How To Write A Clear Character Progression

Character development is one of the most essential aspects of storytelling. It transforms a simple character into a multi-dimensional, evolving individual who can captivate readers, trigger emotional engagement, and drive the narrative forward. Whether your protagonist is on a hero’s journey, navigating moral dilemmas, or coming to terms with a personal conflict, how they changeover the course of the story profoundly impacts the depth and resonance of the narrative.

But how do you, as a writer, handle character development throughout the story? What are the key components to keep in mind? How do you ensure that your characters evolve in a way that feels natural and compelling, while maintaining consistency with their initial personalities, goals, and challenges?

This article will explore the process of character development in fiction, from the initial conception of your character to how you can deepen their growth throughout the narrative. We will cover character arcs, consistency, conflicts that drive development, the role of secondary characters in shaping the protagonist, and the importance of reflection and introspection.

1. Establish a Strong Character Foundation

Character development begins with the creation of a strong, well-rounded foundation. Before you even think about how your character will grow, you need to establish who they are at the start of the story. This initial characterization is crucial because it sets the stage for all the changes that will occur later on. The key here is to make sure your character is complex, interesting, and multi-dimensional.

Personality and Backstory

Think about your character’s personality: Are they introverted or extroverted? Optimistic or cynical? Do they have any habits, quirks, or psychological traits that make them unique, distinct, intriguing, unusual in the context of their society? Your character’s backstory is equally important—it should give insight into their beliefs, fears, and values. How did their upbringing, relationships, and past experiences shape the person they are today?

A well-crafted backstory will help you understand what makes your character tick and offer clues as to why they act the way they do. This information doesn’t always need to be fully revealed to the reader right away or even at all (in fact, you should beware revealing too much unnecessary back story), but it should exist in your mind, guiding your character’s choices, relationships, and motivations throughout the story.

Goals and Motivations

At the beginning of your story, your character should have clear goals and motivations. These goals might change as the story progresses, but there should always be something driving your character forward. A well-defined goal—whether it’s external (e.g., saving the world, finding a treasure) or internal (e.g., seeking redemption, overcoming self-doubt)—gives your character a sense of purpose. Their desire to achieve this goal will fuel their decisions, interactions with others, and, most importantly, their development over the course of the story. This is at the core of the quest of the novel, and is integral to your character’s development. Never let this thought out of your head as you plot or write a novel.

2. Decide on the Type of Character Arc

A character arc is the transformation or growth that a character undergoes during the story. There are several types of character arcs, and understanding the direction in which your character will develop is crucial for crafting a cohesive narrative.

Positive Change Arc (Growth)

In a positive change arc, the character experiences growth, improvement, or enlightenment throughout the story. This is the most common type of arc and typically involves a protagonist overcoming internal flaws, confronting their fears, or becoming a better version of themselves. Classic examples include characters like Ebenezer Scrooge from A Christmas Carol, who goes from miserly and selfish to compassionate and generous, or Harry Potter, who matures emotionally and socially over the course of the book series.

A character on a positive change arc starts with a problem, flaw, or blind spot that limits their ability to reach their full potential. As they face challenges, they learn from mistakes, confront difficult truths, and make choices that help them evolve. By the end of the story, they are a changed person, either achieving their initial goals or discovering new ones that align with their growth.

Negative Change Arc (Fall)

On the flip side, a negative change arc involves the character becoming worse over the course of the story, often through their own actions or flaws. This type of arc can show how a character’s weaknesses, vices, or bad choices lead them down a darker path. Characters who experience a negative change arc typically start off with the potential for good but are corrupted by power, temptation, or a lack of moral guidance. An example of this is Walter White from Breaking Bad, who starts as a well-intentioned man but becomes increasingly ruthless and morally compromised.

Characters with a negative arc may not learn from their mistakes, or their internal struggles might be so overpowering that they become overwhelmed by their flaws. This type of arc can offer a powerful commentary on human nature and the consequences of decisions, but it can also make for a tragic or cautionary tale.

