be, in the second he's older more rigid but basically content with his life and career looking forward to the final phase of his life when he ends up having to confront his demons ( and save the galaxy) one last time
2:00 Wouldn't say a character flaw prevents a character from being happy so much as it prevents them from being wholly effective to themselves and others. That's how I always saw it.
See I had this same problem with how it was described. Happy is a very broad term, in and of itself. Though I'd probably disagree with the part about effectiveness. Is an ineffective character a character with flaws? Not always because a character and their path can totally diverge from what the story is about and what the people around them are trying to accomplish. Giving Gwen Stacy the power to not die from gravity or fight effectively against villains in The Amazing Spiderman 2 would have been a cop-out of massive proportions.
The worst thing a movie can do is either prevent a character from growing or in much worse cases completely throw their development in the garbage in a sequel. Like Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Last Jedi for example.
Mr. Stevens in The Remains of the Day believes the lie that he must maintain dignity above all else. His flaw is that he is incapable of expressing real emotion to others. In the movie, the scenes with his father beautifully illustrate how both the flaw and the lie originally manifested, and the final encounter with Mrs. Kent tragically reinforce them.
This is not only one of your best videos, it’s one of the best writing videos I’ve ever watched. I’ve read a lot about the misbelief and character arcs but you put all of it together in a way that is easy to understand.
My character's "Flaw" is anger. Causing their supernatural abilities to be uncontrollable. Their "Lie" is believing the doubters saying he's the next Dark Lord when people witness his reckless behaviors.
I love the explanation of the difference between a lie and a flaw. It's something I'd not come across before but definitely will be using in the future!
Really good video however I'd disagree about The Godfather: Michael's lie is that he can keep away from family business. He states it to Kay: "It's my family, it's not me." So his change is "positive", in some way, but tragic: he could not escape his destiny, his identity, but it came at a high price. When I watched the movie the first time I was blown away by how smoothly it was done. The Godfather is truly Greek tragedy.
Always a good day when Mr. McNulty posts a video. Granted I'm 20 hours late to the show but that's beside the point. Loved the before and after snapshots. Was really cool to see them side by side like that, and a good trick to remember!
I always looked at Ratatouille, and thought that Remy doesn't really need to change. It seems everyone else around him needed to change. I wondered how it's still an epic masterpiece 🤩 even though Remy doesn't really change. But this video answered that question for me, he has a flat character arc.
I wouldn't say it's my absolute favorite example, but it just came to mind. I love the flaw and lie in I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore. The lead character's flaw is that she does not stand up for herself and the lie is that the world sucks/ people suck. The moment she starts to overcome her flaw, she starts to unravel the lie. Like the very first time she stands up for herself, the lie begins to unravel. So beautifully written!
I'd actually only ever heard of flaws, not "lies". The distinction clears up so much in my head when trying to analyse characters who's flaws don't change and then how to use that.
So to answer your question my main is a college student who is learning to use his super powers as a superhero. His flaw is that he is impulsive, doesn’t strategize, and he can be selfish. The lie is that he views himself as a failure and he is disappointment. The reason is because while in college he was locked up and put prison which disappointed his parents and he feels guilt for his bad decisions he has made. I always like having my characters at a young enough age they can learn and make mistakes
When I saw the list of movies, I was struggling to figure out which ones were going to be the examples of arcs done poorly. I think the persistence of flaws, even at the end of an arc helps make some of the greatest characters. For instance, the movie version of Theoden, in my view, eclipsed the book version because it was always two steps forward, one step back for him. Whether a flaw, lie, or mix, the impacts of Grima, the tragedy of his kingdom, and the feeling that he is the lesser son of greater sires never were completely shaken until his dying breath. That didn't stop his trajectory from being meteoric. Of course, Brenard Hill's portrayal of him was also a large part of his impact.
Brandon your channel is so amazing. I’m not even a writer, but I’ve been very curious about why modern Hollywood productions seem to be such poor quality. Your videos help me understand bad vs good writing and I appreciate you!
I believe Indiana Jones has a positive change arc, but it's a recurring arc, because he keeps relapsing. He has the same exact arc in the third movie (Last Crusade), where he starts the movie with "it belongs in a museum" and ends the movie with "let it go". A recurring positive change arc should be familiar to anyone who's ever known an alcoholic. They often learn that alcoholism is bad, and then they decide to quit, and then they relapse and have to learn it all over again.
I think the best Character Lie that is super easy to see comes from Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Protangonists gets told something by his father (if you ain't first, you're last) and that saying completely changes his life to the point of ruin. Only at the end of the movie does he choose to embrace the opposite of that lie and experiences happiness helping his life long friend win a race.
I wear both, one on each wrist. My Apple Watch is pretty plain, and my mechanicals are a bit more blingy. I manage developers over-seas so the mechanical is set to their time, which is very handy.
I'm gonna ramble about my own characters again because I love them and your videos inspire me and make me examine how to write them better. The two main characters in my graphic novel both have flaws, but I feel like the protagonist doesn't have an arc...at least in the first book. She starts out just roaming as an adventurer and ends the story much the same, although with a new friend. Given the inspiration Conan the Barbarian had on the character though this is understandable. She is definitely going to have an arc in the second book that explores her history and why she left home to become an adventurer (as well as reveal her deep-seated self loathing, which also feeds her Flaw). She has a flaw in that she has a hair trigger on her temper and tends to react to problems with violence, but by the end of book 1 she's making efforts to control that, but it's something that will persist through the sequels. The deuteragonist's flaws are hubris and mistrusting others. He's a kobold, and given how the society of other peoples in the world treat kobolds (that is, extremely poorly) he's taken to overcompensating for wanting to prove his people worthy of respect by looking down on non-kobolds, while also inherently mistrusting anyone who isn't (which is his Lie). His arc in book 1 is overcoming his mistrust of others, he still has to work on the hubris part.
Great video, as always. One little nitpick: KM Weiland pronouces her name WHY-land, not WAY-land. You can hear her say it at the beginning of every one of her videos (which have fantastic writing advice, as she literally wrote the book(s) about character arcs [/plug]).
I'm not a writer, but want to start prototyping the story for a game that I am planning to make. Is there any "safe" approach to take, like "define your arcs first and then fill the story in-between their starts and ends"? Or is it better to first have a story to tell and then try to fit a character and their arc in? The former seems better as it focuses on characters, their motivations and feelings, and I think these are the most important things, but I'd appreciate any piece of advice on the matter. Now onto "how to hook your audience" I go, further down the rabbit hole of watching your advice videos :)
The crown jewel of my comic collection is Issue #0-100 of Superboy (90's Superboy) - and although the strength and weakness of comics is their "eternal second act", we certainly do have a beginning from which to examine flaws and lies. The first image of Superboy, fairly iconic, is his stepping out of the tunnels from Project Cadmus and telling his companions, "Don't call me Superboy!" His flaw, present throughout his series and beyond, is in his desire to project a particular image of himself - the shades, the leather jacket, the slang - his supporting cast even features a sleezy publicist. We can go on to say that this is an extension of the inferiority he feels at being a clone - he latches onto the idea that Superman is an out-of-date square, while Superboy himself is hip, in that this is the only arena in which Superboy can outcompete Superman. Following from this, his lie is that he doesn't believe he's a worthy hero and person. His relationship with "Knockout" plays into this: Knockout is really an abusive narcissist who manipulates Superboy by feeding his ego, "you've got the power to do what you want", "I'm the only one who really understands you" kind of stuff - and Superboy's actions at this time cause him to lose standing with the people who know this is a bad road. Supergirl even rips the S shield off of Superboy, which feeds into Superboy's anxieties (which isn't to say Supergirl was wrong to do this, the moment was a huge wake up call) Conversely, dozens and dozens of issues later, Superman gives Superboy a kyrptonian name: "Kon-El", and this is really the ultimate expression of Superboy being acknowledged as a worthy hero and person.
