Overcoming The Hurtful Past: A Character Arc Snapshot

with guest Angela Ackerman.

Of all the pieces of backstory we should understand as the author, none will have a greater impact on your story than the Emotional Wound. The reason for this is simple. In real life, the people and experiences from our past have made us who we are today—they have shaped us, in good ways and bad. It’s no different for our characters. Formative experiences from their past steer who they become, and no experience is more altering than a psychologically traumatic one. 

These wounding experiences generate fear and pain, and unresolved, will embed pieces of festering shrapnel which will eat away at a character’s esteem and self-worth. The result is a character who holds back in life, adopts dysfunctional behavior as a shield, develops skewed biases about how the world works, and internalizes destructive false beliefs about her own self-worth. 

Sounds like a recipe for a deeply unfulfilling life, doesn’t it? It is.

Until our character is ready to revisit this backstory wound, identify the problems and fears that are eroding her happiness, and adopt new attitudes that will help her move forward in a healthier way, the wound will continue to keep what she wants and needs most out of reach. 

Are you thinking “character arc” right about now? You’re bang on! This scenario, taking a character from broken to whole, is known as the Change Arc. This is the most common type of arc and is all about transformation and growth. Full of ups and downs, it can be difficult to write, so let me share a blueprint to help. I’ve included hyperlinks for all the big working pieces, so if you haven’t read The Emotional Wound Thesaurus, they can help to show how everything fits. 

THE JOURNEY OF LETTING GO

At the start of a story, the character is seeking to obtain her goal (outer motivation), which she may be pursuing to either avoid something undesirable or to satisfy a yearning (inner motivation). The pursuit of this objective is difficult or may seems impossible. There might be roadblocks in the way and people or forces standing against the character (outer conflict), but the unmet need continues to drive her toward her goal. 

As the story progresses, she gradually gains small insights into the things that are holding her back (inner conflict), what she fears and why (the wound and the lie), and how her habits and biases (emotional shielding) are probably not helping her cope. With these baby steps of self-growth, she learns and matures, adapting to her current circumstances and achieving minor successes that increase her confidence. These successes may be akin to false positives, though, because she hasn’t fully rejected the fear and false beliefs that are causing her damage. Still fearful of emotional pain, a lot of her shielding remains in place. She also continues to embrace the lie; she doubts whether she really deserves the goal but is cautiously hopeful things will work out. 

A point will come in the story when she hits an impasse or suffers a significant setback. This is her dark moment, where she hits rock bottom. She sees that she can’t win going forward as she has been—that if she wants her goal, she must examine her position honestly and take a closer look at some of her internal issues. This means she must confront her emotional pain and challenge the lie she believes. 

Depending on the nature of the wounding event, gaining insight can be painful, but it has to be done. The character must eventually awaken to two things: first, she must see her wound in a new light, admitting that it has held her back and kept her from being happy and fulfilled. Second, she must view herself differently, in a kinder light, and believe she is worthy of something better and is deserving of happiness. 

This self-awareness will change her view of herself, allowing her to replace her disempowering beliefs of unworthiness with empowering beliefs (that she is worthy, has value, and is capable of achieving change). This new, balanced perspective frees her from any feelings of blame, responsibility, or unworthiness she carries about the past, which shatters the lie and replaces it with the truth. 

Refuting the lie and putting the wounding event into perspective enables her to forgive herself (if necessary) and be free of the fear that has steered her actions to date. It also changes her misconceptions about the world and how it operates. She is no longer held prisoner by fear; instead, she has hope and is infused with determination. Complete, centered, and embracing her true self, she does what is needed to achieve the goal, even if it means making personal sacrifices.

Moving past the wound will not remove her fears completely, but because she believes in herself, and she knows what she must do, she is able to embrace the challenges ahead. Despite the forces that stand between her and her goal, she is ready to move forward by shedding the negative qualities that are holding her back and either adopting new, positive traits or honing forgotten ones. 

As she moves toward her goal, she may be tested by encountering a situation similar to the wounding event. This will trigger the same fear, but her newfound strength and belief in herself allows her to master it instead of being mastered by it. Once she successfully navigates this situation, she will gain her goal (provided you are writing a HEA). 