Flat Arc (No Change)

Some characters may undergo little to no change, which is known as a flat or static character arc. While this might seem counterintuitive, flat arcs can be just as compelling—particularly for characters who are already morally or emotionally complete at the start of the story. The character’s role is not necessarily to evolve but to provide a sense of stability or contrast to other characters who are changing. A famous example is Sherlock Holmes, who remains largely the same throughout many stories, steadfast in his intelligence and methods. Another example is Patricia Highsmith’s murderous Ripley, who cannot really change because he is a psychopath. It is our relationship to him that changes as we watch him coolly kill and then panic, not morally, but solely because he fears detection.

3. Create Internal and External Conflicts

The most effective character development is driven by both internal and external conflicts. External conflicts are the challenges, obstacles, and events that force the character to take action and make decisions, while internal conflicts revolve around the character’s emotions, thoughts, and personal struggles. The first is the external, plotted part of the protagonist’s quest, the second the internal, character-growth part.

External Conflict

External conflict usually stems from the plot, surrounding events, or antagonistic forces. It could involve the protagonist facing off against a villain, struggling against societal norms, or dealing with a challenging situation (e.g., surviving a natural disaster, seeking justice). External conflict is crucial for giving the character something to react to, but how they handle these situations is what will drive their internal development.

Internal Conflict

Internal conflict is what makes the character’s development feel personal and meaningful. It’s the psychological and emotional struggle that challenges the character’s beliefs, desires, and sense of self. Internal conflict can take many forms: a character may be grappling with self-doubt, fear of failure, guilt over past actions, or moral dilemmas that force them to make difficult decisions.

A character’s internal conflict is often the most important catalyst for change. The external conflict will push the character to face their internal struggles, and this is where growth (or decline) occurs. For example, a character who initially refuses to confront their fear might be forced to do so by a life-threatening situation. The way they handle that fear and the choices they make in response will determine the course of their development.

I write extensively about the interrelation of conflict, character arc and novel plotting in my book, How To Write A Novel Chapter By Chapter, see below.

4. Allow for Setbacks and Failures

One of the most compelling aspects of character development is how a character handles setbacks and failures. No character’s development should be a smooth upward trajectory. Rather, growth is often hard-won, with multiple failures, mistakes, and moments of self-doubt along the way. Setbacks are crucial to making the character’s journey feel authentic.

Failures give characters opportunities to learn, reevaluate their strategies, and grow. These setbacks allow them to reflect on their motivations and choices and ultimately push them to evolve. A character who experiences only successes or triumphs may feel flat or unrealistic, as no one ever achieves their goals without facing challenges.

These setbacks also help to maintain tension and drama in the story. The character’s response to failure can reveal deeper layers of their personality—whether they become discouraged and give up, lash out in anger, or rise up with renewed determination.

5. Support Character Development with Relationships

The relationships that your character has with other characters—whether secondary characters, allies, or antagonists—play a crucial role in shaping their development. The interactions between characters offer opportunities for growth, self-discovery, and change.

A mentor can challenge the protagonist’s worldview and offer new perspectives that encourage growth. A rival can force the protagonist to question their actions and fight for their goals. A love interest can trigger vulnerability, self-reflection, and a recognition of the need for personal happiness. Family members can be sources of comfort or tension or risk and responsibility, influencing the protagonist’s values and decisions positively or negatively, creating opportunities for plot points and risks to the quest.

If a protagonist is on a growth arc, a supportive friend may offer encouragement and wisdom, while a toxic friend might undermine their progress. These relationships should evolve over time in ways that reflect the protagonist’s internal journey.

6. Provide Reflection and Introspection

Finally, reflection and introspection are vital to character development. As your character moves through the story, they should have moments where they reflect on their journey, their motivations, and their growth. These moments don’t always need to be internal monologues; they can be triggered by dialogue, events, or changes in their surroundings.

Reflection allows the character to take stock of what they’ve learned, how they’ve changed, and what they still need to overcome. These moments of introspection can also help readers track the character’s progress and ensure that the development feels grounded in the story. They provide a sense of closure and make the transformation feel earned.

How To Write A Novel Chapter By Chapter available here: https://www.amazon.com/How-Write-Novel-Chapter-Outlining-ebook/dp/B0DJ8TMVWL?ref_=ast_author_mpb

You can also check out our other services, Mentoring and Manuscript Review, on the links above.