How Characters Evolve in a Series by Lisa E. Betz

Why do we love a good series? Because we love the characters and the kinds of situations they get into book after book.

Once upon a time the characters in a series often remained static from book to book, but most series published today feature characters that evolve gradually over time. Think over your favorite TV shows or book series. Are the main characters unchanged or do they evolve along with their relationships, career, or life goals?

Readers like characters that are three-dimensional enough to grow. However, readers don’t want your characters to change too much. They want each book in the series to feature the same characters they loved in the first book, and they won’t be happy if those characters transform into someone that is drastically different. Therefore, you must plan the character’s arc for a series, just like you plan a character’s arc for a single book.

You main character’s series journey

A series arc deals with incremental steps in a longer journey toward the character’s ultimate goal. What kind of goal? In a single story, the heroine’s goal is connected to the plot, but in a series the goal must rise above the plots of the individual books.

In the case of a female private investigator, for example, the series goal might be finally winning the respect of her male peers—and each successful case takes her a little closer to realizing that goal. Alternately, the series arc might be more concerned with the heroine’s domestic issues as she matures in her relationships, with an ultimate goal of a finding the balance between work and motherhood.

How to define a series arc

Think about your primary characters. What larger goal might drive them from book to book? Is it related to their career? Their relationships? Is there a stubborn character flaw they can slowly work to overcome? A particular person they will eventually impress or conquer? Will their goal change over time, as they achieve one milestone and look onward to another?

Perhaps most importantly, will your readers like the ultimate version of your hero better than the original version? Your series arc should take your main characters on a journey that has your readers cheering them on the whole way.

Evolving secondary characters

What about secondary characters? Do they need a series arc as well? Not necessarily. Some secondary characters need to remain the same to enhance the consistency of your story world. Consider some of your favorite series. Can you name a minor character  you looked forward to meeting in book after book, even though they never changed? Those characters are reliable pieces of each story, part of the fabric that makes the series enjoyable. They don’t need to change much, although a few tweaks now and then will keep them interesting.

However, some secondary characters refuse to remain in the background. They might start out with a brief cameo then slowly gain importance in subsequent books. Those characters need to evolve as their role grows.

Try This: Choose a favorite book or TV series and track how the characters (both primary and secondary) evolve as the series progresses. What do you learn? What techniques can you adapt to your own work?

Lisa E. Betz believes that everyone has a story to tell the world. She loves to encourage fellow writers to be intentional about their craft and courageous in sharing their words with others. Lisa shares her words through dramas, Bible studies, historical fiction and her blog about intentional living.

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Website: www.lisaebetz.com
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Twitter: @LisaEBetz