My Trick for Creating Character Arcs
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 12 มิ.ย. 2024
- If you find it easy to create characters, but can't seem to create stories for them, or character arcs, I have a device that I find to be useful as at least a jumping off point.
/ bageldenizen
learncharacterdesign.com
/ bageldenizen
"look at a lesson you learned.Something that has made you a better person now"
So about that negative character arc thing-
Character Arcs. This is something I need to think a lot about. I am so passionate about the designing and world-building process that I ended up making a ton of side and even background characters, that they all ended up being more interesting than the main character (a young little witch). Her personality pretty much boils down to 'ever cheerful, optimistic, childish and curious', but I never did anything with it besides just making her look cute. So thank you for the tips!
Are you the author of Hunter x Hunter?
Good luck with that bro :D
Fun Fact: I might've Created Adorable and Likable Characters WAY too much. Though, I don't see it as a Bad thing since I like those Types of Characters. And maybe you will as well if you care about them Enough. :3
Noah Goldberg why are ur letters capitalised weirdly?
@@blockeontheleafeon lol i do the exact opposite, I create really sinister and cynical characters more than anything else TwT
My method is to figure out a conflict, cause no one changes without conflict, even if it is just internal. Then depending on the situation - the character changes due to the events, or the events change because of the character.
It doesn't necessarily need to be something you know, but at least something you understand I suppose.
I also figured that creating the world and all the fun cool shit before the actual story, can be a big problem when you try to make the story later, leaving the characters sorta flat. For me at least. Two works of mine died because I have a world to show, but not a story to show with.
Tbh I am better at writing a story than at designing, cause I feel I fall in traps of unoriginality when it comes to how things look and I have no style.
I like it! Good principles at work in that process, I’ve found a lot of the same steps helpful.
When I keep going through character arcs for the same lesson without retaining it
"How many times do we have to teach you this lesson, old man?"
I can't remember any lessons from my childhood
Born Perfect™️ 😄
Brookes Eggleston - Character Design Forge nah more like hit my head to hard now I can barely remember my past
Time to re-learn them
Ask ur family or friends they might remember
Maybe start with things about you from when you were young to now, and figure out from there, what changed.
That moment when you don't know your theme
I can relate entirely too well.
Yeah what does he mean by that?
MCU Forever123 like know what genre you’re writing. Fantasy or medieval or horror or crap like that
ManiArc Arcson oh ok ok
@@leem.5917 The Theme is not the Genre though. The Theme might be something like Death, Selfhate or Racism. Something, the Story is about.
OMG BROOKES, THE CLICK BAIT
+Cut Grass 😂😂
Brookes Eggleston - Character Design Forge And the unintentional clickbait goes on 😒
So glad you thought of the whole click bait thing, you earned my respect!
Brookes: your characters need to grow and change
Dickinson: *laughs in famous author*
haha. good one, the heroic flat arc. eg- james bond,indiana jones, sherlock
"Teach yourself a lesson." Well put. I've had this concept floating around my head for a while as well. Good video.
For me, the writing process comes much easier to me than the visual-aspects of character design. I'm not sure why; perhaps it's because of the way my brain is wired, or maybe it has to do with my mindset. Overall, amazing video, and although I find myself fairly competent in writing, the advice you gave is still extremely helpful.
Totally understand, we've all got different strengths!
This is a great idea. I relate to you a lot when it comes to my skills. Designing the aesthetics of a character is much easier to me than writing. But this will help a lot as an exercise and to develop my characters. Also, a little self reflection has to be a good thing to make sure we really are growing, right? Thanks for the video!
I think I like Kojii's story already.
I can imagine a bard with good musical skills but no storytelling meeting a rival who can captivate an audience but whose music is terrible making a short STRING of hilarious episodes for a cartoon! XD
Awesome! Im glad that idea resonates 😄
Been taking advantage of this free three month trial of TH-cam Premium and all of this time I have been watching Character Forge videos. I love how informative these all are and do not jerk me around like other videos have been known to do.
