Plots for Characters

As important as it is for the story to have an arc, it's just as important for the characters. Both the MC and the antagonist (if your antagonist is a person) need some kind of character arc. Character arcs are the progression of your characters from the beginning to the end of the story. How do they change? Does their thinking shift? Do they go after what they want only to realize that changes part way through the book?

Character arcs are similar to a normal plot line, but much simpler. There are three parts of a character arc to consider, and a million and five ways to find a character arc that works for your character. 

First of all, W]what is your character's Goal?
Second, what's the Lie they believe in the beginning?
Third, what's the Truth?

Broadly speaking, there are three common arcs: positive change, the flat arc, and the negative change arc. We see all of these in media, and there are a lot of examples. The positive change arc shows your character starting off with a Goal, believing some Lie. Over the course of the story, they go through self-improvement and end up a different, better person.

The flat arc is similar, but instead of changing for the better, the character doesn't change. Instead, they take the Truth and use it to fight the Lie in the world or circumstance around them. And finally, the negative arc shows the character with a Goal, believing a Lie, but by the end, they don't become a better person. Sometimes they embrace the lie, sometimes it leaves them worse than they started.

What kind of internal change do you want your characters to go through?