In this article we'll consider:
Character arcs and their importance
The relationship between character arcs and plot
Using conflict to strengthen plot and character
The role of subplots in strengthening structure
Adding the emotional X-factor
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In Part I of the three-part Mastering Story Structure series, we discussed some of the most common story frameworks and how each one complements certain genres. Now, with the foundation of your story's structure in place, we consider how character arcs, plot development, and the emotional X-factor interact with structure to add greater depth to your narrative.
Character arcs and their importance
To quote video production and screenwriting software specialists StudioBinder, "A character arc is the measure of how a character changes over time."
In other words, it's the internal journey your character undergoes throughout your story. While the plot drives external events, the character arc focuses on how the character grows, changes, or fails to change, in response to those events.
This is particularly important for your protagonist, but may also apply to any number of other characters in your story, too.
There are three main types of character arc, and these are:
1. The Positive Arc – Growth from flawed to strong
The protagonist starts flawed or inexperienced but grows into a stronger, wiser, or better person by the end.
They overcome their inner struggles, learn valuable lessons, and emerge victorious.
Examples:
Harry Potter – from an insecure orphan to a confident hero.
Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice – from prejudiced to self-aware and open-minded.
Simba, The Lion King – from reluctant exile to accepting his role as king.
2. The Negative Arc – A descent into failure or tragedy
The protagonist spirals downward as the story progresses, either succumbing to flaws, making terrible choices, or being destroyed by external forces.
This arc is powerful for tragedy and dark drama.
Examples:
Walter White, Breaking Bad – from struggling, suburban teacher to ruthless drug lord.
Anakin Skywalker, Star Wars – from promising Jedi Knight to Darth Vader.
Jay Gatsby, The Great Gatsby – destroyed by obsession with the past.
3. The Flat Arc – The protagonist stays the same but changes others
The protagonist doesn’t change much, but they change the world around them instead.
These characters start with a strong belief or moral code, and influence others.
Examples:
Katniss Everdeen, The Hunger Games – remains defiant, but her defiance sparks a revolution.
Sherlock Holmes – remains brilliant, but helps others see the truth.
Wonder Woman – her belief in love and heroism stays strong despite obstacles, inspiring others.
Tips for weaving character arcs into your story:
Map out where your character starts and where they end up – emotionally, mentally, morally.
Identify what they must learn or unlearn in order to reach their final state.
Make sure the external events are triggering their internal growth (positive arc), downfall (negative arc), or steadfastness (flat arc).
The relationship between character arcs and plot
A well-developed story doesn’t just follow a structure – it builds tension, deepens themes, and keeps readers invested by ensuring every major plot event affects the protagonist's journey.
Example: Iron Man – Tony Stark's arc and plot progression
Initial weakness: Tony is reckless and indifferent to the consequences of his technology.
Midpoint growth: After being kidnapped and seeing firsthand the destruction his weapons cause, he makes the decision to change.
Climax: He fights Obadiah Stane, not just to save himself, but to stop the misuse of his company’s inventions.
Resolution: He takes full responsibility, publicly announcing he is Iron Man, showing his transformation from selfish genius to selfless protector.
Takeaway: Tony’s internal change mirrors the external conflict, making his arc essential to the story’s impact.
Using conflict to strengthen plot and character
Whenever we think of planning a story, one of the first things that comes to mind after character is conflict. Conflict is story. It drives both the external plot and the characters' internal struggles. So what are the ways you could use it for maximum effect?
There are three main categories of conflict, and these are:
1. Internal conflict – Protagonist vs. Self
The protagonist battles their own fears, flaws, or doubts.
Often seen in character-driven dramas, coming-of-age stories, or psychological thrillers.
Example: In The Girl on the Train, Rachel Watson struggles with alcoholism, paranoia and obsession, which impairs her judgement and fuels self-destructive behaviour.
2. External conflict – Protagonist vs. Other
A battle between the protagonist and an outside force, such as other people, society, nature, or any other external antagonist.
Common in action, fantasy, dystopian, thriller, and other essentially plot-driven stories.
Example: In Avatar, the indigenous Na'vi battle human invaders intent on mining the lush landscape of Pandora for its resources.
3. Philosophical conflict – Protagonist vs. Idea
The protagonist wrestles with big questions about life, existence, the universe, etc.
Common in literary fiction, sci-fi, and political dramas.
Example: A Clockwork Orange confronts themes of societal control, and good and evil in human nature.
Tips for using conflict effectively:
Create layers of conflict – inner struggle compounded by external threats.
Make conflict personal – it should challenge your protagonist’s deepest fears or desires.
Raise the stakes at key moments – what would be the worst thing that could happen to your protagonist?
The role of subplots in strengthening structure
Subplots are secondary storylines that support the main plot by adding depth, greater resonance, emotional stakes, or contrasting perspectives.