Thank you! I had been going through a lot of personal change and some depressive moments recently, as we all seem to be. I got more emotional than I thought I would watching this video because I can tell that you have gone through difficulties that transformed your art for the better. Life is an improvised story that we alone can act in, so thank you for connecting the fictional worlds with the real, genuine world
+Sheldon Bird Really appreciate that Sheldon, thanks so much. I hope your experience have at least left you better equipped!
As someone who struggles a lot with character arcs and development, but is very good at the "static" aspects of a character, this was extremely helpful :)
I had that realization a while ago. The difficult part is turning that into a plot or series of plots.
Michael Offner I did it like this.
My lot is a series of events with periods of rest.
Would my characters learn from this If so how?
After each event I go ask this about each main character and occasionally a secondary or even tirchiary character get a the growth review. I also try to keep track of unwritten events so some characters are basically changing off screen.
Michael Offner in short the plot is your development
Series plots is kinda easy. You just need to know how to change the characters in certain ways that will make the plot you want
OH MY GOSH RIGHT when I thought my storytelling couldn't be saved (at least according to you, Mr. fellow-I-admire) because I have no idea What my story's about, you tell me I can teach myself a lesson- which I was already unconsciously doing!!! I'm saved! I can write comics again! :D
its interesting, just last night, i was trying to think of some problems for my character to have and at first, my ideas were all super cliche. then i decided to give her some things that i struggle with, knowing they wouldnt be cliche and that i'd be able to describe them well. then i came across this! thanks :D
Just read A Christmas Carol. Ebenezer Scrooge is the textbook character arc.
I’ve been trying so hard to get the words that you have told me on paper, but I just could not think of how I wanted to do it!!! You have truly inspired me! God bless man!
Hey Brookes, do you have anywhere I can see some of your storytelling, like any comics , animations or books?
Really love your content and happy channel birthday!
Hoping to have an answer to that soon!
two years later...
4 years later…
Great video as always! I really needed this advice!
This is brilliant, thank you for the lesson on characters, I'll be using this forever now!
This is some really sound advice. Keep up the great work!
Beautiful advice, thank you!
I used to try and watch a lot of these kinds of videos but this is the first one to put it in a way I can understand
Your Chanel is the gold standard. With you and lavendertowne I think I’ll get by just fine w o art school XD
Very helpful, I kinda had the idea of going back to my life before I knew stuff but couldn't put it into words like you did here. Great video, thank you.
Glad to hear! :) You're very welcome
Great tactic. Thank you for this video.
This was very useful, thank you.
Thumbs up!! this is an amazing video! I'm neither skilled in character design or character arcs mainly because I only have a mild interest in this is area, (I only clicked because learning these kind of things is fun cause it sparks creative ideas) but this video really helped develop my interest because of the creative process, well explained!
I was a rather callous, selfish kid but over the years I started paying more attention to the people around me and imagining what their lives were like and how different they were from mine and now I’m less selfish, more compassionate and also a bit more self-conscious.
Character development!
Good video man! I just discovered your channel and It looks really nice for visual storytelling! Thanks for making this amazing videos! :)
+OLIVER DIAZ thanks Oliver! Glad to have you!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE CHANNEL
Thank you so much, I really needed this! 😁😁😁
YES!!!! love ur channel
Omg thank you.....in my story I have two characters which stories parallel.......it feels so good to see a way to upgrade their arc in an even more positive direction
Awesome!!
Brookes Eggleston - Character Design Forge ok i didnt knew you would respond but thank you
The content of your videos is so good. I'm so happy I found this channel. Congratulations ¡¡
+joseafalvel Thank you so much, really appreciate that!
With me it’s though, I’m using a prewritten character that I made my own, much of his development has happened in his backstory and thus a lot of it will be either seen in flashbacks or it will be a minor part
Hey Brookes! Great video, keep em coming!
This is great! I have allot to learn.
Ah, good, something to help prevent me from making my characters stagnate and having no growth over time! I definitely do not want to write a full story have my character end up the same
Another cool way from a video I watched to find a way for a character to change in an arc is finding a belief your character has. Like when the character believes someone can change but they really can't. Or that what they did was right when it was really wrong. Have an arc challenging a belief that they have and show the character throughout the arc learning more about that belief till they discover it's right, wrong or needs improving.