Would love you to do a vid comparing original Star Wars vs sequel trilogy, this would get you some great traction on here. Thanks for ur hard work from UK
I think one of the problems with certain character arcs that span multiple movies is that they may each have a different writer and thus development may be forgotten. I think this is probably one of the biggest reasons why so many of us dislike the later Indiana Jones movies as well as those of other long-running franchises.
I think this is a major problem that never gets addressed by directors and writers of these shows and movies. Even if you dont watch the original or talk directly with the prior writer, at least do a deep dive on what their motivations, expectations, and outcomes are. You don't always have to arrive at the same answers everyone else does, but don't just "subvert expectations" for shock value.
I disagree about that, because different writers will inevitably have different approach to subject. Some good examples are comic book series. It is probably the best solution for the problem of changing writers.
@@Mostirrelevant So you would assert that it's a good thing to forget a character's history and approach a story from a different vantage point that may be incompatible with the original characterization that fans were drawn to a series with? I'm not sure modern day sales figures for comic books would agree with that.
@@anon_y_mousse No, I have not said it or wrote it. I have written something else. The problem with Indiana has nothing to do with characterisation, but with different writing style and approach to plot problems, as it happened with changing writers or sequels of some really famous books, like it is the case with Sherlock Holmes. Maybe you did not reconsider the fact: if the characterisation is changed or character is revealed through choice, it should not be done again, so, if we discovered that Indiana is tough guy in the first movie, it should not be repeated, it would make the movie look a bit lame or like soap opera. About comics, approach to story is not same as approach to characters and their characterisation, and different writer will inevitably write different story, but it turned out that some comic books lasted for many decades, with same basic characterisation, but different story worlds and character elements and solutions. I do hope my answer is more clear and understandable.
@@Mostirrelevant The characterization and story go hand in hand. If you don't develop them in tandem then you lose where your character is going and who they are. Consider, what would the Indiana Jones of the original trilogy have done differently in either of the sequels.
It should be noted that NOT every story needs a character arc. This is especially true with certain comedies and horror films. I see people online always complaining that the main protagonist of a film lacked a character arc when one was never necessary.
My favorite character arc is a manhwa called Wrong Night Stand (it's 18+ spicy BL). (Spoilers - don't sleep on manhwa's. They have some great little storytelling powers.) The villain who is universally hated in season one becomes the protagonist of season two, and despite everyone loathing this character, they're in love with him by the end. It's a massive positive change. His flaws are that he thinks it's best to use others, convince them they're special, and get them to confess their love for him, then drop them and destroy their confidence by admitting he never cared. He's a control freak when it comes to emotions. He has to have the upper hand and never allows anything to bother him, even when it does. He pushes that emotion away. He lives to ruin others' feelings. The lie he tells himself is that he likes doing that. Another lie is that he's not lonely. And finally, none of this bothers him. He overcomes his flaws, admits he doesn't feel good about what he did to others, and considers how to make it right. But until the end, he won't admit to himself that he's lonely or genuinely in love with someone. It's terrifying to him when he finally breaks down and admits it. Partially because of a little fear in the back of his head that his lover is doing what he once did and is going to hurt him emotionally, but mostly because he's giving up all his control.
Could you do another video addressing Character Flaws/Lies? It was the first time I've heard of Character Lies articulated and I'd love to see some good/bad writing examples (i.e. natural vs. forced by the writer a la the Mary Sue characters of Star Wars/MCU).
A professional writer I once saw broke it down in simple terms really nice and neatly Negative past experience -> coping mechanism - Lie they believe (basically the character doesn't know their coping mechanism and makes up sth else to justify their behavior) l Affects various aspects of one's life (Goals, style, work, relationships, dialogue etc.) (The coping mechanism affects both things at the same time, life and the lie. Some people don't have a lie and know exactly what is wrong with them but don't change.) That's all you really need for a basic character before they go on an arc, when the arc occurs something challenges their worldview and are either unaffected, better or worse and then you can jump back to step one. (People go crazy about the "goal", it is a good thing to have a clear goal but if you prioritize it you will only write a specific type of character who is usually the confident over achiever who embarks on a journey. A goal doesn't define a person, you wanted to be sth different when you were a kid than now, when your goal is to go buy chicken wings that isn't the essence of your very being, it's a result.)
I love this! Can you give me a concrete example of a specific negative experience and what coping mechanism results from it, as well as the specific lie the character believes from it. I’m just trying to figure out examples of coping mechanisms. Thank you.
Been loving your videos, Brandon. They've inspired me to start writing again after a many-year hiatus. I have a question: I've just started reading Creating Character Arcs by K.M. Weiland and I haven't seen Flaws mentioned yet. It's only been The Lie, Wants/Needs, and The Ghost so far. Is this concept from her book, or elsewhere?
I want to point out that something that is a flaw (or conceived to be a flaw by the character and their surrundings) can sometimes BECOME a strength. This is done by embracing the flaw at some point and being able to see that's not that bad after all. An example of this would be Digimon Adventure (the original, not the 2020 reboot), where Taichi's courage is reckless in the beginning, making it his major flaw. Around the middle of the story he realizes that recklessness is a dangerous thing and becomes almost catatonic for some episodes, before realizing that he can infact be couragous without being reckless. Later on it's shown that this lesson leads to him being able to still act reckles sin certain situations, where a little bit of death.defying behaviour might be the only path to go. A more recent example would be Tokyo Revengers, where Takemichi's soft heart is a major flaw in the context of the story (it's a gangster story after all). But as the story moves forward it becomes more and more clear that his softness is what's needed to bring the story to a good end. Sure, he grows stronger and a bit more hardend over time, but things start to become better for him and his goals when he embraces his kind.heartedness instead of trying to get rid of it. And sorry, that I bring up two anime exapmles here, but I can't think of any western media that portrays this as much. Western media tend to think a bit more in black and white, where a flaw is something you have to overcome to grow stronger. Not something you can embrace to get the same effect. Note that Taichi never become humble and Takemichi never becomes a hardened fighter.
Brandon, I'm currently working on my first novel and I'm having problems with one aspect of it. To explain I'll use names that are not my character's names to describe my problem. Mike and Sarah meet in a place and have four nights together where they express their love for each other. Sarah's angry ex finds out where they are and with a friend, come in and attack the two lovers, wounding both of them. A wounded Sarah is able to get away to try to find help for both her and Mike, but when that helper I'll call John, goes back to find out of Mike is okay, he's not there. The helper is able to get Sarah to safety, but Sarah now believes Mike is dead. About five years later, Mike is able to find Sarah again (Mike knew Sarah got out of the trouble and got help) and Sarah is surprised to see Mike again. They rekindle their love and are able to build a life together. Much later on, Sarah's ex finds out where Mike and Sarah are and tries to kidnap their little girl in revenge. The ex is injured, but some information comes to light that Sarah's ex caused something bad to happen to John, the helper. After many years, Mike and Sarah contact John to tell him who it was that hurt him and John comes to where Mike and Sarah are living with their child. John of course believed Mike to be dead, so they have to explain what happened to Mike and how Mike survived. This information about Mike needs to be related a few times during the course of the story, and I'm having trouble trying to figure out how to tell the same information without boring the reader. Is there any way you can help me out? Thanks in advance. And yeah, I can see how Godzilla would be a negative event. Totally. And thanks for using G-1 as an example. One of the best films out there was a wonderful character arc for Koichi.
When making my characters I always create start off with who they are and their flaws, and how it connects to their life and others, my main character is a violent savage person, this makes others see her as crazy and insane, especially since she is living in a small religious town in 1860, her violence brings herself harm that almost kills her multiple times and she doesn’t stop because she believes people who died protecting her could’ve lived if she just fought harder.
