In one of this week’s consulting sessions, the topic of separation of plot and character development came up. Or specifically – how the two shouldn’t be separate.
The plot is what causes the character development. The developing character drives the plot direction. In a good story, the two are integrated.
(Even though I know you know this,) it’s helpful to revisit the basics when you’re working on a new project or even rewriting an existing one. This sets you up with a strong foundation to build the rest of the story on.
So today let’s look at how the phases of a character’s development happen in relation to plot development. And, to help you visualize it, here comes another chart!
3 acts = 3 phases
In the same way the plot unfolds over three acts, each of which have a distinct purpose:
Character development also occurs in three phases:
As we’ve talked about many times before, stories (especially popular movies) are very, very often about transformation. The key lesson the character learns from the experience is the point of the story.
So the phases of the character’s arc are all formulated around and a function of that change.
Plot and character arc integration
However, the character’s transformation can’t occur without the events of the plot, otherwise the story won’t ring true.
Just imagine it for a moment: you’re reading a screenplay or watching a movie, and the character seems to be growing and changing but you can’t tell why or how this is happening. Your brain is trying to understand the cause-and-effect but if those connections aren’t there, you’re left scratching your head.
In a good story the connections are discernible. Not only do we understand how one plot event causes the next character action and so on, we can also easily see the character changing because of what they experience in this story.
Plot and character arc: a Bridesmaids example
Let’s take the example of Bridesmaids again, one of our old standbys:
Build character arc into the foundation of your screenplay
Writers sometimes want to think about character arc after they’ve plotted a story, but this leaves room for weaknesses in the foundation. Not only are plot and character arc each vital to the story — the way they work together is as well.
Plot and character arc should ultimately work together to create meaning in your screenplay. The relationship between the two is so important, it’s included in one of the four questions we use to check the overall strength of a screenplay.
My questions for you this week:
- In your current screenplay, what lesson is at the heart of your main character’s transformation?
- And how do the plot events cause the character to learn or realize that lesson?