Perception often leads to deception; how one sees the world of story shapes their understanding of it, granting them all sorts of interpretations that may or may not be accurate. As with Christopher Nolan’s dark treatise on dueling magicians, unveiling what is really going on within a story can lead to an emotional catharsis for writers themselves; leading them to even greater expressions of meaningful fiction.

Character arc is often referred to as the transformation a Main Character undergoes throughout the course of a screenplay. This is incorrect. Effective story structure dictates growth, but not necessarily transformation.

Far too often, experts on screenwriting and storytelling fall back on the inaccurate assumption that a Main Character must completely transform themselves. This is only correct for half of the stories ever written.

Films can have the same story structure, yet be so different in their storytelling that most normal people would rarely identify them as being the same. Story fanatics are not normal people. The Sixth Sense and Into The Wild — two films that couldn’t be more different in subject matter and genre — have almost the same exact structure, sharing many of the same thematic issues.

The concept of the character arc is often thought to explain the transformation a Main Character goes through over the course of a story. The problem with this definition is the idea of “transformation”. Not every Main Character completely changes, nor do they have to. Growth can occur without losing oneself.

A detailed look at the thought process I went into while analyzing I Am Legend.

Approaching the analysis of a story using the Dramatica software.

Using concepts found in the Dramatica theory of story to write a story with your audience in mind.

An exploration of the idea that all Character is fate.

How to determine whether or not your Main Character has changed their essential nature or remained steadfast.

Clarifying change in characters other than the Main Character.

Quick tips on two important concepts.

Tips on the Main Character’s Growth.

Defining the difference between a character who “changes” and one who “grows.”

Dramatica can seem a bit overwhelming when you first start out. I remember flipping through the dictionary at the back of the theory book and thinking, “This is insane!” But after eight years of working with it, I’ve got the model pretty much memorized (at least down to the Variation level) and have a pretty good understanding of each of the terms.

Can you have a Main Character who is not really involved in the Overall Story?

As with all things Dramatica, the Main Character Dynamics (Resolve, Growth, Approach and Mental Sex) can be seen as relating together in a single quad.