I love seeing this whole process, and the resistance to the character arc and the dawning realization of it. I feel this so much. I think about how I want my characters to be beloved and amazing and that it's tempted to write them as well-rounded and "arrived" from the beginning, but then...what is the story? This is a great reminder that the flaws are what make the arrival so good and the connection to a character so satisfying. Write a character who is flawed and complex and the reader wants to be better because they know they can be! And then figure out how to get them there.
I love seeing this whole process, and the resistance to the character arc and the dawning realization of it. I feel this so much. I think about how I want my characters to be beloved and amazing and that it's tempted to write them as well-rounded and "arrived" from the beginning, but then...what is the story? This is a great reminder that the flaws are what make the arrival so good and the connection to a character so satisfying. Write a character who is flawed and complex and the reader wants to be better because they know they can be! And then figure out how to get them there.