You just answer a question I have. How to write a series were there are few changes? Like The Incredible Hulk, The A Team, or X Files series. With the exception of some episodes in the last one, there are few changes to the main characters's lies and flaws. 1) The main character(s) affect the arc of another character in the curent story or arc. 2) The main character(s) doesn't have to resolve or succumb to their flaw(s).
I'm writing a story with a character with a flat arc and I didn't know it. He's my favorite character in the story (it's for a fighting game with 15 characters) he doesn't care about anything that happens to him, slander, hate (totally selfless) as long as the boy, his master (he's a toy) is safe. He sides with the bad guys to keep tabs on them and is treated like a traitor but the twist happens when he finds out they are hurting the boy and goes to get the other heros to fight back, which creates so much conflict because he was already seen as a Villain from before the whole thing started because he's a villain toy and he's hero counterpart took too seriously his backstory
Hey, can you also make a video on subtext? Not just on dialogue but in other scenes as well. Like how Jimmy Mcguiel's cup won't fit in his new car indicating how he is out of place at his job, in Better Call Saul show.
For further development: you are saying that when the character replalces their lie with a truth, they can then lead a happy, fulfilling life. From Truby's Anatomy of Story, he seems to always pair this impact on the character with character's impact on others. He calls this the moral aspect. While they believe the lie, they cause harm to others. When they learn the truth, they can stop causing others harm in that way. I know this is another layer of complexity, but it does seem important. Maybe this is just another way their definition of success changes? Regarding your video: this is the first place I've seen someone tackle the comparison of flaw with misbelief. I'll have to think about this. Very interesting! To me it's sort of like how world building can be described. Think of a focal aspect of the world's culture. Then puzzle out the implications, what sorry of culture would this be? Similarly with a character -- think of their misbelief, then what are the implications? How would they then act, decide etc.? This would support their flaw being essentially caused by their misbelief. Anyway, thanks for thinking so clearly. Very exciting that there will be a book!
In my current book, which features a negative character arc, my protagonist's (an elven princess) flaw is that she is insecure and seeks external validation from others. Later on in the book, my protagonist doubles down and embraces the lie she believes, and develops more overtly darker, more sinister traits
If we're talking character arcs, none compare to G'Kar and Londo from Babylon 5. The show is an absolute clinic and if you haven't watched it, GO DO IT NOW!
I've just started writing my first novel and I've noticed that it's harder to give my main character a strength when I know he's going to have a tragic development arc. It's about a young teenager sabotaging his education in order to join a war. He convinces himself that it's what's right for him, but should later find out that, well, war is hell. My main inspiration(s) is/are from the novel/movie "All quiet on the Western front" and "Treassure planet". Now this where my tricky part comes. He tries to convince other students and friends (mostly through propaganda and other exterior lies) why he wants to go, but he does it a rude manner. There are some reasons why he behaves that way due to his backstory, but I don't feel this excuses his way of being an A-hole, and also I don't think that my reader would cheer on him to survive the war. I am quite early in the writing process, so anything could change. My character is going to mature in some areas, but without a known strength in very beginning, it is hard to know where to go from. I think that a rude, immature teenager needs positive traits, but how and where to find them is my biggest struggle at the moment.
Hi, I've watched your video where you say you discovered Attack on Titan, and after hearing you elaborate on the subject of character arc here I thought you would almost certainly enjoy a series called Vinland Saga. It is a historical anime about Vikings, and its story is somewhat reminiscent of the novel Blood Meridian. It follows one of the most amazing character arcs for a protagonist IMO. Thanks for all the great content you put out, congrats!
(5:44) Here's the problem. The "negative-change arc" isn't different than the "positive-change arc". Whether something is a "lie" or a "truth" is subjective. The movie's writer chooses the "truth" they are trying to offer to the audience, but every single character believes they are on the "positive-change arc"--offering their "truth" to combat the lie. Suggesting that a character has a "negative-change arc" risks writing that character incorrectly.
You are great teacher. Have you ever written a script for a film? I had Brook elms in Jeffrey d.Calhoun on A podcast that I guessed host. I'd love to have you on. It's called talk about it with Franjez
Don't judge me. I just want to add a redemption arc that no one else here would even think to post. I like the arc of Discord from My Little Pony. He initially is a omnipotent god out to rule the world, but gains a single friend. When he realizes that his chaotic rule will hurt the only friend he has ever made, he can't go through with hurting her. His relationship with the pony grows and grows throughout the seasons. He risks his life multiple times to save her. By the end of the series, he finally gets to marry the one and only friend who gave him respect. It humanizes (?) a cold and hateful monster into one of the greatest heroes of the series.
@@mrjensmeister I suppose I should have said that, but if you want to watch all 221 episodes of the series, plus the specials and the movie, it will take time.😋
If you have not already, please do a video on the most important thing about successful Storytelling. Gimmicks and goodwill. Nearly all the famous writers are not the best writers. They are not famous because they are the best. They are best at what they do! And this is the most important thing for success in any medium or career. Stephen king Hayao miyazaki. Neil gaiman. Jk Rowling. George Martin. Frank Herbert. Etc etc etc. These writers are flawed and broken creators. You can easily criticise their work. The faults are there, on the face. But what unique vision and value they offer to the world is not available anywhere else. Their unique blend of flavour. The taste. The audience develop a addiction to the unique quality that these writers present.
Could you do a video on how to show antagonist decipt like the chancellor in Star Wars without showing their pov until their reveal? The story is mainly in the protagonist's pov so they're inward until its revealed said person is the antagonist
I agree with Brandon that Indiana Jones has a POSITIVE character arc in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Heavy spoilers ahead! Character arcs and a story's theme are interrelated. The THEME of Raiders is RESPECTING THE POWER OF GOD. In the beginning of the movie, Indy steals a religious artifact in the cave. To him, this artifact is just some archeological treasure. But to the Hovitos tribe, it is their religious deity. Indy's FLAW is that he has no respect for religion. That is why he doesn't get to keep the golden idol and it gets taken away from him by his main opponent Belloq. To Indy, his LIE is that he believes that the one with the most toys or the one who can get to the toy (the Ark in this case) first wins. For Indy, archeology is like a game. It isn't toward the end of the film, that Indy RESPECTS religion by NOT LOOKING AT THE ARK. In this way, we see the THEME, RESPECTING THE POWER OF GOD! By the end, the Ark of the Covenant is not just some archeological treasure, but an extension of GOD. Remember earlier, Indy wanted to blow up the ark with a bazooka on the island to save Marion. But Belloq called out Indy's bluff because Belloq knew that the Ark wasn't some artifact. And Indy knew that, too. This is the beginning of Indy's transformation for respecting religion and his POSITIVE character arc.
Is it okay to expand on a character’s arc in a different story? My example would be having 3 different stories in the same universe. They have different protagonists, but share and dive into secondary characters from all 3 stories. I’m not sure if this is the way to go, or if I should minimize important character changes outside of their own story.
I think this is a major issue holding back finishing my vampire romance novel. My female protagonist's is easy- she starts off by finding her happiness by making others happy and throwing away her own dreams, she learns what she wants is most important and it's okay to embrace what she truly wants even if it brings unhappiness to others. The vampire is more complex, and I almost can't define it. He's mainly right about what he believes- that as a vampire he has to take for himself, but he's still a little bit too human and that's what he has to overcome to get what he wants- but without going too far into monster. I know I am not portraying a positive morality tale about traditional good and evil, which I honestly believe are in many ways false anyway. Bad me. 😅 This story is difficult. Am I reading into this subject too much?
Some of you will be thrilled to hear that for the past few months, I’ve been writing a book on the subject of storytelling. I’m hoping to release it later this year, and one chapter deals with Story Structure. Basically my goal for that chapter is to explain how Plot Structure and Character Arcs work together to create meaning, and I’m trying to explain it in the simplest way possible.
With that in mind, don’t hesitate to give me feedback on what you’re still confused by or other concerns you might have about Character Arcs.
