A Manuscript Mistake I See Time and Again
Updated: Sep 27
I often see the same manuscript mistakes repeated again and again by different writers.
Writers who haven’t story planned seem to especially struggle with these issues. One I see so frequently…an incomplete protagonist’s arc of transformation.
A clear character arc is such important foundational work that it’s the second story-planning tool I use with writers. (Curious what comes first? I wrote about it here.)
It’s also the basis of one of four evaluative tools I’ve created to use when conducting a manuscript evaluation.
Nearly every story—certainly women’s fiction, upmarket, and book club fic— includes a protagonist’s personal growth arc. A protagonist begins the story with one mindset, and the events of the story tests and shapes them so they emerge with a newfound understanding of themselves and the world at story’s end.
So why does an incomplete arc of transformation matter?
There are multiple reasons, but I want to address two...
The first reason is genre convention.
A clear character arc is a key component of any story, but none more so than women’s fiction where the primary story question is centered on the main character’s personal growth journey. This personal growth arc is also central to upmarket and book club fiction.
There can be a romantic thread, of course. But in these genres the primary story question doesn’t center on whether or not the MC ends up with their romantic interest—it’s how they’ve grown and changed as a person.
The second reason you need a clear arc of transformation is even more important because it’s structural: A clear transformative arc is essential to a satisfying story ending.
Without a clear arc, the primary story question is left unanswered.
A well-crafted, engaging story is one with a solid structure and certain expected components in place. That’s why I often say there is science to this art of storytelling.
We have expectations about story endings. We expect to see our main characters grow and change. We expect them to be different by the end of the story.
If we don’t see this happening on the page, the character arc may be incomplete.
If you worry you may have this issue, take a peek at this article I wrote for Jane Friedman. (Pay attention to Entry Point #1!) You can also check out my Substack post that helps you dig into your protagonist’s backstory.
Or if you would like more hands-on guidance, you can get on my waitlist for when I next open my client calendar.
Remember while it’s always important to learn story structure rules, you still get to write your own next chapter!
Comments