You likely have heard someone called “a real character.” Often that connotes a person who is amusing and perhaps a bit odd. Yet it also describes each of us. We are the real characters in our life stories. We need not be comical or eccentric, but we are unique individuals, playing the leading role in the story we are writing.
The following writing craft lessons explore both character and conflict in our life stories. The Arcs refer to the span of change in our character, from the story’s beginning to its end. The Sparks are the conflict that can lead to unwanted or unexpected explosions.