Ask Jerry
character arcs
Asked by Elisabeth Gay on December 3, 2020
What advice would you give on writing a "complete" character arc for a MC in the first book of a series that still allows room for growth throughout the series? I understand that authentic characters are never going to be perfect by the end of a book, but finding the balance feels tricky.
Jerry's Answer
You're right that it's tricky, Elizabeth. Each novel has to be complete and satisfying in itself, and the character should be different at the end than at the beginning. It only makes sense, however, that the hero would have a larger character arc in the first book than the subsequent ones. But be sure he's learning and changing somewhat in each one.