Tips on Writing a Redemption Arc

A redemption arc is essentially an extended period of time that a character spends trying to work on themselves and trying to make up for past choices. Characters with redemption arcs can be anything from being a bad romantic partner to an evil galactic dictator. Of course, this means that different characters will have different arcs with different impacts, time the arc takes, and choices made. Ultimately, the point of a redemption arc is to develop a character in real time and get your audience invested in their self-improvement.

Starting a Redemption Arc

To properly start a redemption arc that your audience (and other characters) can believe in, you have to first show the character in question’s “realization moment”. This is the moment where they understand, at least partially, the harm they’ve caused and commit to doing better. I say partially because your character doesn’t need to understand all the harm they’ve caused right away. The scope of their actions could be beyond what they can immediately see, and revealing the scope over time is a great way to sustain the arc and cause more drama.

As for committing to doing better, what this means depends on your character and what they’ve done. A true redemption arc doesn’t just mean ceasing the actions that cause harm (after all, being unable to steal doesn’t redeem a thief), it means actively working on correcting bad habits and choosing to do the right thing. If a character has a chance to steal, lie, cheat, or perform a behavior they used to, they choose not to. As a writer, take the chance to show that the character is making an active effort to be better and examine their own behaviors. 

Here are some examples:

• Telling the truth and correcting themselves when they tell lies
• Stopping a certain behavior like gambling or drinking
• Backing off and removing themselves from situations that could turn into physical fights
• Apologizing when they’re in the wrong and thanking people who help them

Don’t Expect Perfection

Redemption isn’t a switch that can be flipped, and a villain sacrificing themselves to save the hero at the last second doesn’t erase all the harm that they’ve already caused; redemption is a continuous process. This means you shouldn’t be afraid to show your character backsliding and going back to their old habits when they’re stressed or in a bad place, and it’s okay not to have an ‘end point’ for the arc. Some characters might spend the rest of their lives working to combat their bad habits and darker urges, and maybe what they did can never be forgiven by those affected.

Your character also shouldn’t suddenly start using therapy-speak. Maybe they’ve spoken to a therapist or a character with deeper insights into their personality, but most people don’t suddenly realize they’ve been dealing with cognitive distortions and black and white thinking. Understanding yourself takes time and doesn’t happen all at once, especially if you’ve been deep in a certain mindset for a long time (especially if you’ve been raised in it!).

Making Amends

Forgiving someone means letting go of your own negative emotions and letting yourself move on. Some people find it easy to forgive, and others find it difficult; it’s a personal journey, and not owed to anyone. During the redemption arc, consider the scale of hurt your character has caused. Have they hurt someone? Killed someone? What could you, personally, forgive? What would someone have to do to earn your forgiveness?

Here are some more questions to consider:

• Does your character expect to be forgiven?
• What will they do if they aren’t?
• What lengths is your character willing to go to be forgiven?
• Is there a limit to what they’ll do?

Showing that your character is willing to go to great personal lengths for the chance to earn forgiveness is a great way to show their redemption, with bonus points if they don’t expect to be forgiven. Of course, getting to that point will likely take time and effort from the character, and they don’t need to be perfect. Being forgiven is a process that takes time and continuous effort from both sides. 

Failing a Redemption Arc

If you’re interested in exploring a redemption arc in a different or potentially tragic way, you could have your character fail to redeem themselves. This could be due to consistent backsliding and the character eventually giving up, being unable to go the distance and make the effort to be forgiven by those they’ve hurt, or expecting to be forgiven after an apology without any change. The loss of potential can be tragic for those invested in their character, and it can be a way to show that a character is unwilling or unable to change (at least at that moment). 

If you have a redemption arc you’d like to share with the community, you’re welcome to share it in the Unvale-Blog community as a post! We hope to see you there.