These are stepping stones you can use to show your character’s own journey from incomplete and unfulfilled to satisfied and whole. Remember that wounds will never be forgotten. But once the character faces the past and sees it differently (and lets go of any lies or self-blame she may feel) she has an inner strength she lacked before. Moving forward, she will behave differently, deploying healthy coping strategies and harnessing positive qualities to stay centered and on the path to wholeness. 

Do you write this type of Character Arc journey? It’s one we can all relate to as unfortunately emotional pain is not limited to fiction. Aren’t we all seeking ways to move forward and heal? A good reason to remember to be kind to ourselves, and to others.🙂


Leave a comment today and you could win a copy of The Emotional Wound Thesauraus. Angela is giving away two ecopies! Thank you, Angela. Winner announced in the Weekend Edition.

And Angela brings a special opportunity to Seekerville, you can watch a terrific Emotional Wounds Webinar for a discounted price and help a fellow writer. Details here. 

Angela Ackerman is a writing coach, international speaker, and co-author of the bestselling book, The Emotion Thesaurus, as well as five others (including The Emotional Wound Thesaurus). Her books are available in six languages, are sourced by US universities, and are used by novelists, screenwriters, editors, and psychologists around the world. Angela is also the co-founder of the popular site Writers Helping Writers, as well as One Stop for Writers, an powerful online library built to help writers elevate their storytelling. Find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

3 Ways To Use The Setting To Steer Your Story’s Plot

with guest Angela Ackerman.

The setting is a powerful force. Not only does it evoke mood, create tension and conflict, allow you to share critical backstory in a non-dumpy way, and draw readers deeper into the story through powerful sensory detail…it can also steer your plot. 

If you're a pantser who likes to go where the wind takes you, or you struggle a bit with plotting, this is great news! After all, we know every scene needs to further the story, but sometimes we draw a blank on how to best do that. 

Using the setting to help power your plot is a great way to add depth. Not only can it influence the outer story’s direction, it also will help push the character’s inner journey (character arc) forward. Here are a few ways to achieve this. 

Obstacles & Road Blocks

As writers, we should always know our character’s goal within a scene—to obtain information, gain the upper hand, secure something of importance, etc.—and then make sure achievement never comes easy. Yes, we provide friction. Encourage the protagonist to struggle. We force them to work hard to get what they want, and we do this, over and over, scene after scene. Sure, it’s a bit evil of us. But that tension and conflict it creates? That’s what keeps our readers turning pages! 

One of the best ways to place a barrier between what the character wants and them getting it is to incorporate an obstacle or roadblock. This forces the protagonist to think on his feet, adapt, or try a new direction. 

Every location we choose for our story will come with inherent dangers and possible complications. An obstacle in our character’s path could be as simple as a carpet strewn with Lego as your heroine tries to sneak out of her lover’s home before his kids wake up. It could be a security guard patrolling a warehouse the hero need to break into, a car that won’t turn over when he’s late for an appointment, or a contaminated stream he drinks from while hiking that makes him violently ill. The setting obstacle we choose will make life more difficult and pose a risk, forcing them to be more cautious.

A road block means the protagonist literally can’t proceed as expected. It might come in the form of a washed-out bridge between himself and his destination, pirates patrolling a seafaring trade route he’s always traveled, or a locked door keeping him from what he needs most. Roadblocks and obstacles both force the protagonist to make a choice about how to move forward, steering the events to come. 

Emotional Triggers

One beautiful thing we can do with any setting is to “seed” it with emotional triggers. These triggers are symbols which are important to the protagonist in some way, influencing what he thinks, feels, and does. 

For example, imagine our protagonist is faced with a difficult decision: to accept a high paying dream job that requires almost constant travel, or pass up the job offer in hopes that the relationship he is currently in will eventually lead to marriage and a family. As he wrestles with this choice, perhaps he takes a lunchtime walk through a park located across from his office building. 

If we seed the park with certain triggers such as a busy playground, a young couple pushing a newborn in a stroller, or even a wedding photography session unfolding against a swirling backdrop of fall colors, his heart will focus on his longings to put down roots and start a family. But, choose different triggers, such as a pair of businessmen in power suits discussing multi-million dollar deals as they stroll along the pathway or a line of expensive sports cars parked at the sidewalk, or a colorful poster at a bus stop shelter advertising luxury travel, and the character’s thoughts and actions will go in a different direction. 
Emotional triggers lead to emotional decision-making and the actions that result will change the story’s trajectory. 

