Heart of Writing S2 E1 Character growth

Good morning and welcome to season two of heart of writing. I’m so glad you’re here in season one we looked at writing motivation and discussed how to stay consistent with your message.

In this season, we will be looking at the riding craft through character development. 
Are you ready?

We have a lot to cover. Today will be discussing character growth in fiction.

Life has a way of changing us from the moment we’re born, our character arc is more than just becoming an adult. It’s also an internal process of emotional and mental growth. When you write great fiction, you need to capture that same sense of change. 
Think about the growth your characters will go through over the course of your book, or even an entire series.

Why character growth matters

Every grade story thrives on characters who grow.

They don’t stand still. They change, they evolve. They face struggles that shape them.

That growth is what pulls readers in. It’s the emotional journey that makes a story memorable. Characters who evolve feel real.


This is very important. You want your characters to feel real so that your audience will really understand them and connect with them. When readers watch them, overcome struggles, learn lessons, or shift perspectives, it connects on a deep level.

It’s like watching a friend navigate life’s challenges, messy, uncertain, but authentic. How many times have you watched a TV show and walked away thinking, “These are my friends? You feel an instant connection with them.”


Or you feel a connection with them over the span of a few seasons, or a few episodes. Think of some of your favorite shows. Maybe it’s CSI. 
Maybe it’s Friends. Maybe it’s more modern show. Whatever show really made you connect with the characters had something to do with character arc and development. 
Without growth, characters risk feeling flat, predictable. They become statues in the story. Nothing more than chess pieces.


Instead of living, breathing people. The role of struggles in growth struggles are the catalyst for change, and I don’t just mean physical obstacles. I’m talking about internal battles too, doubts, fears, worries, failures, tough choices, things that really make the character pause and realize, not only is this going to hurt, but I can’t come back from this once I go down this road.


A character’s struggle reveals who they are, who they really are, and it tests their limits. Maybe it shows them as side of themselves that they didn’t want to see. One of the most powerful ways to show growth is to disrupt your character’s routine. 
Without any disruption, there isn’t going to be a story. forcing your characters to change, challenging their beliefs, pushing them out of their comfort zone. These are all some of the ways that you can change your characters through your story. Take my book a horse named Eddie, for example.


Eddie believes life outside his owner’s corral will be exciting. So he sets out on a grand adventure. Through postures, through pastures, into unfamiliar places, into dangerous situations with other animals. 
But after these struggles, he realizes something important life under his owner’s care was better when life under his owner’s care was better than he ever imagined. How to show character growth and struggles. Start with a clear baseline.


Show who your character is at the beginning. Their beliefs, flaws, and desires. Let your readers see these qualities in action, instead of relying only on backstory.

Introduce meaningful conflict. What challenges force your character to confront weaknesses? Stakes should be high enough that they cannot go back to who they were before. 
This is very important if your character can just revert to the way that he thought before the story began, then the character needs to be either rewritten or more pressure needs to be put on them in order to change. Let their mind set and emotions shift gradually. Real growth takes time, let it unfold naturally. 
Avoid instant transformations. Readers want authenticity that means setbacks, relapses, messy and imperfect Reflect, growth, in actions and decisions by the end of your story, the way your character acts should prove who they’ve become, as the old expression goes, actions speak louder than words.. Final thoughts.

Character growth isn’t just a plot device. It’s much more than that. It’s the soul of your story.


It’s what makes your characters come alive and matter. When you write with empathy, for your character’s struggles, you don’t just tell a story. You create a journey. 
One, your readers can feel, one that can connect to, and one they can carry with them long after the final page. Thank you for joining me for this opening episode of Heart of Writing Season 2. Keep writing from the heart, keep growing.

I believe in you until next time, this is John Edward Nickerson.