How to Create a Powerful Character Arc

A compelling main character with a dramatic character arc can make the difference between a memorable novel and a forgettable one.
In this video, I discuss how to:
Develop a riveting hero
Make him heroic
Show and not tell
And more
Check out Jerry's free Character Arc Worksheet! leveragecreative.lpages.co/ch...

[@sweetparrot9216]

I've even had characters who've had hair🤣 This killed me...

[@ponponponpon3062]

That was so funny =)

[@ebam2009]

I used to have hair ...so I can draw on my own experience.

[@louiesiamasonto8741]

was looking for this comment 🤣🤣

[@DirtyBobBojangles]

​@@ponponponpon3062wasn't that funny

[@driftwoodriverstone2751]

"I've even had lead characters who've had hair." Dying 😂

[@zenekmagyarfelirattal40]

1. Introduce Him Immediately 0:28 2. Give Readers a Hint of What He Looks Like 1:13 3. Give Him a Backstory 1:53 4. Make Him Vulnerable 2:20 5. Make Him Potenticlly Heroic 2:26 6. Show His Inner Life 3:18 7. Draw on Your Own Experience 4:03 8. Show Don't Tell 4:56 9. Conduct Thorough Research 6:06 10. Character Development Examples 6:46

[@chinasauzoma8035]

You forgot one. Give him hair

[@L1L2L3L4S]

Jerry's channel provides by far one of the most practical tips and instruction on writing; wow!!

[@thelittlejuno]

Exactly

[@imFruzzy]

Jerry helped me overcome years of depression and write two books so far. An endless amount of psychologists, doctors and medicine never came close to freeing me from my chains. His videos, and me discovering writing rather than just reading, possibly saved my life. It sure improved it. There's a handful of people I will never forget, that I will truly miss when they're gone, and Jerry is on that list. To anyone who reads this and feels lost, please keep relentlessly searching for what lights up your soul, what makes you feel like the hours and days pass by like a Chinese high speed train.

[@IndianOutlaw1870]

@@imFruzzy I, also, have used writing to free me from a traumatic past. I've been working on a book of Western short stories since April 2020 and will be launching it very soon. A lot of work and rework, and weekends spent indoors, but it's been worth the cost.

[@woogi0911]

Always a pleasure to watch Mr.Jenkin's Videos when i'm procrastinating my writing

[@GaryLamb2020]

As a content creator,i yern to learn more about telling a compelling story. This helped me out a lot!!! Thank you.

[@kristopherdecker6549]

"I even wrote about somebody with hair." 😂 I like this guy in the first video I watched. Thanks man!

[@luigi_border]

Fantastic. This is how you helped me: My main character begins by remembering her horse and herself were the only survivors of battle. But the horse has to rescue itself as the main character comes out of shell shock. Thats page one! The horse makes a human friend and the three of them unite on the second page to save themselves. From the beginning I wanted the horse to have the warrior spirit the main character had lost and interfere with the story by protesting the main character’s bad decisions, and lead her to recovery. After that the plot goes on but I couldn’t find the “pet the dog” for my hero because she is catatonic. Then with this video I realized that at night my main character could simply go to the horse to sing a song from her people, and she realizes she is the only person who knows the song of her people… Then the rest of the first act hangs on that realization PERFECTLY

[@cerr404]

Golden things living in this channel…

[@PureMagma]

Thank you for always being concise and also instructional... When I feel "stuck in the moment" while writing (which is different from "writers block")... I jump to your channel and scroll through your library of videos. That seems to help me quickly identify why I am typing out different iterations of 'one key point' in multiple paragraphs (which can block me from moving on with my draft). You are almost like a "phone-a-friend" Lifeline that I can't interrupt mid-sentence because it's a video! 😅🌠❤️‍🔥

[@davidmckab7527]

Hey thanks for the advice! ,Right now I'm writing a novel that I was making, I'm trying to overcome Writer's block but when I saw your channel, I had hope Thank you Jerry!

[@beautifulpinksweater1527]

A fictional character with one of the most legendary character arcs is Zuko from The Last Airbender. His entire arc comprises of every point you mentioned!

[@matirae8883]

Just what I needed! Thanks Jerry! Keep up the great work!

[@digiartvibes]

I've probably gleaned more from your writing advice than anywhere else. Your videos and blogs are both informative and interesting. Thank you!

[@TheOppositeIsTrueBook]

Always sage advice. Thank you Jerry!

[@ericakarlin6371]

SO happy to have found you as I embark on my first novel in decades. Your information is always clear, concise -- and inspiring! Thank you! :)

[@seventus]

You sir, make the best videos on writing that I've ever had the pleasure to watch. Thank you.

[@kendrawilhoite5832]

I just discovered your channel and subscribedl!! I LOVE your advice! You are so inspiring!! Thank you so much for all that you do, and God bless you!:)

[@brrryan2908]

Thank you, Jerry, for creating and posting this info packed video!

