Writing Without Character Arcs

Ridley Park challenges the conventional wisdom of character-driven narrative and the necessity of character arcs in writing. The author rejects the idea of forcing protagonists to change or undergo transformations, arguing that real life often lacks such defined developments and resolutions. Instead, the focus is placed on the world and its structures, with characters depicted as drifting through or reacting to this environment rather than actively shaping their own destinies. The author prioritises observation and depicting reality over crafting traditional, flattering narratives with clear beginnings, middles, and ends. Characters are seen as participants, witnesses, or even catalytic elements within a larger, often indifferent, system.https://ridleypark.wordpress.com/2025/05/26/characters-are-overrated-a-treatise-against-the-tyranny-of-arcs/