Character2026-10-10

Character arc: want versus need

When to use it

The protagonist ends the story unchanged. Pin the arc to five scenes.

Fill in the variables

Character{{character}}Want{{want}}Need{{need}}

Assembled prompt

472

Design this character's arc in five stages.
Character: [Character]
Want: [Want]
Need: [Need]
Each stage is one scene: situation / the character's choice / whether it serves the want or the need.
Stages: 1 sacrifices need for want / 2 first accidental taste of need / 3 want and need collide head-on, chooses want / 4 the cost / 5 chooses need even at the price of want
Rules: every choice is an action, not a line. Stage 5's action must be the exact opposite of stage 1's.

Free runs use the fast model and return a short preview (about 300 words). Only the first ~1,000 words of manuscript are read.

How to use this prompt

1
Fill in the variables
Enter your manuscript, characters or situation in the fields below. The example values are hints.
2
Check the assembled prompt
The prompt is assembled below with placeholders filled. Edit any rule to fit your work.
3
Copy it or run it
Copy it into the tool you already use, or run it in SparkLore for a short preview.
4
Revise the result into your manuscript
The output is a draft. Follow the tips and rewrite half of it by hand.

How to get the most from it

Everything hinges on stages 1 and 5 being exact opposites. If he hangs up on his father in 1, he must call in 5.
The reader should not notice stage 2's 'accidental taste'. Write it smallest.

Use it in the studio with your story bible

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