That is WONDERFUL!!! Makes perfect sense, CAN'T WAIT!! Would be great if you also release and voice an audiobook :-)
I have a question I was hoping you could give me some advice on?
The main character in my story is a very dishonest man. He lied to his girlfriend (the second main protagonist) about a lot of things, ranging from not telling her about the criminal work he was doing, to withholding information on the true nature of the world they had been isekaied to, which would recontextualize everything he had done for her. When all of his lies are finally exposed, she leaves him.
After this point, there's a time skip of a few years. The man seemingly allies with the main antagonist, after he offers to give him something that could brainwash his now ex-girlfriend into loving him again. Turns out, it was all a ruse. He double crosses the main antagonist, and manages to defeat him with the help of his ex. The man fakes his death, because he wants both of them to move on, but doesn't think either of them will be able to if they both make it out together. After he does this, he begins a romance with another love interest and the story ends.
What I wanted to ask you, was how I could fit some kind of character arc revolving around his dishonesty into the story? There are moments where he uses his lying nature for good, like when he tricked the main antagonist, but he also lies to his ex-girlfriend all the way through to the end of the story. I don't want this character to enter into a new relationship with the reader expecting him to continue to lie to his new girlfriend.
I've considered the idea of moving some events around before, like maybe the man gets in a relationship with the new love interest during the time skip, which could help change him, and also avoid the whole faking his death thing, but I wanted to know what you think? What would you recommend I do to establish a coherent arc for this character?
I left out a few pieces of information, either because I didn't think they were that relevant, or I thought they revealed too much, so some of the details may be a little vague, but I tried to explain them as best as I could. If you have any questions I would be happy to answer them in one way or another.
hey brandon! great vid as usual. you never miss.
remember to check your emails!
Thank you for everything you do! We appreciate your insight and a warm congratulations on your new creation. 🎉
This is excellent, and well deserving of a rewatch. My only note is to maybe say more about why overcoming lies is necessary whereas overcoming flaws is optional. Couldn’t quite follow that one point.
Harry Potter’s arc: positive change
Michael Corleone’s arc: negative change
Indiana Jones’s ark: of the covenant
-_-
Joan: of arc
Hahaha
Arc: Noah's
*bah-dum tish*
This pretty much wraps up a year of my personal research in less than 15 minutes -- absolutely brilliant!
Hahaha thrilled to hear the video helped!
And that's why we watch his videos!! 👍🤘
Right?
So true.
@WriterBrandonMcNulty Hey, can you also make a video on subtext? Not just on dialogue but in other scenes as well. Like how Jimmy Mcguiels cup won't fit in his new car indicating how he is out of place in his job, in Better Call Saul show.
Probably the best writing teacher out here!
I wouldn't go that far, but thank you so much for the kind words
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty No, Brandon, you may actually be. Definitely the best on TH-cam. You give us a ton of info, organized, and in a manner that respects all of our time.
That's a fact!
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty best fiction writing teacher at least that’s for sure!
HONESTLY!!! This is seriously the first time I've ever been able to A: enjoy learning writing B: actually understand it
I'll go to the best character arc I've ever watched: Prince Zuko.
The flaw: his myopic, singular focus of capturing the Avatar.
The lie: that his honor can be given back to him.
Succumbing to the lie: at the moment of truth, instead of listening to his wise uncle and his own heart, he gives in to his old desire to have his honor "restored" and helps Azula "kill" the Avatar
Overcoming the lie and flaw: he realizes through his own actions that he chose the wrong path, and through great trials and selfless acts of helping Aang, Sokka, and Katara, he renounces his old ways, earns the trust of the good guys, and helps them defeat his father once and for all.
In a show filled to bursting with great characters who all had incredible arcs, Zuko still manages to stand out. That show is almost perfect, and I wish they'd stop trying to adapt it to live action when the most it could ever do is be an imitation (people need to stop pretending that only live action stuff is "real" art and that animation isn't just as valid a medium).
He renounces everything he wanted and received to help Aang.
He's my favorite, too!
Zukos flaw is not that he’s focused on the avatar ..it’s that he wants to be accepted by his father and ppl no matter if it’s a immoral path ..that’s why the pivotal point is his arc was when he rejected his fathers acceptance and joined the avatar ..
His lie is he believes capturing the avatar (being his fathers loyal solider) will bring him his father’s love and acceptance ..this is also evident cuz his sister Azula has the same lie and flaw but she succumbed to it cuz she lacked the alternate love zuko received from friendship ..zuko finds the truth azula succumbs to the lie
I really love when a characters strength gets turned into a "flaw" (can we even say that?). one example would be Boromir, who I would argue it's not that his flaw is weakness or pride. Those don't trigger his downfall. It's actually his noble worry about his people and his desire to defend them that makes it so easy for the ring to corrupt him.
Agree. The very same thing that can be a strength in one set of circumstances can become a flaw in another. A great example of this is General Ironwood from "RWBY." His "lie" is that the ends always justify the means, and that anyone and anything must be sacrifices for the greater good. He quickly goes from hero to villain depending on the situation, but always coming from this same belief.
My favorite strength turned fatal flaw is also from Sean Bean: Ned Stark. Ned's honor is played up as a virtue, but it's what gets him killed.
In Zootopia, both protagonists follow significant arcs. Judy keeps her "make the world a better place" idealism, but learns that she has biases of her own, and starts approaching her goal of making the world a better place more realistically. Nick learns that he can be more than just a stereotypically shifty and untrustworthy fox, leaves his con jobs behind, and becomes the city's first fox police officer.
The city's first predator officer, even. I'm pretty sure.
No, there were other predator officers: cheetahs, wolves, lions, tigers, bears...
@DarinMcGrew
Whew, glad I threw in that disclaimer about only being pretty sure. I was way off.
Dude. It feels like every time I've come across a problem or doubt in my writing you post a video that helps me immensely with that problem.
You should make a video on how to write a comic relief character, good versus bad.
Examples: Jar-Jar Binks from Star Wars (bad) vs. Rattrap from Beast Wars (good)
Or Charlie Frost from 2012 (bad) vs. Merry and Pippin from LotR (good)
Not sure where the brownies from Willow would stand, though
I'll add this to my list. Thanks!
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty Maybe add a bit about quality versus quantity? I feel some films are ruined by too many characters trying to be the comic relief.
I feel like the brownies are close to, but not as good as, Merry and Pippin. They're fun comic relief but they also add to the plot.
That's the film though, I haven't watched the TV show and don't even know if the brownies are in it.
One thing that comes to mind is this. Could they have their own film spin off? Yes then good. No, then bad.
@@Valkanna.Nublet that's because if everyone is comical, noone is the comic relief. Those characters are supossed to balance too much seriousness. Today we're likely to be looking for "serious relief" characters.
I like the character arc for Robert Pattinson's The Batman. He starts out believing the lie that he must represent vengeance in order to help Gotham. By the end, he realizes that what Gotham really needs is hope. Here's hoping they don't screw that trajectory up in the sequel.
Your ability to summarize and communicate concepts is unparalleled. I wish many people adopted this teaching structure
Magnificent. You are an excellent teacher. You really should do this full time in a classroom. Seriously.
Thank you! A teaching job would probably kill me though haha
One writing topic that does not tie into writing exactly is finding a good title. A video on it would be cool because there is no greater pain than creating an incredible story only to go "wait, what do I call this?"
I’d love a video on coming up with a good title.
To me, this is the most informative and significant video on the channel.
I don’t consider myself a writer but I’m always intrigued by the craft of storytelling and knowing the process and structure of a good story.
Wow, thank you. Glad you enjoyed it!
For a while, I have struggled at writing my story. Thanks to your channel and some friends, my characters and their flaws have become a lot more clear to me.
