Every narrative has a series of events that provide a framework for the protagonist’s journey throughout the novel. This is the outer story. Most works of fiction also contain an inner story: the character’s arc, which is the transformation he undergoes from start to finish. It is this internal element that really draws readers in, reminding them of their own personal struggles and providing the context they seek to better understand their experiences in the real world.

This inner story, or character arc, comes in three forms.

The Change Arc