This legit may have fixed my main character! Thank you!
This was very usefull, thank you!
I'm happy I came across this. The name helped
do you have a photoshop brush set? what are your tablet settings? big fan of your work! blessing to you!
Easy thumbs up for the intro!
This was really helpful
I don't know who you are, but I love your glasses!
“This little guy”, *shows a grown adult man.
how can i make a character ac without just flaw scrubbing? do they start out very flawed but i just delete a couple? i can't seem to understand. also sorry i'm a bit late
I want to make the theme of my story "Green Grass Grows Long." My friend said it a lot before, but I never knew what it meant. And when I asked him what it meant, he said he doesn't know what it means either.
I just wanna talk about some character arcs and possibly get some advice for this one that I just can't figure out. I have three main characters, named Ashlyn, Desmond, and Rich.
Ashlyn is struggling with her PTSD over the death of her sister, and struggles to make connections with people around her. Over the course of the story, she gains friends and relationships and opens up more, and finally forgives herself and realizes it isn't her fault her sister died.
Rich is an anxious mess of a human. He's scared of most things, and is awful at socializing. He lives in a secluded cabin in the forest, and never goes to the city. When strange things start happening, he decides to leave his comfort zone to find out the truth. Over the story, he becomes less anxious and awkward and eventually realizes he's an ancient powerful being reborn as a human.
And Desmond is the character I can't figure out. He grew up in a bleak, awful future. He raised himself because he had no one else. He never knew what caused the future to turn bad, but he knew the date. So when he meets a powerful being (Rich) he convinces it to take him back in time, and he tries to stop the end of the world. I... Can't figure out much for his journey as a character. Any possible advice for how to deal with it?
nice!
Also I love your channel BTW
I'm a natural writer but have trouble with drawing. It makes it frustrating if you know what you wanna have on paper but cant produce it yet
I'm neither amazing at drawing or amazing at writing. I feel like I fall under the category of mediocre for both of those things for the most part, so I can relate. At least, a little.
Hmmm that's gonna be difficult... We might be the same age but I don't really think I became a "better person" than I was as a kid / teen yet. That's unfortunate...
Can u do another video on this?
um... mine is...well a flawed character that is unhappy with the way things are in his life and by the end he is still flawed but learns to accept that his flaws don't have to define who he is, to accept what makes him different and use it to protect those he cares for.
I-is this a good premise for a story arc?
This is super random but your glasses look good on you.
well now i want to see this bard story ... good video
I n e e d e d this!! Thank you!!!
Brookes, have you considered putting subs on your videos? Your English is beautiful and easy to understand, but I still not fluent, so I can't absorve everything you say. Subs would be a great help.
Funny Story (About this Video): I Reset this Video and got a Smash Bros. Ultimate Ad.
*WE'RE GETTING CLOSE BOIS!!!*
Only 49 days!!
Lol FINALLY! I thought I was the only one who saw those the doctors hate this guy for this and that
I really like you.
Lol...Oceans 12 school of writing... Well I did have an eating all the time in scenes stage thanks to Brad Pitt in that same film at one point so...sure...why not
Thats amazing! XD
What if I'm making a story in a specific genre, but all the stories in that genre are Cringe worthy/broken and just don't work?
Daniel Jason that doesn't mean that your story can't work. If you feel like most stories in that genre are bad, learn from their mistakes and write a better one.
Daniel Jason Then right a story to make that genre good again.
Do character arcs have to be positive? Many people grow worse as they grow up, and change for the worse. Can characters have negative arcs?
Absolutely
If it is an arc, then shouldn't the character end up on the same level he started?
+Schwarzer Ritter No, in any story, even when a character has returned to the place they started, it's always "having changed".
How does that make it an arc?
A quarter of a circle is still an arc and, depending on position, could have an end up higher on a graph than the other end.
