How to make sure your protagonist's character arc is doing what it needs to do

When writing your story, one of the most crucial elements is your protagonist’s character arc. Readers want to see growth, transformation, and evolution—it’s part of what turns a series of interconnected events into a narrative.

So… how do you make sure your protagonist’s growth feels authentic and compelling? In this post, I’m going to walk you through a few practical tips and techniques you can use to ensure your protagonist’s character arc does exactly what it should—which is to say, it takes your reader on a meaningful journey through the evolution of a character under pressure, and how that evolution results in change. From defining where they start to mapping out their challenges, we’ll cover everything you need to create an arc that enriches your narrative and keeps your readers engaged right up to the final page.

Understanding character arcs

First things first: what exactly is a character arc? Simply put, it’s the transformation or inner journey that a character undergoes throughout your story. Think of it as their personal growth chart—from the person they are when we meet them on page 1 to the person they’re obliged to become in response to your narrative’s central conflict.

Character arcs can come in various flavors:

Positive growth: Think Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, who learns to overcome her prejudices and misjudgements, particularly regarding Darcy, which leads to greater self-awareness and understanding of love. Or The Lion King’s Simba, who opens the narrative as a carefree cub but must face his past and embrace leadership responsibilities in order to overcome the oppressive rule of his uncle Scar. Or Frodo Baggins, whom we meet at the beginning of The Lord of the Rings as an innocent young hobbit living a sheltered life in the Shire, but who evolves into the world-saving bearer of the One Ring, responsible for defeating the forces of darkness in Middle Earth.
Negative growth: Sometimes your protagonist’s arc sees them spiral downwards from a position of happiness or goodness into misery or corruption. Anakin Skywalker from the Star Wars series is possibly the most famous example of this type of character arc: he begins Episode 1: The Phantom Menace as a naturally gifted practitioner of the Force, with enormous potential—but instead of rising through the ranks to become a Jedi master, he ultimately succumbs to fear, anger, and manipulation, leading to his transformation into Darth Vader. Or consider The Godfather’s Michael Corleone, who’s actively trying to live legitimately outside of the family business, but whose character arc sees him become ever more entrenched in crime and violence as he takes over his family’s Mafia empire.
Flat arcs: This is a really interesting character arc type, and, at first glance, it seems to contradict the general rule that the protagonist is the character most changed by the course of the narrative. Because it’s true that a character with a flat arc won’t experience personal growth in response to narrative events—but they will act as a catalyst of change for other characters or for the storyworld around them. In superhero franchises, it’s not uncommon for the first installment of the series to embody a positive-growth character arc and for future installments to feature a flat character arc for the protagonist. Think of Thor in the Marvel universe, or some Batman franchises: once we’ve established their origin story, there’s often not much in the way of growth or change for the character as they do battle again and again against the forces of evil. A useful way to think of this is as regards KM Weiland’s idea of The Lie Your Character Believes—except that in a flat character arc, the protagonist already knows their “truth.” As Weiland puts it: “[T]he flat arc is about the Truth the Character Believes. In a flat arc, the protagonist already has a handle on the Truth, and he will use that Truth to overcome the challenges of the plot—and, probably, to transform a Lie-burdened world.” A protagonist with a flat character arc, therefore, serves as a stabilising force, influencing others around them while remaining steadfast in their beliefs and values. Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple are great examples of flat character arc characters (although Poirot is not, in fact, the protagonist in his first appearance—The Mysterious Affair at Styles—which is narrated by his soon-to-be-long-term sidekick, Captain Hastings). Both Poirot and Miss Marples remain consistent in their methods and philosophies throughout their respective series. While they drive the narrative forward and influence other characters significantly, they do not experience profound personal transformations. They are central figures whose actions have the most profound effect on the plot—protagonists, in all senses of the words—but they themselves don’t “grow” as people in their respective novel series.

Identifying your protagonist’s initial state

Before you can send your protagonist off on their grand adventure, you need to pinpoint where they start. This is crucial because it sets the stage for all the changes they’ll undergo.

Ask yourself some key questions:

What does my protagonist want at the beginning (their goal)?
What are their core beliefs or values?
What flaws, misunderstandings, or faulty assumptions hold them back from achieving what they want (what Weiland calls the Lie)?

For example, let’s take Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. At the start of her journey, she’s fiercely independent but also somewhat closed off emotionally as a result of her traumatic past. Her primary desire is to protect her family rather than seek glory or change the world.

Once you’ve clearly defined your protagonist’s initial state, you can start to see possible trajectories for growth throughout the narrative.

“Before you can send your protagonist off on their grand adventure, you need to pinpoint where they start. This is crucial because it sets the stage for all the changes they’ll undergo.”

Mapping out your protagonist's arc

Now that you understand where your protagonist starts, it’s time to map out their journey. This doesn’t have to be complicated—you’re simply marking out milestones in your character’s development. Bullet points or mind maps are great ways to visualise these narrative events.

