Today, I’m introducing you to the final type of character arc… the Negative Arc. If you haven’t already read my earlier posts on the Positive Change Arc and the Flat Arc, you might want to check those out before continuing to read.
Negative Arcs are probably my least favorite of all the types of arcs. While there’s nothing wrong with using them, they can quickly turn stories dark and depressing if we’re not careful.
I like a realistic story, but I also see the benefits of a happy ending. We can still be challenged by Positive Change and Flat Arcs, yet we are ultimately uplifted. A Negative Arc, on the other hand, can sometimes be used as a scare tactic to get readers to agree with the Truth.
Sometimes, though, a Negative Arc can give us a much-needed whack over the head with reality. Where happy endings might be quickly forgotten, a sobering ending might cause readers to pause a little longer and think.
With that being said, I’m only going to cover Negative Arcs in one post, as I don’t often use them, and I’m hardly an expert.
So, what exactly is a Negative Arc? Well, if you’ve been following my blog for a while, you might remember when I talked about them during my Story of Humanity series.
Essentially, a Negative Arc is the opposite of the other arcs. While the Positive Change and Flat Arcs end in belief in the Truth, Negative Arcs will end in total belief in the Lie, which brings about destruction for the character.
There are actually a few types of Negative Arcs, so I’m going to introduce each one to you briefly:
- The Negative Flat Arc
This is the most simple of the Negative Arcs. It’s the opposite of a normal Flat Arc… so, instead of holding to the Truth he believes, the character will hold to the Lie he believes. While various circumstances may invalidate or discredit the Lie, he will still continue to stubbornly believe until it finally destroys him.
The extent of that destruction can range from failure in some area to physical death or anything in between. The Negative Flat Arc is most often used for antagonists who are a representation of the MC’s Lie. While this arc is simple, writers should not see the Negative Flat Arc character as any less of a character.
This arc often fails to reach its potential because it’s used as an easy way around writing a “real” character arc. You can find Negative Flat Arcs in a lot of children’s fiction as the stereotypical villain.
So if you plan to use this arc, make sure that you get creative and put in the work to bring your character to life.
- The Disillusionment Arc
This arc is actually sort of an exception to the definition I gave before, as its character actually ends up believing the Truth. However, the Truth he comes to accept is a harsh, terrible Truth that forever darkens his view of reality.
Sometimes, the Lie he formerly believed was a “necessary” Lie that has simply become invalid. Other times, the character is naive and merrily believes his Lie until he is forced out of his fantasy by the grimness of the Truth.
These stories are often used to show that the Truth is not always what feels right or easy. We as humans do not dictate the Truth—in fact, we tend towards the Lie—so sometimes we need to be reminded of the harder Truths we may try to forget.
- The Fall Arc
This is perhaps the darkest of the Negative Arcs, as the Lie is believed throughout the story. It’s almost like an incomplete Positive Change Arc. The character starts off believing a Lie, moves towards the Truth for a bit, but eventually rejects it and comes to believe a worse Lie.
The Fall Arc often saddens readers/viewers because we can see the potential the character has to believe the Truth, and we are hopeful as we watch him struggle to choose between the Truth and the Lie.
It all comes down to the Moment of Truth at the Midpoint. In a Positive Change Arc, the character will see the Truth and become drawn to it. But in a Fall Arc, the character will reject the light he has been given and turn back to the Lie. This will lead to his frantic attempts to use the Lie to gain his Want, resulting in destruction.
- The Corruption Arc
The last of the Negative Arcs, this is the true opposite of the Positive Change Arc. This is where the character starts out fully understanding (though not necessarily believing) the Truth, but comes to believe the Lie.
Often, the character will live in a world where a majority of people believe or accept the Truth. So, in a sense, the Truth is all he’s ever known. This might make him look like a good, Truth-believing person, when, in reality, he’s not rooted in the Truth.
So, the first chance he gets, the character will leave the Normal World for the Adventure World of the Lie. He explores his options, all while still trying to somewhat hold onto the Truth of his childhood. But when he is forced to choose, he fully embraces the Lie, again leading to his destruction.
This arc is sometimes used for a contagonist sort of character, who appears to be on the MC’s side for a time. Eventually, he will abandon, betray, or otherwise detach himself from the Truth and those who follow it. He may even join forces with the antagonist, or try to form his own third party. Any way you choose to write it, the Corruption Arc character will end up in a much worse place than he started, all because he gave in to the temptation of the Lie.
I know there are many authorities out there who can explain these arcs much more thoroughly, so I encourage you to check them out if you still have questions.
I will say that, if you choose to write a Negative Arc, you should proceed cautiously. We write stories to show the power of the Truth to the world, and a Negative Arc could taint someone’s view of that Truth. Be sure to always accurately portray the Truth and the Lie as good and evil, no matter which arcs you decide to write.
This post wraps up our series on plots and character arcs… it’s been a long, wild journey, but I hope you’ve learned from it. If you’ve missed any of the other posts, make sure to go back and read them here! And check out my Story of Humanity series to see these character arcs in action!
Comment below your thoughts!