Eli Grey
Well-Known Member
I recently came across a character arc for a minor character. The arc was buried at the bottom of a main character's arc. This minor character I had forgotten completely about but reading his story arc I noticed just how tragic his story is. I didn't intend for it to be this way but I wanted to show the severity of the cult in the southern city. I used this minor character to do that.
I didn't know this guy would develop an addiction and end up in a doomed romance. The relationship wasn't toxic, at least not from his perspective. I think that's what's so sad about this. Looking back, I guess it made sense to have a tragic character here. The doomed romance and the threat of chaos in the city that has been tolerating a cult for so long seem to be reflections of each other.
Though I'm writing high fantasy, the character's name is James. I probably got tired of creating fantastical names when I came up with that. James played a huge part in the childhood of a main character but eventually gained a bad reputation. Reading his arc, I saw him go from promising politician or intellect to a drunken mess. Forget my main characters. James goes through it. He's torn between redeeming himself by teaming up with the church to reclaim the city south of the capitol from a terrifying cult, and his lover who is a prominent member of the cult. The cult's presence in the city has been commonplace for some time now.
While he no longer expresses his fear to his lover or to many others that she may one day "call his name", he questions if that's why he still clings to her; to ensure she does not "call his name". That would be most damning. Or does he really still love her? His alcoholism clouds his mind. And does she still love him? A lot's happened since they fell in love. And their love was real for a time.
He bought into the lie that he was safer in his relationship with his lover than if he tried dissolving it.
When he's away from her he feels relief and has a sense of hope for himself that he can turn his life around. He eventually decides to stand with the church and help save the city. He's sober. When his head was clear, he found happiness redeeming himself in front of the church and others. He knew though that his name would indeed be called once his new role was made known to members of the cult.
A battle for the city ensues and he's leading the charge. And his former lover is revealed to be the new face of the cult in the southern city. His greatest fear came true. She "called his name" and when she did, though he was the leader of the resistance to the cult, he became bound seemingly forever to the cult.
Now he has to live with the secret that he's bound to the cult. To be bound to this type of cult is to have your "essence" held ransom by an otherworldly creature. He's back among friends and no longer drinks but soon struggles to hide his tie to the cult. Will it be until his death that he keeps this secret or will he confess to the church and face death? His "essence" is no longer his own. Will his torment ever end?
Does anyone write tragic characters intentionally? What makes a character tragic to you? That they keep losing in life? Is it the external forces in their life or their poor life choices that make them tragic? Any good examples to share?
I didn't know this guy would develop an addiction and end up in a doomed romance. The relationship wasn't toxic, at least not from his perspective. I think that's what's so sad about this. Looking back, I guess it made sense to have a tragic character here. The doomed romance and the threat of chaos in the city that has been tolerating a cult for so long seem to be reflections of each other.
Though I'm writing high fantasy, the character's name is James. I probably got tired of creating fantastical names when I came up with that. James played a huge part in the childhood of a main character but eventually gained a bad reputation. Reading his arc, I saw him go from promising politician or intellect to a drunken mess. Forget my main characters. James goes through it. He's torn between redeeming himself by teaming up with the church to reclaim the city south of the capitol from a terrifying cult, and his lover who is a prominent member of the cult. The cult's presence in the city has been commonplace for some time now.
While he no longer expresses his fear to his lover or to many others that she may one day "call his name", he questions if that's why he still clings to her; to ensure she does not "call his name". That would be most damning. Or does he really still love her? His alcoholism clouds his mind. And does she still love him? A lot's happened since they fell in love. And their love was real for a time.
He bought into the lie that he was safer in his relationship with his lover than if he tried dissolving it.
When he's away from her he feels relief and has a sense of hope for himself that he can turn his life around. He eventually decides to stand with the church and help save the city. He's sober. When his head was clear, he found happiness redeeming himself in front of the church and others. He knew though that his name would indeed be called once his new role was made known to members of the cult.
A battle for the city ensues and he's leading the charge. And his former lover is revealed to be the new face of the cult in the southern city. His greatest fear came true. She "called his name" and when she did, though he was the leader of the resistance to the cult, he became bound seemingly forever to the cult.
Now he has to live with the secret that he's bound to the cult. To be bound to this type of cult is to have your "essence" held ransom by an otherworldly creature. He's back among friends and no longer drinks but soon struggles to hide his tie to the cult. Will it be until his death that he keeps this secret or will he confess to the church and face death? His "essence" is no longer his own. Will his torment ever end?
Does anyone write tragic characters intentionally? What makes a character tragic to you? That they keep losing in life? Is it the external forces in their life or their poor life choices that make them tragic? Any good examples to share?