Keep up the good work
I think you oversimplified Luke's character arc in ROTJ. His way of being a Jedi, including force-chokes and making death threats, puts him a lot closer to the Sith than he'd like to believe. It's the fact that he straddles the line between light and dark that makes him susceptible to being turned to the Dark Side, which almost happens at the film's climax. It isn't until he once and for all time rejects following his father's path that he completes his rising character arc (which at that point had turned downward). Likewise, it was Luke's ability to fall so far and then reverse course that convinced Vader it was possible for him to finally reverse course, too. So I would say Luke's arc was hardly "flat".
BTW, if you are interested in reading a comic book series with a fantastic character arc, check out Rick Remender's 4-volume series SEVEN TO ETERNITY.
Luke definitely flirts with the Dark Side a lot in RotJ. I’m curious… What would you say his initial Lie is if he has a Positive Change Arc?
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty I would posit that Luke’s initial lie is that using his power to achieve success comes before everything else. The whole opening sequence at Jabba’s Palace not only affirms this for Luke, it effectively convinces the audience of this lie as well. By the time Luke faces off against the Emperor and Vader, he is confronted with the idea that his success is not necessarily in the best interests of the people he cares about. The shot of Luke looking at his wounded cybernetic hand is a moment of realization during which he sees that his actions have led him down the path of following in his father’s footsteps. Growth occurs when he demonstrates his willingness to refuse his power altogether.
Or maybe it's something to do with why to be a Jedi. Not sure how that changes, but it seems it does.
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty It may not be a lie that he needs to overcome, but rather his own youth and inexperience. His flaw would be his emotional responses to situations that call for caution and discipline.
A better example of a flat character arc is Steve Rogers/Captain America in the MCU. He starts believing in a truth, faces forces and events that make him doubt that truth; which he eventually proves incorrect, and changes those around him to also see/ believe his truth.
FYI: Steve's 'truth' is summed up in "I don't like bullies" = power shouldn't be abused by those who wield it.
Another example (I think) is Marty McFly’s flaw across the series that prevents him from turning down a challenge if his courage is questioned. However, in the end of the series he does overcome the flaw which ends up saving his life.
Thank you for this tremendous video. This is one of those watershed writing moments for me (where you all of a sudden see the process a bit clearer). I had never heard the lie/flaw dichotomy/overlap and it makes a ton of sense.
Glad it helped!
What's your favorite character's flaw and lie? Let us know!
My favourite character flaw probably comes from Succession. (Spoilers ahead)
In succession, Kendall's flaw is that he believes he's better than his father Logan and his extreme amounts of overconfidence that come crashing down on him again and again. It ends in tragedy where by the end of the series, he becomes more and more like Logan until he eventually becomes him and the world around him eventually comes crashing down when he loses everything which now is worse because there's now no going back and he's left a rich man with no purpose.
The one that pops to mind is Captain Mal from Firefly.
His flaw is that he lets the defeat of the browncoats control him, leading to the lie that he's better off living apart from society and doing his own thing.
Over time his lie is challenged as he creates a family with his crew, and an extended community, which leads him to risk everything fighting back one more time.
I think some of the best stories I've read may have jumbles of flaws for main characters and solid articulate ways for that character to overcome them.
Ex. Naruto Uzumaki from the manga/anime "Naruto". His flaw would be that he desires to be a leader to gain approval, rather than to guide people somewhere. He has no real goal or direction for what he desires. His lie would be tangential to this, in that he believes that he gains their approval by becoming the leader of his village, not by gaining their approval. Both of these are accompanied by a lot of subtle and not so subtle flaws and lies. He is easily angered, often blusters his way through intellectual situations, has a bit of an inferiority complex, just to name a few flaws. He believes he and his village are the "right side". He constantly fights against a sense of worthlessness by trying to be the brightest person in a situation. He believes receiving the things that people most desire will give HIM respect.
Can you please do a video or two on revenge plots, including, good and bad ways to start the protagonist on the path for revenge?
So many stories start with close family or friends getting murdered, and the protagonist just seeking everyone out to kill them. Surely there are better ways for the plot to unfold?
Star Wars did it well, by not having Luke seek revenge, and he still achieved justice for his murdered adopted family.
Thanks for the idea! I’ll add it to my list
tbh revenge plots in any sense are incredibly passe.
Much better to make PREVENTING a character from being vengeful a tension, instead of having someone who is out for revenge the tension.
I’m very curious on Brandon’s take on revenge plots.
You're in the kitchen with that one. A character who only exists as part of a plot is not a character. They're a plot device. If a character cannot be talked about apart from a story, then that is a failed character. Even a character with no arc and simple motivations is better than a active plot device.@SirJoelsuf1
Thanks for interacting with your audience
Keep it up 👍🏻
Of course! Glad you enjoyed the video
This video was insanely useful for me as I am trying to write a story for the first time and I’ve never made a character before. So far my characters feel empty and fake and I think this idea of lies and flaws is exactly what I was missing 👍
I just like listening to this guy
WallE has two characters with flat arcs, and everyone else has positive ones.
WallE throughout the film shows how he has learned so much and experiences wonder at everything, as he has long since broken his programming. The ship's computer sticks rigidly to it's programming throughout, and will stop at nothing to keep the status quo.
Every other character, be they robot or human, starts in Camp Status Quo, but over the course of the movie, they all start breaking their metaphorical chains and move firmly to Camp WallE. It's only then that everyone stops purely existing, and instead start living.
Nice. A nearly forgotten gem, that one.
One of the best advices I have ever heard.
Your lessons have been invaluable for getting me unstuck and moving in a better direction. Everything I learn both illuminates how much I still need to figure out, and empowers me to feel capable enough to do so. It’s like being gifted a full workshop of tools; now I need to practice using them.
Sincerely: Thank you. You’ve renewed my optimism and salvaged my confidence. Your books will be at eye-level on my shelves.
Among my favorites involving a character from a long running series is the story arc of Jim Kirk in Wrath of Khan and then in Undiscovered Country in both movies he's still the same consistent character has the same personality, sense of duty, moral compass etc, but in one he's coming to the middle of his life and wondering what the rest is going to be, in the second he's older more rigid but basically content with his life and career looking forward to the final phase of his life when he ends up having to confront his demons ( and save the galaxy) one last time
Did anyone ever tell you that you sound a lot like Ray Liotta when he narrates Goodfellas? Lol your content is excellent!
2:00
Wouldn't say a character flaw prevents a character from being happy so much as it prevents them from being wholly effective to themselves and others. That's how I always saw it.
See I had this same problem with how it was described. Happy is a very broad term, in and of itself. Though I'd probably disagree with the part about effectiveness. Is an ineffective character a character with flaws? Not always because a character and their path can totally diverge from what the story is about and what the people around them are trying to accomplish. Giving Gwen Stacy the power to not die from gravity or fight effectively against villains in The Amazing Spiderman 2 would have been a cop-out of massive proportions.
A good example of a flat arc is Goku from Dragon Ball. He grows in strength, sure, but his character doesn’t change very much
The worst thing a movie can do is either prevent a character from growing or in much worse cases completely throw their development in the garbage in a sequel. Like Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Last Jedi for example.
Or Jamie Lannister in the last few episodes of GoT.
Mr. Stevens in The Remains of the Day believes the lie that he must maintain dignity above all else. His flaw is that he is incapable of expressing real emotion to others. In the movie, the scenes with his father beautifully illustrate how both the flaw and the lie originally manifested, and the final encounter with Mrs. Kent tragically reinforce them.
“Marion is his greatest treasure even when the ARC gets taken away from him.” Pun intended? Haha
This is not only one of your best videos, it’s one of the best writing videos I’ve ever watched. I’ve read a lot about the misbelief and character arcs but you put all of it together in a way that is easy to understand.
My character's "Flaw" is anger. Causing their supernatural abilities to be uncontrollable. Their "Lie" is believing the doubters saying he's the next Dark Lord when people witness his reckless behaviors.
fantastic video shedding some light into this complex matter!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I love the explanation of the difference between a lie and a flaw. It's something I'd not come across before but definitely will be using in the future!