Challenges That Characterize

A third way to steer the plot is to use the setting to provide challenges that will lead to success or failure. Whichever is the result, the protagonist will be forced to look within and take stock of his or her strengths and weaknesses. Challenges are useful when it comes to a character’s inner journey, as by default, succeeding or failing influences the story’s direction and the necessary pathway to inner growth (character arc). 

For example, let’s say you have a character who has a drinking problem. Lately, it’s become dire, and after his wife leaves him, he decides to get clean. Newly sober, you could test whether he is truly committed to turning his life around simply by placing him in a setting that includes a challenge: easy access to alcohol. 

Perhaps the setting is a restaurant where his boss is hosting a retirement dinner, or he’s invited to travel to Vegas for a bachelor party. Or maybe the setting you choose is the pub he passes on his walk home every day. Then, it’s up to you. Does he walk past, or go in? Does he decline the Vegas invite to avoid temptation, or convince himself he deserves one last crazy weekend? Does he drink soda at the retirement dinner, or take advantage of the open bar?

Succeed or fail, in this challenging situation, something will be revealed about the character’s strengths or weaknesses to readers, and the plot will shift accordingly. This might lead to a new opportunity or fallout…you decide!

Have you used the setting to steer your plot? 

Leave a comment today for a chance to win your choice of The Urban Setting Thesaurus or The Rural Setting Thesaurus. Ebook format. Two winners. Winners announced in the Weekend Edition.

Settings should be more than a simple backdrop. Yes, they provide the opportunity to ground the reader, but they can also be used to establish mood, steer the story, foreshadow, and build tension.

The Rural Setting Thesaurus helps writers like never before by exploring over 100 school, home, and natural locations, providing the sensory details for each along with possible sources of conflict that can be found there. Also covered are many figurative language techniques that can be used to convey emotion and bring the setting to life, creating a vibrant, one-of-a-kind experience for readers.

As far as story elements go, the setting is one of the most necessary, yet it’s often underutilized by writers. The Urban Setting Thesaurus is the key to creating stronger, more powerful descriptions by showing writers how multisensory details can draw readers in and enhance the story.

Not only will writers learn how to choose the right location for each scene, they’ll also see how the setting can be used to characterize, reveal backstory, and provide triggers that can amplify character emotions and drive behavior. Through its sensory exploration of over 120 urban settings, this book will help writers create a realistic, textured world readers will long to return to, even after the book closes.

For more information on these books, including more purchasing options, please visit Writers Helping Writers.



Angela Ackerman is a writing coach, international speaker, and co-author of the bestselling book, The Emotion Thesaurus: a Writer’s Guide to Character Expression, as well as four others including the newly minted Urban Setting and Rural Setting Thesaurus duo. Angela is also the co-founder of the popular site, Writers Helping Writers, as well as One Stop For Writers, an innovative online library built to help writers elevate their storytelling. She loves connecting, so please say hello on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. 

The entire Descriptive Thesaurus series can be found 

on Amazon in ebook and print format! 

Personalizing The Stakes Using Fear And Undeserved Consequences

with guest Angela Ackerman.

Compelling novels have many different ingredients that make them fascinating to read, but of one the standard components is a healthy, continual dose of ACTION. The protagonist is always doing something: weighing alternatives, choosing options, making decisions and then acting on them, good or bad. 

Sounds pretty straightforward, doesn’t it? We throw something at a character and they deal with it. Seize the day, steer their fate. The plot rolls ahead, filled with glorious momentum, with the character tackling challenge after challenge as the reader is carried breathlessly toward the story’s finish line. 

Only…that’s not what happens. 

Why? Because characters are stubborn. They fight action, fight decisions, fight change. Most would rather sit on the couch with a bag of potato chips as loud music blasts from the stereo speakers so they can pretend they don’t hear the author banging at the door.
What’s missing is Motivation. To act, a character must be motivated to do so, especially when danger is present, the odds are unfavorable or the consequences are grave. No one willingly throws themselves into a fire without thought. They need to have a reason to do so, especially when fear is involved. 

