Loss: Resolved and Unresolved
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Not all loss is equal. There are two kinds, and knowing the difference will change how you build a character arc.
Resolved loss: The character fully experiences the loss. They see the person or situation as a whole, cherish what was good, and make peace with the rest.
Unresolved loss: The character can’t fully experience the loss because they’re still holding on to some undelivered communication. They still want the person or situation to have been better, different, or more.
The greatest, most enduring stories move a character from unresolved loss toward resolution. Casablanca is still the cleanest example ever filmed — Rick goes from a man poisoned by what Ilsa “did to him” to a man who can finally let her go. In the end, they are both at peace with the fact that they cannot be together, but that each will live forever in the other’s heart.
When a character can’t make that turn and grow toward resolution, you have a tragedy. Succession is the modern monument to unresolved loss: Logan’s children spend four seasons wishing he had been a different father, a better man, and a more loving and understanding person. Not one of them ever gets to put their disappointment and emptiness down.
The arc isn’t about whether your character loses something. They will. The arc is whether they can finally let it go and become whole in themselves.
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Create a visual map for a character’s emotional journey. Pull stories from character rather from rote story structure beats. Some of the largest international media companies, use this in story and character development.
A clear concise guide for writers and producers to have by their side as they embark on a project. It gives a really vital reminder of what is key for story success.
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