Really good video however I'd disagree about The Godfather: Michael's lie is that he can keep away from family business. He states it to Kay: "It's my family, it's not me." So his change is "positive", in some way, but tragic: he could not escape his destiny, his identity, but it came at a high price. When I watched the movie the first time I was blown away by how smoothly it was done. The Godfather is truly Greek tragedy.
You know it's strange, I gave up writing like a million years ago but I love listening to your videos.
Thank you for another great video. I have learned so much from you.
Thrilled to hear it!
2:36, like Ebenezer Scrooge in a Christmas Carol
Fantastic!!! You have crystallized it for us so well! Especially differentiating between the flaw and the lie.
Thanks! Glad it helped!
What a fantastic video! Really appreciate this.
Thanks! Glad it helped
I have, and have read, Weiland's book. Your approach came across a lot better and in fewer words.
Always a good day when Mr. McNulty posts a video. Granted I'm 20 hours late to the show but that's beside the point. Loved the before and after snapshots. Was really cool to see them side by side like that, and a good trick to remember!
Excellent video as always. I can't even begin with how much I appreciate your channel
This is exactly what I needed this week. Thanks!
Great video! Thank you!!! Love your simple to-the-point explanation! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I always looked at Ratatouille, and thought that Remy doesn't really need to change. It seems everyone else around him needed to change. I wondered how it's still an epic masterpiece 🤩 even though Remy doesn't really change. But this video answered that question for me, he has a flat character arc.
I wouldn't say it's my absolute favorite example, but it just came to mind. I love the flaw and lie in I Don't Feel At Home In This World Anymore. The lead character's flaw is that she does not stand up for herself and the lie is that the world sucks/ people suck. The moment she starts to overcome her flaw, she starts to unravel the lie. Like the very first time she stands up for herself, the lie begins to unravel. So beautifully written!
Extremely valuable video, Brandon! Great way of explaining character arcs and lies.
I'd actually only ever heard of flaws, not "lies". The distinction clears up so much in my head when trying to analyse characters who's flaws don't change and then how to use that.
So to answer your question my main is a college student who is learning to use his super powers as a superhero. His flaw is that he is impulsive, doesn’t strategize, and he can be selfish. The lie is that he views himself as a failure and he is disappointment. The reason is because while in college he was locked up and put prison which disappointed his parents and he feels guilt for his bad decisions he has made. I always like having my characters at a young enough age they can learn and make mistakes
This is so on point, awesome work man.
When I saw the list of movies, I was struggling to figure out which ones were going to be the examples of arcs done poorly.
I think the persistence of flaws, even at the end of an arc helps make some of the greatest characters. For instance, the movie version of Theoden, in my view, eclipsed the book version because it was always two steps forward, one step back for him. Whether a flaw, lie, or mix, the impacts of Grima, the tragedy of his kingdom, and the feeling that he is the lesser son of greater sires never were completely shaken until his dying breath. That didn't stop his trajectory from being meteoric. Of course, Brenard Hill's portrayal of him was also a large part of his impact.
This came out just when I am writing a video essay on a character arc!
Brandon your channel is so amazing. I’m not even a writer, but I’ve been very curious about why modern Hollywood productions seem to be such poor quality. Your videos help me understand bad vs good writing and I appreciate you!
I believe Indiana Jones has a positive change arc, but it's a recurring arc, because he keeps relapsing. He has the same exact arc in the third movie (Last Crusade), where he starts the movie with "it belongs in a museum" and ends the movie with "let it go". A recurring positive change arc should be familiar to anyone who's ever known an alcoholic. They often learn that alcoholism is bad, and then they decide to quit, and then they relapse and have to learn it all over again.
So hey, thanks for these videos. I’m using this in my DnD and cyberpunk RED games.
Great video!! Thank you
I think the best Character Lie that is super easy to see comes from Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Protangonists gets told something by his father (if you ain't first, you're last) and that saying completely changes his life to the point of ruin. Only at the end of the movie does he choose to embrace the opposite of that lie and experiences happiness helping his life long friend win a race.
I wear both, one on each wrist. My Apple Watch is pretty plain, and my mechanicals are a bit more blingy. I manage developers over-seas so the mechanical is set to their time, which is very handy.
I'm gonna ramble about my own characters again because I love them and your videos inspire me and make me examine how to write them better.
The two main characters in my graphic novel both have flaws, but I feel like the protagonist doesn't have an arc...at least in the first book. She starts out just roaming as an adventurer and ends the story much the same, although with a new friend. Given the inspiration Conan the Barbarian had on the character though this is understandable. She is definitely going to have an arc in the second book that explores her history and why she left home to become an adventurer (as well as reveal her deep-seated self loathing, which also feeds her Flaw). She has a flaw in that she has a hair trigger on her temper and tends to react to problems with violence, but by the end of book 1 she's making efforts to control that, but it's something that will persist through the sequels.
The deuteragonist's flaws are hubris and mistrusting others. He's a kobold, and given how the society of other peoples in the world treat kobolds (that is, extremely poorly) he's taken to overcompensating for wanting to prove his people worthy of respect by looking down on non-kobolds, while also inherently mistrusting anyone who isn't (which is his Lie). His arc in book 1 is overcoming his mistrust of others, he still has to work on the hubris part.
Great video, as always. One little nitpick: KM Weiland pronouces her name WHY-land, not WAY-land. You can hear her say it at the beginning of every one of her videos (which have fantastic writing advice, as she literally wrote the book(s) about character arcs [/plug]).
Brandon is the best
Rethink their is the best video I've seen from you.
You mentioned in an old video a thing where I should drop the I. Can you pls tell me the best way to do so?
I'm not a writer, but want to start prototyping the story for a game that I am planning to make. Is there any "safe" approach to take, like "define your arcs first and then fill the story in-between their starts and ends"? Or is it better to first have a story to tell and then try to fit a character and their arc in? The former seems better as it focuses on characters, their motivations and feelings, and I think these are the most important things, but I'd appreciate any piece of advice on the matter.
Now onto "how to hook your audience" I go, further down the rabbit hole of watching your advice videos :)
My favorite TH-camr
The crown jewel of my comic collection is Issue #0-100 of Superboy (90's Superboy) - and although the strength and weakness of comics is their "eternal second act", we certainly do have a beginning from which to examine flaws and lies.
The first image of Superboy, fairly iconic, is his stepping out of the tunnels from Project Cadmus and telling his companions, "Don't call me Superboy!"
His flaw, present throughout his series and beyond, is in his desire to project a particular image of himself - the shades, the leather jacket, the slang - his supporting cast even features a sleezy publicist. We can go on to say that this is an extension of the inferiority he feels at being a clone - he latches onto the idea that Superman is an out-of-date square, while Superboy himself is hip, in that this is the only arena in which Superboy can outcompete Superman.
Following from this, his lie is that he doesn't believe he's a worthy hero and person.
His relationship with "Knockout" plays into this: Knockout is really an abusive narcissist who manipulates Superboy by feeding his ego, "you've got the power to do what you want", "I'm the only one who really understands you" kind of stuff - and Superboy's actions at this time cause him to lose standing with the people who know this is a bad road. Supergirl even rips the S shield off of Superboy, which feeds into Superboy's anxieties (which isn't to say Supergirl was wrong to do this, the moment was a huge wake up call)
Conversely, dozens and dozens of issues later, Superman gives Superboy a kyrptonian name: "Kon-El", and this is really the ultimate expression of Superboy being acknowledged as a worthy hero and person.
Would love you to do a vid comparing original Star Wars vs sequel trilogy, this would get you some great traction on here. Thanks for ur hard work from UK
I think one of the problems with certain character arcs that span multiple movies is that they may each have a different writer and thus development may be forgotten. I think this is probably one of the biggest reasons why so many of us dislike the later Indiana Jones movies as well as those of other long-running franchises.