What if instead of evolving to become a better person you evolved to become a worse one? Can you base the arc on that? Because literally, everything that has happened to me has resulted in me "changing for the worse".
Yeah, there's plenty of stories like that (Star Wars Prequels).
If I have an asshole hero, is him evolving into a non-asshole hero the only good way to end the story? Is it impossible to turn him into a 'differently flawed' hero and still have emotional payoff for the readers by the end?
Hes the boy
Trick For Character Arcs That WILL BLOW YOUR MIND! Writers HATE HIM!!!
Yes quality character development comes from experience as well as personal growth I do agree though I find it easier to exemplify this as you’re growing that might mean putting yourself in a past mindset so as to understand the process of change
He sounds and words things just like solar sands XD
Sure about that?
I can
Teach yourself a lesson? Ok! *cracks whip* (I have no idea where I’m going with this joke)
If we created a drinking game out of this video, and you had to do a shot, every time you say the word “now”...we’d get soooo wasted! Great video tho!! Keep up the good work!
you sure know how to make a girl feel subconscious about their overuse of now 😂
Came for the trick
Stayed for the Overwatch Pop!s
I just simply dissect myself as well others there problems difficulties there emotion connections and detachment kind of like a therapist that draws inspiration
Uhh anyone have any good tips for a starting writer? Please i'm only twelve and never really cared for writing until I started writing my own stories.
I've got a whole playlist of videos about storytelling, on the main page of the channel!
13 now?
I think I missed something. I have my characters, plot and theme, but what about arc?
well first i gotta learn character tangents and sines
So to sum your advice up...
1. Remember a life lesson I learned.
2. Imagine myself as a younger lad who didnt learn this lesson yet.
3. Pretend to be an omnipotent god teaching my past self this lesson by making the world conspire against him until he grows.
4. Take notes and form-fit to story.
Got it👍
3.1K like
XD
Im taking all of your advice and doing the opposite thank you : ) my stuff is all about the jokes another important rule I made for my stories is no life lessons allowed under any circumstances it limits the comedy
YES this is my exact problem only 40 seconds in(at least I think it is, my characters problemly suck)
Yes and it's so funny when your friends ask "omg your mom throw your sister out of home?? That's terrible, we're so sorry!" And you're just like "naaah guys, now I know how to present it in my characters' arcs" hahahah
No you see, when writing the character's development you shouldn't relate her to yourself because then you will be controlling her actions and her desires when the character is supposed to be well...his or her own character. The job of authors is just to tell you the story. They shouldnt, in any way, influence the character's emotions and etc. But I see what you're getting at.
What I think is making another characters that will conflit with mine protagonist. Didn't get it? Well, if the motivation of the villain is flat, you're doing it wrong. They won't fight with protagonist crew just because they are bad and want to kill them. It's difficult to explain in another language, but your villains and heroes MUST HAVE a motivation to do something. No matter if he's a good person, he won't risk his life to save someone that he don't know, or to save the city of bem burned by the villain (who won nothing for burning that crap city)... Well...
this face! THIS FACE! 3:06
Eychy AG It's... certainly my face while talking!
Probley a terrible mindset but I don't really care about outside influences when I'm making characters for fun. I try to make them good complex and dynamic because thats a part of the fun but I don't know what the flip I'm doing when I'm creating characters. I guess I just do what comes naturally and mix it in with logic. One of my problems is doing things on personality's that are unlike my own because it's just harder to understand. If anyone sees this do NOT give me hate in the comments.
Second
The only disagreement I have with this is your examples. what you're kind of saying and I could be wrong is to pretty much make a character in your image which is in a sense one of the worse things to do depending on the Genre. sometimes people go egotistic if they do that and put what they want to be and or see themselves without flaws which makes a horrible character if you put yourself in a character. I would have to correct myself because I wouldn't mind putting a piece of yourself, a good or a bad trait but never fully me.
It’s definitely not what I’m saying at all.
@@CharacterDesignForge ok then my mistake
Personally this makes the character more human as well as relational to the faculty at large even if that character is as far from human as can be.
Why is no one talking about the pile of disney infinity characters in the corner?