Fear The Reaper (And A Lot More)

As people, we make associations with fear (most negative). We tend to avoid things that scare us—a psychological response common to us all. To create believable fiction, what happens in the real world should be mirrored in the fictional one, so we need to apply this same mindset to our characters. 

Fear comes in many flavors. In addition to specific fears the character has based on past negative experiences (backstory) such as a fear of the dark, fear of poverty, fear of abandonment, etc., there are universal fears that come onto play: 

• A fear of pain or injury

•  The fear of losing something (or someone) one cherishes 

• The fear of failure

• A fear of losing oneself (identity)

•  The fear of the unknown (change) 

• The Fear of death

Story catalysts (the “motivation” aspect of the Motivation-Reaction Units (MRU) can be positive or negative, and both can trigger fear. So when dread paralyzes action as effectively as a pair of cement boots, how do we get our characters to push past their fears and act? 


Raising The Stakes

Stakes are the consequences which will come about if your character does nothing. If the consequences seem far removed or more of an inconvenience than hardship, chances are, a protagonist will not be willing to step outside their comfort zone and get involved. But if the stakes are higher, and the consequences more dire or personal, then it pokes at a character’s moral soft spots, hitting them in the place where their strongest beliefs of right and wrong live. 

The most effective way to raise the stakes is to personalize them to the protagonist in some way. One option is to use fear—more specifically, to activate a higher level of fear where doing nothing is worse than trying to do something despite the risk.

Fight Fear With Fear

If your protagonist fears failure…then have another pay the price of failing. Nothing motivates someone faster than a loved one having to pay a steep price instead of oneself.
If your protagonist fears losing something they cherish…have another suffer a loss undeservingly as a result if one does not succeed in one’s mission. 

If your protagonist fears a loss of identity…have another be forced to sacrifice theirs as a consequence should the hero not step up and do what is right.

If your protagonist fears pain…create an end game scenario where another will suffer should the hero be unable to put themselves in the path of pain themselves. 

These are just a few examples on using fear, but there are many other ways to personalize stakes. Sometimes it can be helpful to have a list to brainstorm from, so I’ve created one! When you need your character to act, go through this list to see if there is a way to nudge their moral compass in the right direction. 

What is your favorite way up raising the stakes? How have you used personal stakes to motivate your character? Let me know in the comments! 

Angela Ackerman is a writing coach, international speaker and co-author of several bestselling writing books, including The Emotion Thesaurus. She loves building communities and her newest project, One Stop For Writers, is a powerhouse online library like no other, filled with description and brainstorming  tools to help writers elevate their storytelling. You can also find her on Twitter, Facebook and at her website, Writers Helping Writers.
 








Angela brought  fun prize package with her today. Three commenters will win a one month subscription to One Stop For Writers, a powerhouse online library like no other, supplying writers with inspiration, education and unique description resources. And one reader will win a surprise package of books from Seekerville, in Angela's honor, to keep them reading through the holidays!

 Winners announced in the Weekend Edition.

No time to lurk! Only three days until we announce the final winners!

10 Reasons Our Hero Needs Flaws

with guest Angela Ackerman.

When we see the word Hero, we think heroic, which is ironic because our protagonists are usually anything but at the start of a story. Instead they are often jaded, lost or incomplete in some way, toting along a collection of flaws and false beliefs about the world and themselves. But that’s okay, because characters that fascinate readers most are layered, complex, and most of all, human. Brainstorming flaws can be difficult—which faults to choose, how many to give them and why, but here are ten reasons why all heroes need them. 

1) TO CREATE REALISM AND EMPATHY
In real life, people have faults-no one is perfect. It stands to reason that for a character to be believable, he also must be flawed. Readers are people too, ones who are as prone to poor choices, mistakes, and overreactions due to their shortcomings as our hero is. When they see the fallout created by a character’s faults,  they empathize, knowing just how it feels to screw up. And as the character learns more about himself and works toward overcoming his flaws to reach his goals, the reader will cheer him on because the desire to achieve self-growth is universal.  