You’re looking to identify pivotal moments that should occur in their arc. For instance:

Crisis moment: The moment where Opening Status Quo is disrupted (such as when Katniss volunteers for Prim).
Epiphany: When the protagonist finally understands what they truly need and how that’s different from their initial conceptualisation of their goal (for example, when Katniss realises she has feelings for Peeta that extend beyond her immediate goal of protecting her family and surviving if possible).

How this looks in practice

Let’s stick with Katniss. In The Hunger Games, her initial desire is straightforward—survival for herself and her sister. But as she faces challenges, she integrates new values, including ideas of sacrifice and rebellion against injustice. By mapping out these milestones—her volunteering, forming alliances, facing moral dilemmas—we can start to see how each event pushes her towards growth.

Ensuring consistency and character growth

Once you have your arc mapped out, you’ve given yourself a blueprint for your protagonist’s personal transformation, which will help make sure their journey feels consistent and believable. Consistency is key as you put this into effect. Every action your protagonist takes should align with their character development. If they start as a timid wallflower, you can’t just switch them into a role of leadership without doing the work to show how that transformation happens. Think about how their past experiences shape their decisions—this creates a natural progression in their growth.

For example, let’s look at Frodo Baggins from The Lord of the Rings. When we first meet him in the Shire, he’s living a quiet, unassuming life and has no desire to chuck it all in and search for adventure. But he accepts the call to adventure just the same, because we’ve seen that he’s a fundamentally moral character who will strive to do the right thing, as he understands it, in any given moment—even if the right thing is incredibly difficult and not at all what he would choose to do, given the option. Once he’s made the decision to carry the One Ring to Mount Doom, he’s faced with a series of challenges and setbacks of increasing significance, and as he overcomes each one, we see him grow ever more brave and resilient. His actions throughout reflect this growth; each trial builds on his earlier experiences.

Signs of character growth

What are some indicators that show your character is evolving? Look for:

Changes in dialogue: How do they express themselves? A more confident character might use assertive language.
Decisions made: Are they making choices that reflect growth or change in perspective?
Interactions with others: Do they approach relationships differently as they evolve?

Tracking these signs as you write—and again as you revise—helps keep your eye on the goal, which is to present your reader with evidence of a gradual, earned, believable character transformation that remains consistent with the protagonist’s sense of self.

Reviewing your character arc during edits

Talking of revisions… Even with the most intricately plotted character arc in literary history, narratives do weird things while you’re writing them. Until you have a completed first draft in hand, there’s no way to assess holistically how smoothly and consistently your protagonist’s character arc progresses throughout the overarching story. Here’s how to incorporate everything we’ve discussed into your first round of edits:

Revisit your outline: Go back to your initial mapping of the character arc. Does it still resonate with what you’ve written? Are there moments where you veered off course? How do these impact on the pace of progression? (Not all veering-off-course is bad—sometimes, it’s the result of your writerly intuition helping you course-correct appropriately.)
Ask critical questions:
- Does my protagonist’s journey feel earned?
- Are there scenes where their actions or decisions seem inconsistent with their established traits (i.e. are you forcing a rapid progression that needs to be introduced more gradually)?
- Have I included enough pivotal moments that contribute to their growth?
Focus on key scenes: Identify key scenes that should highlight growth and transformation. Do they clearly demonstrate how far your protagonist has come? Can you make them more impactful?
Look for subtext: Sometimes what’s not said is just as important as what is said. Pay attention to underlying themes in dialogue and actions—do they reflect growth?
Maintain the Emotional Core: As you edit, keep the emotional core of your character’s journey in mind. The reader should feel invested in their growth; if something feels off or rushed, you might need to tweak a scene or two to enhance emotional depth.
Get feedback: There’s only so much you can do on your own. You’re too close, as the writer, to be completely objective, and you know what you meant to convey at any given moment. It’s time to share your draft with trusted beta readers who can provide insight into whether your protagonist’s character arc is doing what you want it to do.
Revise accordingly: Use this feedback and your reflections to make any necessary adjustments. Maybe your protagonist needs a more significant crisis moment, or perhaps their realisations need to be clearer. Maybe it’s all working exactly as you hoped.
Final check: Once you’ve made revisions, I’d suggest a final read-through focusing solely on the character arc. Does it flow? Are there any lingering inconsistencies? This is your last chance to refine their journey so that it resonates with readers, and a great way to catch those sneaky little details that could detract from a strong arc.

Final thoughts

Remember, the heart of storytelling lies in transformation—both for the characters and for the readers who journey alongside them. So, while it might seem like a heavy investment to focus so intensely on your protagonist’s character arc, it’s a sure bet for a healthy ROI. Readers want to engage with the folks that propel your stories forwards, and they want to watch and understand as those characters face down their challenges and emerge changed. They don’t have to like your protagonist. They don’t have to agree with them. They may wring their hands in despair at the choices your protagonist makes. But when those choices lead inexorably to a conclusion that feels, quite simply, inevitable… your readers will leave satisfied.

And that’s a reward like no other for an author.

What’s your favourite character arc? Let me know in the comments!