Everything in a novel is an arc of change
Writing a novel is like drawing a Sierpinski triangle.
I’ve been stuck on one small point in chapter 3 of “A tale of Fate and Fury” where Eira got a second chance to run away and decided to take her friend Anni with her, but Anni refused. And after all that had happened Eira just couldn’t fathom why Anni wouldn’t come. This was such a small emotional bump in the overall novel, that I initially overlooked it and wrote:
“I don’t believe it.” Anni shook her head. “I won’t run. If my fate is to die, so be it. But you must go.”
Pursing her lips, Eira nodded. She didn’t really care anymore.
“Fine.”
On reread I marked this place as “going too fast” and later in editing I realized that here she had a major emotion arc of chance that I totally missed. But how come she needs a whole arc in this place? It’s just a small part of a scene, where the arc goes something like this:
Promise: she gets another chance to run away
Goal 1: escape
Inciting incident: Anni refuses
Build-up: Headmistress shows up and sends them on the journey
Goal 2: reach Upper Hall
Conflict: She realizes there’s more to the journey
end: They’ve lost a girl and haven’t even started on the path to Upper Hall.
So, this small emotional beat that I initially overlooked is an inciting incident, but now it needs its own arc:
Promise: Eira is going to try for second time to escape, but this time she is taking Anni with her
Goal 1: Hurry Anni up
Inciting incident: Anni refuses
Build-up: another emotional arc: feels rejected by her friend -> tells herself she could and should go alone -> unsure what happens if she left Anni
Goal 2: decide if she will go alone or stay, freedom vs loyalty
Conflict: What matters more to Eira? Escape alone or connection? another emotional arc: Anni doesn’t want to go and it’s her right to make her own choice -> If Eira chooses to go Anni will be left alone -> decision to stay
end: She will stay for now, but if another opportunity presents itself and Anni would be willing to join her, they’ll bolt.
You can read the result in Part 1 of A Tale of Fate and Fury. Enjoy!
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