As kids learn new things about their own world and the larger world around them, they are constantly growing and changing in understanding and focus. They still retain the same character and personality traits, but their perspective shifts. These changes are all part of growing up.
When you write middle grade fiction, your main character needs to follow the same pattern. As they learn new things, and have new experiences, they change. This change is often called character arc, or the arc of change. Crafting character arc is a very important element of writing middle grade novels.
Why change?
Why do you need to have your protagonist change? In middle grade fiction, this arc of change is what brings the most satisfying story endings for your readers. If you want them to end the book with a strong love for the story, give them a strong character arc.
How do you know what changes your character will make in their perspectives? Identifying what changes to put your character through, where to place their markers of change, and how to subtly craft this growth without preaching is all linked to your protagonist’s motive, which is linked to plot, which builds your character arc from the ground up.
Change is good. Especially when your readers can relate.
How to make change
Some writers like to let the change happen naturally as the story unfolds. Some writers like to map it out and plan for each step. I believe both approaches are necessary to have a smooth, relatable shift in perspective for your main character. Letting change naturally happen for your character, and then analyzing and streamlining the process itself are both important steps in crafting a character arc kids will connect with.
Here’s an instructional video where I talk about character arc in middle grade fiction. I’ll teach you:
- What changes to put your main character through
- Where to place the markers in your story to signify this growth
- How to craft this change without sounding preachy
Click here to access the video Intentional Character Arc.
Clarity in craft
The most satisfying middle grade novel endings go hand in hand with a relatable, strong, intentional arc of change for the protagonist. Kids love to see other kids learning and improving through the events of the stories and the choices they make. Seeing that change in a novel is a safe place for our young readers to realize that change can happen for anyone in any circumstance. Then they can learn and change themselves.
Crafting a strong arc of change for our characters take some deliberate work. Yes, your story will naturally flow with arc, but to clarify it to the reader is key. Using your character’s layers of motive and the three turning point scenes to your advantage, your character’s arc will not only be clear, it will be relatable to your readers.
I created a tool to help you track and craft your main character’s arc. Here’s a downloadable PDF Crafting Your Character’s Arc. This is a combination checklist and worksheet to help you intentionally bring your protagonist’s growth into a satisfying ending.
Taking the elements of story and intentionally weaving them together builds a strong connection for our readers. Character arc of change is one of those elements that is subtle and incremental, but very powerful. Let the tools you are already using bring out that change in an authentic, memorable way. That’s how you get kids to come back for more.
Change is good. Bring it on!