[@clintoreilly]

Thanks for sharing such sage wisdom, Mr Jenkins. Thanks to you, I've found my way in writing. You are truly a Master of such a craft. God Bless.

[@danielestaub9445]

Thank you for this channel. Have a great Christmas. 🎄

[@jamesneuhaus7567]

Wow thanks for the character arc PDF! Immediately very helpful! I've already used it for two characters in the past 15 minutes! Where has this been all my life?? Thanks again!! :)

[@keeganmet257]

It's always great when Jerry Jenkins uploads a video!

[@ruolavoro]

Thank you Jerry! Best wishes!

[@HellaBella]

Amazing content! I hope you keep making videos. I wrote my first two chapters today. It felt overwhelming, yet exciting. I was emotionally exhausted afterwards. My story is a memoir style. I’ve been watching a lot of your videos. Maybe you could do one on how to property pace a story, when to reveal certain details like a surprising fact about the character or plot details. I am binge watching your channel. Thanks so much!

[@StellaCarey]

Thank you! Your videos are on my autoplay list.

[@beletewoilde2719]

You teach me how to write a good Novel. Thank you, I always follow your teaching technique. Keep it up!

[@nathsevakrajugavali9]

Great video this will definitely help me to improve my writing. Thank you.

[@asmamejdi8901]

Again, another amazing video! Thank you so much, Sir.

[@StepbyStepbyMiriam]

Jerry you are a wonderful teacher. Thank you so much for sharing your skill and expertise.

[@farmerkerry7426]

Thanks for sharing your great knowledge!

[@aforislamtv]

I love this tutorial. It's easy to grasp. Thank you so much for this lesson.

[@scollurio]

Good seeing you upload again! Thank you! ;)

[@tzoneo8029]

Fantastic video with a lot of information. Though I came late to the party I have benefitted greatly. Thanks Jerry. We love you,

[@ontheoffline3504]

Amazing video. Thanks so much for the advice!

[@ProfessorMonk57]

Wow. Your way of teaching is like no other

[@karenlewis3540]

You’re being very helpful keep up the good work❤

[@untiltheyfeelmysound]

this video was detailed to the tee. this was extremely useful advice that can be applied to art and real life. thank you so much.

[@judymendelson8171]

I found this video very helpful. It was clear, easy to follow and at times humorous. Thank you 😊🌈😊

[@kilthy7832]

Bravo! Thank you for your time and wisdom!

[@kiarahlozari2613]

Thank you so much for this wonderful Vedio Mr. Jenkins. I learned a lot since I'm writing a novel♡

[@bananimate]

wow, this is really helpful! Thank you so much!!!

[@glendapaquette9896]

Thanks Jerry for sharing your wisdom.

[@janetmanning7172]

Thank you so much. I am trying to finish. This book that I am writing. Been having a hard time finishing it. Love the instruction, Thanks again.

[@tibormichaels]

Great message, carefully choosen words. Jerry gets your attention no matter how busy you are, he has allways something important to say.

[@rosebajorins6503]

Amazing content. Thank you!

[@gloriabrown7655]

Great tips re: main character! areas I hadn't thought about that makes all the difference in the story -

[@Phoenixesper1]

Currently writting a three book novel series and I frequently refer back to Jerrie's videos when I need guidance or want to take an approach I might not have thought about. Love his videos just straightforward and plain spoken.

[@domclayton1073]

If I may, how far are you with your novel? :)

[@urspecial2me]

After almost 30 years of teaching elementary school, I am finally understanding what is means to show and not tell. Thanks Jerry! Very helpful for me and my writing.

[@KeysoftheLord]

Research is a KEY thing to writing historical fiction. I've been writing a biblical fiction novel about Paul's dramatic life change after he saw Jesus on the road to Damascus. I do not know how Pharisees thought, acted, and truly felt about the Christians. Of course, the Bible tells us that they hated them, but in this book, as Paul was a Pharisee, I have done so much research on The Sanhedrin council and Gamaliel, his mentor, as well as the Law and what the Sanhedrin really thought.

[@angelac4760]

New to writing. ty for the info.

[@lunes23]

You've helped me so much! Thanks

[@BarbBassett]

Thank you. I am confirming and learning with your help. In time I will go through most of your work and share your knowledge with friends. Please know you are appreciated.

[@cannibalcatgirl]

Thank you for affirming drawing from one’s own experiences. I have had a story sitting in my head for years now but a lot of it is derived from situations from my own life. I feel shy, or almost like it’s cheating to put them on paper hahaha, instead of coming up with something. But I guess it’s easier to write a believable moment when it’s one that’s been lived.

[@thoughtsofsonal]

You are master of your field, really 🙏

[@johnhannahoriordan1354]

Can’t believe all that advice is free. God bless him.

[@funwithmary-ann7345]

Thank you so much. Im writing a book my very first big book and I don't have much experience. You are hwlping me alot of how I can make my book better and how to create remeberable caraters and that is one of the things I struggle most, but now I can make my caraters and story better. Thank you so much.💖

[@mayankdhir7722]

Sir, thank you for blessing the world with your knowledge :)

[@azizazlimie]

Thank you!

