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Somebody recently posted a link to Libbie Hawker's new book Take Off Your Pants! I bought a copy and read through a good bit of it. It's a good book and certainly a useful resource, but I'm struggling with one of Libbie's central premises - that all good stories involve a character overcoming flaws, and thus undergoing an internal change. I won't argue that this is true for many stories, and is certainly a powerful way to connect with the readers - but I question the universality of it.
I agree that characters ought to have flaws - as nobody is perfect and this makes them more relatable and human. But do they have to change to rid themselves of these flaws?
Is it more accurate to say that the more general underlying story-form is a character trying to achieve a goal (that is important to them), and has to overcome obstacles (in the form of conflict) on their way to achieving that goal. In other words, does it really have to be an internal change? Do they really have to overcome the flaw?
I am especially interested in what series/serial writers think about this. I'm working on a very long series, and while the character certainly learns things along the way and changes in subtle ways, I can't really have him overcoming a flaw in every Episode when I plan on going as long as 120 Episodes.
I agree that characters ought to have flaws - as nobody is perfect and this makes them more relatable and human. But do they have to change to rid themselves of these flaws?
Is it more accurate to say that the more general underlying story-form is a character trying to achieve a goal (that is important to them), and has to overcome obstacles (in the form of conflict) on their way to achieving that goal. In other words, does it really have to be an internal change? Do they really have to overcome the flaw?
I am especially interested in what series/serial writers think about this. I'm working on a very long series, and while the character certainly learns things along the way and changes in subtle ways, I can't really have him overcoming a flaw in every Episode when I plan on going as long as 120 Episodes.