In an attempt to get better at showing the character's evolution in a story, I wanted to invite you guys to do an exercise with me. Choose a favorite show or movie and write out how
1. The character identifies their problem 2. Confronts their problem and 3. Grows from their problem.
Is this always linear, or does it kind of spiral, going forward and backward until they have their final aha moment?
I am running into the problem of hitting the same beat in similar ways and need to look at things in a way the build to an emotional chorus.
SPOILER ALERT: FALLOUT SEASON 1 -Lucy- analysis
I will do it for Lucy in Fallout season 1.
1. She is naive and idealistic, but doesn't see her naivety until she is shown how the world works on the surface in multiple ways. People's unethical behavior, her whole idea of what history was had giant gaps, etc. Over tim,e dark truths unfold until she confronts the darkest one of all at the very end of the season.
2. She confronts her problems by fighting enemies head-on for survival, but making sure she is still equitable about it. She tries to start with peace and coexistence but understands she needs to survive at the same time. When she is forced to do things out of her comfort zone, it is still in essence for a greater good. The ghoul that challenges her worldview and behavior pushes her to a point where she discovers her own inner strength through life-or-death struggles. Yet she doesn't break with her core life view.
3. At the end of the season, she confronts the fact that her dad is not a good guy and also that her mom is beyond saving. She has grown from thinking the world is black and white to seeing the grey and knowing she must continue to fight for what is right, even if it means stopping her own dad.
Hope you join me! And feel free to tell me if I'm off base with this as well.
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Thanks for the exercise, Maria Restivo Glassner. I'm going to do it with the next movie I watch. I'll post what I come up with.
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yeah interesting exercise!
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I would phrase it differently that would be more universal, not just to Lucy but to other characters. I see it as, 1. Character Has Limiting Behavior/Perspective; 2. Twist the Knife to Make Character Suffer Due to that Behavior/Perspective; 3. Character Changes or Doesn't Change.
In Fallout Season 2, Lucy's Limiting Behavior is that she wants to be a "Nice Person" but we "Twist the Knife" by making her suffer specifically because she is a NIce Person, such as meeting NCR, Legion and Helping Woman Deliver Baby.... then, she changes when she pushes the Ghoul out the window, but can't quite bring herself to kill her father, though she does kill the head of the Congresswoman which is a tremendous Arc Shift for her.
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@Michael David, I like your adjustments. My only issue is the arc shift in killing the Congresswoman. Was it a big arc shift when she already did a mercy killing of her own mom in season 1?
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Maria Restivo Glassner I hear your point. I still think it's more of a shift because she kills her with less hesitation, and, although she doesn't kill her father, one gets the sense she would if she needed to.
I think only if a Character suffers because of their Limiting Behavior, only then can they believably Change.
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Ah, I see that, that is fair. Very interesting point. I'm going to work on the limiting behavior perspective in my rewrite.