I think this is a major problem that never gets addressed by directors and writers of these shows and movies. Even if you dont watch the original or talk directly with the prior writer, at least do a deep dive on what their motivations, expectations, and outcomes are. You don't always have to arrive at the same answers everyone else does, but don't just "subvert expectations" for shock value.
I disagree about that, because different writers will inevitably have different approach to subject. Some good examples are comic book series. It is probably the best solution for the problem of changing writers.
@@Mostirrelevant So you would assert that it's a good thing to forget a character's history and approach a story from a different vantage point that may be incompatible with the original characterization that fans were drawn to a series with? I'm not sure modern day sales figures for comic books would agree with that.
@@anon_y_mousse No, I have not said it or wrote it. I have written something else. The problem with Indiana has nothing to do with characterisation, but with different writing style and approach to plot problems, as it happened with changing writers or sequels of some really famous books, like it is the case with Sherlock Holmes.
Maybe you did not reconsider the fact: if the characterisation is changed or character is revealed through choice, it should not be done again, so, if we discovered that Indiana is tough guy in the first movie, it should not be repeated, it would make the movie look a bit lame or like soap opera.
About comics, approach to story is not same as approach to characters and their characterisation, and different writer will inevitably write different story, but it turned out that some comic books lasted for many decades, with same basic characterisation, but different story worlds and character elements and solutions. I do hope my answer is more clear and understandable.
@@Mostirrelevant The characterization and story go hand in hand. If you don't develop them in tandem then you lose where your character is going and who they are. Consider, what would the Indiana Jones of the original trilogy have done differently in either of the sequels.
It should be noted that NOT every story needs a character arc. This is especially true with certain comedies and horror films. I see people online always complaining that the main protagonist of a film lacked a character arc when one was never necessary.
Não prefere o ET Varginha?
What would you give for a good story with no character arc?
@@xavierthomas5835 Not the OP, but Ellen Ripley in the original Alien movie. She has an arc in 2 and 3, though.
My favorite character arc is a manhwa called Wrong Night Stand (it's 18+ spicy BL). (Spoilers - don't sleep on manhwa's. They have some great little storytelling powers.)
The villain who is universally hated in season one becomes the protagonist of season two, and despite everyone loathing this character, they're in love with him by the end. It's a massive positive change.
His flaws are that he thinks it's best to use others, convince them they're special, and get them to confess their love for him, then drop them and destroy their confidence by admitting he never cared. He's a control freak when it comes to emotions. He has to have the upper hand and never allows anything to bother him, even when it does. He pushes that emotion away. He lives to ruin others' feelings.
The lie he tells himself is that he likes doing that. Another lie is that he's not lonely. And finally, none of this bothers him.
He overcomes his flaws, admits he doesn't feel good about what he did to others, and considers how to make it right. But until the end, he won't admit to himself that he's lonely or genuinely in love with someone. It's terrifying to him when he finally breaks down and admits it. Partially because of a little fear in the back of his head that his lover is doing what he once did and is going to hurt him emotionally, but mostly because he's giving up all his control.
Could you do another video addressing Character Flaws/Lies? It was the first time I've heard of Character Lies articulated and I'd love to see some good/bad writing examples (i.e. natural vs. forced by the writer a la the Mary Sue characters of Star Wars/MCU).
A professional writer I once saw broke it down in simple terms really nice and neatly
Negative past experience -> coping mechanism - Lie they believe (basically the character doesn't know their coping mechanism and makes up sth else to justify their behavior)
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Affects various aspects of one's life (Goals, style, work, relationships, dialogue etc.)
(The coping mechanism affects both things at the same time, life and the lie. Some people don't have a lie and know exactly what is wrong with them but don't change.)
That's all you really need for a basic character before they go on an arc, when the arc occurs something challenges their worldview and are either unaffected, better or worse and then you can jump back to step one. (People go crazy about the "goal", it is a good thing to have a clear goal but if you prioritize it you will only write a specific type of character who is usually the confident over achiever who embarks on a journey. A goal doesn't define a person, you wanted to be sth different when you were a kid than now, when your goal is to go buy chicken wings that isn't the essence of your very being, it's a result.)
I love this!
Can you give me a concrete example of a specific negative experience and what coping mechanism results from it, as well as the specific lie the character believes from it. I’m just trying to figure out examples of coping mechanisms.
Thank you.
Been loving your videos, Brandon. They've inspired me to start writing again after a many-year hiatus. I have a question: I've just started reading Creating Character Arcs by K.M. Weiland and I haven't seen Flaws mentioned yet. It's only been The Lie, Wants/Needs, and The Ghost so far. Is this concept from her book, or elsewhere?
I want to point out that something that is a flaw (or conceived to be a flaw by the character and their surrundings) can sometimes BECOME a strength. This is done by embracing the flaw at some point and being able to see that's not that bad after all. An example of this would be Digimon Adventure (the original, not the 2020 reboot), where Taichi's courage is reckless in the beginning, making it his major flaw. Around the middle of the story he realizes that recklessness is a dangerous thing and becomes almost catatonic for some episodes, before realizing that he can infact be couragous without being reckless. Later on it's shown that this lesson leads to him being able to still act reckles sin certain situations, where a little bit of death.defying behaviour might be the only path to go.
A more recent example would be Tokyo Revengers, where Takemichi's soft heart is a major flaw in the context of the story (it's a gangster story after all). But as the story moves forward it becomes more and more clear that his softness is what's needed to bring the story to a good end. Sure, he grows stronger and a bit more hardend over time, but things start to become better for him and his goals when he embraces his kind.heartedness instead of trying to get rid of it.
And sorry, that I bring up two anime exapmles here, but I can't think of any western media that portrays this as much. Western media tend to think a bit more in black and white, where a flaw is something you have to overcome to grow stronger. Not something you can embrace to get the same effect. Note that Taichi never become humble and Takemichi never becomes a hardened fighter.
Brandon, I'm currently working on my first novel and I'm having problems with one aspect of it. To explain I'll use names that are not my character's names to describe my problem. Mike and Sarah meet in a place and have four nights together where they express their love for each other. Sarah's angry ex finds out where they are and with a friend, come in and attack the two lovers, wounding both of them. A wounded Sarah is able to get away to try to find help for both her and Mike, but when that helper I'll call John, goes back to find out of Mike is okay, he's not there. The helper is able to get Sarah to safety, but Sarah now believes Mike is dead. About five years later, Mike is able to find Sarah again (Mike knew Sarah got out of the trouble and got help) and Sarah is surprised to see Mike again. They rekindle their love and are able to build a life together.
Much later on, Sarah's ex finds out where Mike and Sarah are and tries to kidnap their little girl in revenge. The ex is injured, but some information comes to light that Sarah's ex caused something bad to happen to John, the helper. After many years, Mike and Sarah contact John to tell him who it was that hurt him and John comes to where Mike and Sarah are living with their child. John of course believed Mike to be dead, so they have to explain what happened to Mike and how Mike survived. This information about Mike needs to be related a few times during the course of the story, and I'm having trouble trying to figure out how to tell the same information without boring the reader. Is there any way you can help me out? Thanks in advance.
And yeah, I can see how Godzilla would be a negative event. Totally. And thanks for using G-1 as an example. One of the best films out there was a wonderful character arc for Koichi.
When making my characters I always create start off with who they are and their flaws, and how it connects to their life and others, my main character is a violent savage person, this makes others see her as crazy and insane, especially since she is living in a small religious town in 1860, her violence brings herself harm that almost kills her multiple times and she doesn’t stop because she believes people who died protecting her could’ve lived if she just fought harder.
I tend to write ensemble casts so one character is rarely the focus of the entire narrative though most have arcs.
You just answer a question I have. How to write a series were there are few changes? Like The Incredible Hulk, The A Team, or X Files series. With the exception of some episodes in the last one, there are few changes to the main characters's lies and flaws.
