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barbierxberts · 11 months

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sourrcandy · 1 year

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how arcane taught me to outline — on character

inspired by @/schnee1 on youtube ; i’ve learned a lot from what he talks about in his arcane analysis video series and took inspiration from him to outline my wip, here are some of my notes on them! i’m also a film student so it might lean not so writeblry!

psa: this is my interpretation of arcane and the many helpful resources i found along the way + the things i learned from the show but i hope you find this helpful xx

i’m sure many of you have seen the award-winning hit netflix series arcane, league of legends fan or not. if you have to seen it, spoilers ahead if you keep reading and GO WATCH IT! whether or not you liked it, surely you’ll agree that its plot, characters, worldbuilding, conflict, etc, are on the next level. to say the least, i’m obsessed. so here’s a small writing help series of the many things arcane has taught me (with the help of the internet + youtube). this series is all thanks to you guys who said “yes do it” to me <3

— CHARACTER ARCS: arcane’s magic formula

arcane has a lot of common themes, but what the show really asks is: “how do different characters react to the same/similar situation?”. arcane’s characters make decisions on morality, technology (hextech), identity, politics, violence, family, and etc. arcane creates every character arc throughout the show with a very simple formula:

foundational question/choice ➞ story adds weight and stakes to choice (struggles) ➞ takes a turn (the twist!!) ➞ final pivotal decision.

let’s see how we can apply this formula to arcane’s cast:

powder: she wants to prove her worth ➞ she finally succeeds in her inventions but at the cost of losing her family ➞ vi abandons her ➞ she joins silco

vi: she chooses to sacrifices herself for her family ➞ she loses her family ➞ she finds out powder caused their deaths ➞ she abandons powder

jayce: he risks his everything to develop hextech ➞ he is isolated and betrayed by his closed ones ➞ he partners with fellow inventor outcast viktor ➞ together, they make a gamble to successfully innovate hextech

caitlyn: she is ostracised by her peers ➞ her relationships with family, co-workers, and vi deteriorate ➞ she is kidnapped and reunited with vi ➞ to save the cities she has to choose whether or not to hurt jinx

each character relates to each other in some degree. “corruption” is a theme in arcane that every character experiences, in society or themselves. vander, silco, singed, cassandra kiramman, ambessa medarda, and even heimerdinger “the father of the city” experience “parenthood”. the cast goes through “transformation”, powder loses her innocence and became the psychopathic jinx, jayce went from a humble researcher to an arrogant innovator and politician, and vander was a violent rebel leader who became a pacifist and central father figure to the zaun kids. every theme is explored by multiple characters in utterly different ways, and they can be compared and explored in parallels through the story.

— PROPS: crafting an extension of the character

if you’re thinking, but they’re league characters, of course they have a signature weapon/prop, it’s a game. you’re right, BUT in the storytelling sense, each character’s prop tells a story to enhance and further express each character’s core elements, values, beliefs. i, myself, am a writer who uses a lot of descriptions, props, and even fashion, to express who my characters are. as in arcane, there’s the following:

jayce’s hextech hammer: he brute forces his way through life (his hextech innovations) and causes unintended harm along the way

jinx’s giant guns: unpredictable and traumatic, she’s dangerous and her weapons reflect that. her final shark rocket launcher tells us her final choice of destruction that will lead to war between piltover and zaun, toppling the balance of the two cities.

vi’s iron gauntlets: she values force and it is a calling back to vander’s influence on her, as well as renovating the old to new as a symbol of her growth

caitlyn’s sniper rife: being a sharpshooter expresses who she is — direct, honest, and someone who doesn’t cut corners.

but how did a prop become so important? take vi’s flare. at the end of act one, vi gives powder a flare gun and tells her: “wherever you are, light it up and i’ll find you, i promise.”. then in act two, powder (now jinx) lights up the flare and vi reunited with her. now this is a plot device known as chekhov’s gun. chekhov’s gun is the dramatic principle about making a promise to the audience and keeping it. in its roots, it is setup and payoff.

— NOW WHAT?: on practical application

so i’ve said all this stuff, given examples and wow made points. and you have read through that giant chunk of text and now you’re thinking: but how should i use this to outline my characters? to summarise:

creating a character arc! — use arcane’s formula to create a basic outline of your characters’ journeys. remember that actions have consequences.

connect your characters! — your wip should have common themes and a message you want your audience to walk away with, whether it is redemption, corruption, betrayal, trauma, family, power, friendship, hope, love, transformation, the list goes on. this theme should be the soul of your wip. write about the way your characters react, the different roles in their settings, motivations, feelings, what do they base their decision-making on, etc.

but i can’t pinpoint my theme >:( — don’t worry! sometimes themes emerge in your wip later. look for patterns, similar details in your characters, or even just write down a specific theme you want to explore with your characters, it will help guide and create your narrative. your work will convey an underlying message no matter what.

look into chekhov’s gun! — don’t make promises you can’t keep to your audience. use the details in your wip to add impact to your story, foreshadow something in the early chapters, but make sure to not overemphasise on it too much or the payoff will not be impactful. remember with the introduction of the gun means that at some point the gun must be fired.

REFERENCES/INSPO:

youtube: schnee - the secret to arcane’s depth

youtube: schnee - character development without the character

youtube: schnee - arcane’s weapons tell a story

youtube: amateur analyst - arcane: an analysis

upcoming: on character pt. 2 (show not tell, time, a character-driven plot)

feel free to send me an ask if you want me to further elaborate / other aspects to touch on! check out the masterlist here!

#resources #writing advice #wtwcommunity #writing resources #writeblr #writers on tumblr #writing #writeblr community #writers #harls.jpg #arcanehelp #arcane #i apologise if this sounds like a visual analysis #i am a writer but i am also a film student lmfao

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dailyteyvat · 3 years

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