[@lemonblue2387]

Thank you for your help :)

[@dee1408]

Love your videos Jerry.

[@user-ig6eq6zm5g]

King god bless u. Thanks to you my book will be great

[@niccidiamond2390]

Thank you for your easy to grasp guidance and teachings. with appreciation from Tel Aviv, Israel.

[@mohammadmahdi4915]

Always helpful 👌

[@Bookish_Haven]

Awesome as always

[@almogdekel1552]

You explain complex ideas in a simple way! Thank you so much for that! One question about the "Show, Don't Tell" advice: is it possible to over-use it? If I show everything and tell nothing, can it become tedious? Or the more the better? Thanks!

[@gregorylewis9512]

Great Info

[@thenondualisticmystic]

It's cool to come here for advice on my novel, seeing as I've never seen this channel before. And my protagonist happens to be named Jerri...

[@pastorvictormike-omole]

Awesome 👍

[@warrenbradford2597]

This information can be useful for other forms of artistic media as well.

[@baevida6619]

Thank you, sir.

[@blackswan4301]

Omg this was so usefulll!!!

[@deeknight8295]

Thanks so much!

[@mickjaelguevara5981]

Thanks ✍❤

[@Crazyibbes]

Many thanks for the valuable information and advices :). Sorry, The link is not working to download the character worksheet! any help :)?

[@kamilla1960]

Thank you Jerry!

[@ScotsThinker]

Thank You. May God give you more things to say and write about.

[@2304rocky]

DEAR JERRY, I AM WRITING A SERIES OF BOOKS. I AM ON MY 3RD BOOK. I FOUND BY HAVING AN OUTLINE WAS A GREAT HELP. I THOUGHT I WOULD HAVE 3 BOOKS, BUT I THINK I WILL END UP WITH 5. I HAVE NEVER WRITTEN A BOOK BEFORE BUT I THINK IT IS EASY. LOTS OF RESEARCH AND TIME-CONSUMING. THANKS FOR YOUR HELP. I LIKE LEARNING FROM A MASTER.

[@aisadal2521]

This is the kind of advice I wish I had in my college courses

[@crispusattucks4007]

Thank you sir

[@gamer6vlogs]

Thank you Jerry.

[@pranayroy6938]

Sir make playlists, which help us to find content easily.

[@terrydaniels9126]

Like your advice

[@pankhurikhanna-tl9zl]

Thank u sir

[@ng1n369]

legend

[@HarshalV-dp9pn]

Feb 16 a memoir Book written by Harshal V

[@eloureirotubeyou]

Nice. Although I thought you would detail the steps of the arc. Thanks.

[@immaculateorganicsoaps3533]

It's in the download

[@armanZH2]

thanks.

[@lairdmichaelscott]

Personally, I have always loved Lloyd Alexander's Prydain series. I've read it every few years for many decades. It wasn't until very recently that someone pointed out to me that Taran, the main character throughout is never described. Not a dimple, an eye color, nothing. And yet I apparently never needed it. I knew what he looked like.

[@Ed-lz4jv]

All good advice, "coming of age novel," but I'm stuck creating teens in high school conversation too much, Flat chapters in dire need of narrative! My character is already dull, but his first girl is better done, and her missing dad, who is critical, is wiser and better done also..the protagonist needs more challenges. Yeah, I am a pantser.I have many books on writing. Some are good. Instruction but not enough samples...any suggestions

[@user-zz4wr3pb6m]

My good sir you've grown a lot of wrinkles the past year! Please take good care of yourself, as I look forward to seeing you for long time to come

[@DAMON409]

Hey Jerry, good info, but you didn't talk specifically about the arcs.

[@DM-en7hk]

How do you write an arc for a character that isn’t supposed to change (i.e., a character who has a serialized story like Sherlock Holmes or a force of nature like Frank Castle)?

[@astrothsknot]

I saw a comment on show, don't tell recently that's stayed with me - is you want the reader to feel, show and if you want the reader to know, tell.

[@JL-ze5qm]

"I've even had characters with hair..." Just as I was thinking, "Bald! I like that. I think my main character should be bald." Thank you for another inspiring lesson, Mr. Jenkins. Cheers.

[@madleykool8968]

Can anyone please give me the links that actually work? No matter how I try to jot down the links that appear on the screen, they never work...

[@Guy-zf5of]

7:15 JESSE WE NEED TO COOK

[@LouStoriale]

I’m not sure why you use the expression pet the dog when the expression that is used in our save the cat Popularized by the book I’m curious why you would not use that

[@Balcom_]

Thank you Walter Whites lost brother 😄 this was very informative for me.

[@Bookish_Haven]

😂

[@DemonHunter160]

Is there something special I have to do besides my email for the download sheets? I've tried twice and I can't get any of your worksheets :(