You can make subplots meaningful by: connecting them to the main theme (e.g. a romantic subplot in a war story can highlight what’s at stake); using them to reveal character (e.g. show different sides of a character); letting them impact the main story (e.g. a small event in a subplot could change the protagonist’s path).
Example – The Great Gatsby
Main plot: Gatsby’s pursuit of Daisy.
Subplot: Tom's affair with Myrtle adds tension to Tom and Daisy's marriage, and ultimately Myrtle's death (caused by Daisy) leads to Gatsby's downfall.
Example – Titanic
Main plot: The sinking of the ship.
Subplot: Rose and Jack's romance, adding personal stakes and raising the emotional impact of the disaster.
Tip: Avoid letting subplots overshadow the main story. They should enrich, not distract.
Adding the emotional X-factor
If framework, character arcs, plot and subplots are the ingredients of your story's structure, the emotional X-factor is your secret sauce. A story stays in the minds of readers only when it hits them emotionally. So let's take a look at some ways you can deepen your story's emotional impact:
1. Deep character development
Flawed but relatable characters: Give characters strengths, weaknesses, and contradictions that make them feel real.
Emotional arcs: Ensure characters experience growth, struggle, change, or a doubling down of attitude that resonates with readers.
Internal conflicts: Show characters battling personal fears, insecurities, or past traumas.
Example: Dexter Morgan in the TV series Dexter is a psychopathic serial killer, yet he has learned to channel his killer instincts into a strict code, freeing up another side of him that has a strong sense of justice and deep affection for those he cares about, which viewers can get behind.
2. Sensory and immersive writing
Use all five senses: Avoid relying just on sight; engage readers with taste, touch, smell, and sound, too.
Vivid imagery: Make emotions tangible by connecting them to sensory experiences, e.g. Kate longed for the feel of summer on bare skin.
Atmosphere and mood: Use weather, setting, environment to enhance emotions, highlighting or conflicting with the scene's mood, e.g. The relentless rain washed the last of her fear away.
Example: In Sunset Song, Lewis Grassic Gibbon engages all the senses to create vivid imagery and deep emotional resonance. The novel, set in a harsh Scottish agricultural environment at the start of the twentieth century, shifts between moments of warmth and foreboding, mirroring protagonist Chris Guthrie's inner turmoil and ensuring nature and emotion are inextricably linked.
3. Authenticity and vulnerability
Draw from real emotions: Base emotional moments on genuine feelings, even if they’re fictional.
Avoid melodrama: Let emotions build naturally rather than forcing them with exaggerated moments.
Play with silence and the page's white space: Sometimes what’s left unsaid or missing carries the most weight.
Example: Markus Zusak'sThe Book Thief, set in Nazi Germany at the outset of World War Two, encounters the heavy emotions of sadness, grief, and the instinct for connection, but all through the eyes of a young, hopeful girl, which softens their impact until the story reaches its key moments.
Additionally, Zusak uses a unique and sparing organization of text on the page for some of the book's narration by Death, its unconventional narrator.
4. Meaningful relationships
Complex dynamics: Give relationships layers – e.g. love mixed with resentment, loyalty challenged by fear, hatred born from deep sorrow.
Moments of connection: Small, intimate moments (a shared glance, an old inside joke) can be more powerful than grand gestures.
Betrayal or loss: Moments of unexpected loss or betrayal can create lasting emotional ripples in your characters.
Example: In Brokeback Mountain, the sexual and emotional relationship that develops between two male shepherds in the American West leads to conflicting emotions as they repress their feelings and try to resume an existence expected of them by society.
5. Thematic resonance
Universal emotions: Tap into themes everyone is familiar with, such as love, loss, belonging, regret, or redemption.
Circular storytelling: Consider echoing earlier emotions and events later in the story in a transformed way.
Open-ended reflection: Allow readers to feel unresolved emotions, or to draw conclusions of the character's emotional state without being directly told.
Example: Themes of fear, trauma, and the nature of reality pervade the movie The Sixth Sense, not least our own, as viewers, when the twist ending forces us to reconsider our perceptions of the story up to that point.
Finally...
Great storytelling happens when character arcs, plot development, conflict, and emotion work in sync together – and while it's not always possible to get all these elements in place on the first draft, it's something to work on as you move through subsequent drafts and edits.
So to summarize:
Define your protagonist’s starting point and end goal (positive, negative, or flat arc).
Design key plot moments that force them to change.
Layer in conflict and subplots that support the main story.
Create emotional impact using various techniques.
Filling out your story's structure with each of these elements will ensure you're on your way to creating a complex, engaging, and memorable story. In the final part of our Mastering Story Structure series, we'll look closer at refining your story using advanced techniques, and editing and revising for structural strength. So check back soon!
Further reading...
"5 Ways to Add Depth to a Scene", Janice Hardy, Writers in the Storm
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Tina Williams of Fiction Yogi is a copyeditor and proofreader who works with writers at all stages, giving them the tools to improve their manuscript and level up their writing so they can meet their publishing goals.
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