2) TO UNDERSTAND BACKSTORY
To write a compelling character, it isn’t enough to slap a few attributes and flaws into their personality and then throw them at the story. Fascinating characters come about by understanding who they are at their core. If you know a character’s flaws, you can brainstorm their past to better understand what experiences made these negative traits form. Backstory is valuable to know (for you as the author, not to dump into the story) because it helps you plot out what motivates them, how they will behave (their choices, mannerisms, pet peeves, etc.), and what they avoid to keep from being emotionally hurt. Knowing these details means you’ll be able to write them authentically, making them real to readers. (If you would like help brainstorming your character’s past, I recommend trying the Reverse Backstory Tool.)  

3) TO CAUSE RELATIONSHIP FRICTION: When everyone gets along, a story flat lines. Flaws act as sandpaper in a relationship, rubbing characters against one another to create delicious friction. A flaw vs. flaw (sloppiness pitted against a perfectionist) or a flaw vs. an attribute (inflexibility vs. free-spiritedness) both build tension and conflict which draws readers in, quickens the pace and raises personal & relationship stakes. For more detail, here’s an article on How to Create Friction In Relationships.

4) TO CREATE CONFLICT: Flaws mean blind spots, biases, pet peeves and irrational emotional reactions to name a few. All of these things cause the hero to mess up along the way, creating conflict. A story road paved with mistakes, misjudgements and poor choices amp up tension at all levels, and make it even harder for the character to succeed. The antagonist can turn the hero’s mistakes to his own advantage, becoming an even greater threat.  

5) TO PROVIDE A BALANCE: If a hero has too many strengths (positive attributes), not only will he come across as unrealistic, it will be too easy for him to succeed. This makes the story predictable because as conflict pops up, there are no flaws to hamper the hero’s efforts or create setbacks, and he will always win. Readers want to see a hero struggle, because it makes the victories so much sweeter. Failure is also important to a character’s  arc: he must hit bottom before he can succeed.

6) TO REVEAL EMOTIONAL WOUNDS: Flaws bloom into being as a false protective measure when a person suffers an emotional wound. Why false? Because while they appear to “protect” a person from bad experiences (emotional pain), they actually hold back growth and damage relationships. Take a girl who grows up with parents who have high standards. They only bestow affection when she proves herself to be the best and so later in life, she equates anything less than perfection as failure. She may become a workaholic, inflexible, and overachieve, all to protect herself from feeling low self-worth at not measuring up (thanks for that, Mom and Dad!). Flaws are guideposts to these deep emotional wounds, something every author should know about their characters as it ties directly into Character Arc (see below).

7) TO GENERATE INNER CONFLICT: Inner conflict is the place where the characters faults (flaws) and negative thoughts (I’ll never be good enough, I’ll never find love, I’m not worthy, etc.) reside. Good story structure dictates that a protagonist’s flaws should be counterproductive to achieving his goal and that his negative thoughts should sabotage his self-worth. These things are what the hero must face about himself and change. Only through subduing his flaws will he have a chance at achieving his goal. 

8) TO BE A FORCE FOR CHANGE: Flaws get in the way at the worst times, pressuring the character to act. Let’s say our hero is determined to take control of his family’s struggling company, but he’s notoriously irresponsible. To keep the business afloat, he must apply himself. His desire to not disappoint the people counting on him force him to take a hard look inward at his own irresponsibility, which he must change to succeed. 

9) TO ENCOURAGE SELF-GROWTH: As I mentioned before, one of the core needs of all people is to grow as a person. Growth is tied to happiness and fulfillment, so if your characters has flaws, small ones or big ones, showing him overcome them allows him to feel satisfied and happier, and will resonate with readers who are on their own journey of self-improvement. 

10) TO COMPLETE THE CHARACTER’S ARC: Flaws shouldn’t be random—each flaw forms from a negative past experience. In Character Arc, there should be at least one core flaw that stands in the character’s way (see inner conflict) of achieving his goal. For the character to win (his outer motivation) he must face his fears, deal with the emotional wounds of his past, and see that achieving his goal is more important that the risk of suffering another emotional wound. Only by subduing his core flaw and banishing his negative thoughts can he be free of fear. This necessary self-growth will help him find the strength needed to achieve his goal.