1) The main character(s) affect the arc of another character in the curent story or arc.
2) The main character(s) doesn't have to resolve or succumb to their flaw(s).
Hello Brandon, great vid, could you make a one on doomed heros plz, unless that's already been done and I've missed it 😊
Hmm… might have covered it. Search “Fallen Heroes” on my channel
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty ha, your right, I probably should of searched first! 😅
I'm writing a story with a character with a flat arc and I didn't know it. He's my favorite character in the story (it's for a fighting game with 15 characters) he doesn't care about anything that happens to him, slander, hate (totally selfless) as long as the boy, his master (he's a toy) is safe. He sides with the bad guys to keep tabs on them and is treated like a traitor but the twist happens when he finds out they are hurting the boy and goes to get the other heros to fight back, which creates so much conflict because he was already seen as a Villain from before the whole thing started because he's a villain toy and he's hero counterpart took too seriously his backstory
Hey, can you also make a video on subtext? Not just on dialogue but in other scenes as well. Like how Jimmy Mcguiel's cup won't fit in his new car indicating how he is out of place at his job, in Better Call Saul show.
For further development: you are saying that when the character replalces their lie with a truth, they can then lead a happy, fulfilling life. From Truby's Anatomy of Story, he seems to always pair this impact on the character with character's impact on others. He calls this the moral aspect. While they believe the lie, they cause harm to others. When they learn the truth, they can stop causing others harm in that way. I know this is another layer of complexity, but it does seem important. Maybe this is just another way their definition of success changes? Regarding your video: this is the first place I've seen someone tackle the comparison of flaw with misbelief. I'll have to think about this. Very interesting! To me it's sort of like how world building can be described. Think of a focal aspect of the world's culture. Then puzzle out the implications, what sorry of culture would this be? Similarly with a character -- think of their misbelief, then what are the implications? How would they then act, decide etc.? This would support their flaw being essentially caused by their misbelief. Anyway, thanks for thinking so clearly. Very exciting that there will be a book!
In my current book, which features a negative character arc, my protagonist's (an elven princess) flaw is that she is insecure and seeks external validation from others. Later on in the book, my protagonist doubles down and embraces the lie she believes, and develops more overtly darker, more sinister traits
If we're talking character arcs, none compare to G'Kar and Londo from Babylon 5. The show is an absolute clinic and if you haven't watched it, GO DO IT NOW!
I've just started writing my first novel and I've noticed that it's harder to give my main character a strength when I know he's going to have a tragic development arc.
It's about a young teenager sabotaging his education in order to join a war. He convinces himself that it's what's right for him, but should later find out that, well, war is hell. My main inspiration(s) is/are from the novel/movie "All quiet on the Western front" and "Treassure planet".
Now this where my tricky part comes. He tries to convince other students and friends (mostly through propaganda and other exterior lies) why he wants to go, but he does it a rude manner. There are some reasons why he behaves that way due to his backstory, but I don't feel this excuses his way of being an A-hole, and also I don't think that my reader would cheer on him to survive the war.
I am quite early in the writing process, so anything could change. My character is going to mature in some areas, but without a known strength in very beginning, it is hard to know where to go from. I think that a rude, immature teenager needs positive traits, but how and where to find them is my biggest struggle at the moment.
Hi, I've watched your video where you say you discovered Attack on Titan, and after hearing you elaborate on the subject of character arc here I thought you would almost certainly enjoy a series called Vinland Saga. It is a historical anime about Vikings, and its story is somewhat reminiscent of the novel Blood Meridian. It follows one of the most amazing character arcs for a protagonist IMO. Thanks for all the great content you put out, congrats!
Thanks! I'll add Vinland Saga to my list!
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty I hope Fulmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood is already on that list :P
@@WriterBrandonMcNulty 🖖😊 You won't regret it
(5:44) Here's the problem. The "negative-change arc" isn't different than the "positive-change arc". Whether something is a "lie" or a "truth" is subjective. The movie's writer chooses the "truth" they are trying to offer to the audience, but every single character believes they are on the "positive-change arc"--offering their "truth" to combat the lie. Suggesting that a character has a "negative-change arc" risks writing that character incorrectly.
👍🏻
You are great teacher. Have you ever written a script for a film? I had Brook elms in Jeffrey d.Calhoun on A podcast that I guessed host. I'd love to have you on. It's called talk about it with Franjez
Don't judge me. I just want to add a redemption arc that no one else here would even think to post. I like the arc of Discord from My Little Pony. He initially is a omnipotent god out to rule the world, but gains a single friend. When he realizes that his chaotic rule will hurt the only friend he has ever made, he can't go through with hurting her. His relationship with the pony grows and grows throughout the seasons. He risks his life multiple times to save her. By the end of the series, he finally gets to marry the one and only friend who gave him respect. It humanizes (?) a cold and hateful monster into one of the greatest heroes of the series.
Spoilers!
@@mrjensmeister I suppose I should have said that, but if you want to watch all 221 episodes of the series, plus the specials and the movie, it will take time.😋
If you have not already, please do a video on the most important thing about successful Storytelling.
Gimmicks and goodwill.
Nearly all the famous writers are not the best writers.
They are not famous because they are the best.
They are best at what they do!
And this is the most important thing for success in any medium or career.
Stephen king
Hayao miyazaki.
Neil gaiman.
Jk Rowling.
George Martin.
Frank Herbert.
Etc etc etc.
These writers are flawed and broken creators.
You can easily criticise their work.
The faults are there, on the face.
But what unique vision and value they offer to the world is not available anywhere else.
Their unique blend of flavour.
The taste.
The audience develop a addiction to the unique quality that these writers present.
Could you do a video on how to show antagonist decipt like the chancellor in Star Wars without showing their pov until their reveal? The story is mainly in the protagonist's pov so they're inward until its revealed said person is the antagonist
I agree with Brandon that Indiana Jones has a POSITIVE character arc in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Heavy spoilers ahead! Character arcs and a story's theme are interrelated. The THEME of Raiders is RESPECTING THE POWER OF GOD. In the beginning of the movie, Indy steals a religious artifact in the cave. To him, this artifact is just some archeological treasure. But to the Hovitos tribe, it is their religious deity. Indy's FLAW is that he has no respect for religion. That is why he doesn't get to keep the golden idol and it gets taken away from him by his main opponent Belloq. To Indy, his LIE is that he believes that the one with the most toys or the one who can get to the toy (the Ark in this case) first wins. For Indy, archeology is like a game. It isn't toward the end of the film, that Indy RESPECTS religion by NOT LOOKING AT THE ARK. In this way, we see the THEME, RESPECTING THE POWER OF GOD! By the end, the Ark of the Covenant is not just some archeological treasure, but an extension of GOD. Remember earlier, Indy wanted to blow up the ark with a bazooka on the island to save Marion. But Belloq called out Indy's bluff because Belloq knew that the Ark wasn't some artifact. And Indy knew that, too. This is the beginning of Indy's transformation for respecting religion and his POSITIVE character arc.
Is it okay to expand on a character’s arc in a different story? My example would be having 3 different stories in the same universe. They have different protagonists, but share and dive into secondary characters from all 3 stories. I’m not sure if this is the way to go, or if I should minimize important character changes outside of their own story.
I think this is a major issue holding back finishing my vampire romance novel. My female protagonist's is easy- she starts off by finding her happiness by making others happy and throwing away her own dreams, she learns what she wants is most important and it's okay to embrace what she truly wants even if it brings unhappiness to others. The vampire is more complex, and I almost can't define it. He's mainly right about what he believes- that as a vampire he has to take for himself, but he's still a little bit too human and that's what he has to overcome to get what he wants- but without going too far into monster. I know I am not portraying a positive morality tale about traditional good and evil, which I honestly believe are in many ways false anyway. Bad me. 😅 This story is difficult. Am I reading into this subject too much?
Could you make a video about describing your setting without making it boring