Friday, October 24, 2014

#Plan4WriMo Day 24: How Does Your Main Character Become a Hero?

Warning, it’s Day 24 and I’m a little spazzy.

According to Larry Brooks’ story architecture model which we’ve been following this month as we prep for NaNoWriMo, beginning at the Midpoint, your main character becomes a Hero of Action—he grabs your story by the balls…erm…horns…either way...and takes charge, leading to the story’s climax and resolution.

Okay, the balls analogy makes sense. Just go with it, people.

And while there’s definitely plot prep involved in creating Part 3 of your novel, today I’d like to focus on your main character’s character arc. How does his journey change him? What is the moment that causes her to truly become a hero and how does that moment impact not only your main character, but also everyone else that surrounds her?

In HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS this moment is huge and hugely important. It’s when Harry realizes that Voldemort is after the Elder Wand. That’s when shit gets real. From there the pace and story completely shifts and, more importantly for today’s post, HARRY shifts. In every scene that follows, Harry is the take-charge-instigator-of-all-action. He’s the catalyst for everything that follows.

But Harry becoming a hero doesn’t just impact Harry. Luna, Ron, Hermione, and Neville…

***moment of silence to admire Movie 7&8 WILF version of Neville***



Ahem. Everything changes. For everyone.

So while you’re looking back at your scene brainstorming from the beginning of the month and you’re thinking of how to make your hero a hero of action, think of it not only in terms of plot but also in terms of characterization.

Today’s Links:








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