Whew, that’s a lot of heavy stuff! Who knew that flaws were so important?
Like so many things in writing, we can draw parallels between ourselves and our world & the character and his story world. When we look at our own faults, we see what we tend to avoid and what we fear. We can use this same filter for our characters, using the flaws we hobble then with to steer the story. (If you’d like some tips on how to choose the right flaws for your protagonist, just follow this link!) 

 

ANGELA ACKERMAN is a writing coach and co-author of the bestselling writing resource, The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide To Character Expression, as well as the newly released Positive Trait Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide To Character Attributes and its darker cousin, The  Negative Trait Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Flaws. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook and at Writers Helping Writers (formerly The Bookshelf Muse).





Today Seekerville will be giving away the winner's choice of one of Angela's books in  ebook format. Winner announced in the Weekend Edition. But you have to comment to win!

Reader Empathy: Catch It & Keep It with Guest Angela Ackerman

Gluing readers to the page. This is a writer’s goal each step of the way, from gaining the attention of an agent, to compelling an editor to make an offer, and finally, to enthralling an audience.  We strive to make people experience something powerful when they read our words. To genuinely FEEL. To care.  



Sounds...um, not easy? I know! Building empathy requires skill, knowledge and practice. Writers must become deeply in tune with a reader’s emotions and learn how to use these feelings to bind them to the story.

Make Outsiders Become Insiders

When a reader opens a book, they have certain expectations. They know the book’s genre and the jacket copy offers a peek into what the storyline is about. However at this point they are still Outsiders to the main character and his world. They have not yet invested in the hero or his journey. The author has a narrow window of time to draw readers in and convert them into close confidants. Insiders. 

Encouraging empathy is the way to make this happen. When readers are brought into the hero’s POV, they not only begin to understand the character’s world, they actually can share his experience. Empathy forms a powerful bond between character and reader, carrying them deep into the story and plight of the hero. They become emotionally invested and worry for him, with losses causing pain and frustration while wins are celebrated because readers care and want to see him succeed.

     

5 Ways To Encourage Reader Empathy

 Humanize your character. Real people have strengths, flaws and weaknesses. Characters must also have a blend of these. They should be imperfect and make mistakes, but also be likable. Give your hero at least one commendable trait that makes him worthy to cheer for. 


Get inside their bones. Make your protagonist believable by giving him common desires, emotions, worries and thoughts that an audience can relate to. These commonalities will resonate with the reader’s own beliefs and feelings, reinforcing that bond. Allow the character’s self doubt to bleed through to some degree, showing the reader his vulnerable side.


Clearly define the needs, goals, and stakes. Scene to scene, readers must always know what the character is fighting for. Leave no doubt as to what he is trying to achieve, why, and the cost of failure. 


Hobble characters through challenges that readers sympathize with.  Readers bring their own life experience to the book, so use it. Story conflict and personal stakes will remind readers of their own past where they faced similar roadblocks. Pile on challenges, make the hero work and sometimes fail, but also allow for successes on the journey.


Never betray the reader’s trust. Writers must know their characters inside and out, and make sure  actions, thoughts and beliefs align with who they are. If a character acts in a way that does not fit his nature, the reader will feel betrayed. Manipulating a character’s choices or actions just to bring about a plot twist or complication will always ring false. 

TIP: Showing believable emotion in your characters is really key to forging empathy. If you struggle in this area, a brainstorming tool like The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide To Character Expression  might help. Amazon’s ‘Search Inside’ feature offers a sample of this tool which pairs the thoughts, body language and internal sensations that go with a particular emotion, helping you to convey your character’s unique feelings clearly to readers. Also, thinking about your own emotional responses as you enjoy a book will help you as a writer looking to build that empathy link!

 

  Your Turn!

As a reader, what makes you empathize with characters? Why do you care enough to root for them? Let me know in the comments!



In honor of Angela's visit today and Seekerville's birthday, we're giving away one digital copy and one traditional copy of The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression. Winner announced in the Weekend Edition.

 Angela Ackerman is one half of The Bookshelf Muse blogging duo, and co-author of The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Expression. Listing the body language, visceral reactions and thoughts associated with seventy-five different emotions, this brainstorming guide is a valuable tool for showing, not telling, emotion. Angela also writes on the darker side of Middle Grade and Young Adult, and is represented by Jill Corcoran of The Herman Agency.

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