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Character arc development from wound to earned change

Map the full psychological transformation of a character — starting flaw, ghost, the gap between what they want and what they need, and the moment the false belief breaks.

Works best in: Claude

I am developing a character for a {{medium}} (novel, screenplay, short story, game, or comic). Help me build a complete character arc.

Character name: {{character_name}}
Genre: {{genre}}
Story scope: {{story_scope}} (e.g. "single episode", "three-act feature", "six-book series")
Starting situation: {{starting_situation}}

Work through the following:

1. Core wound and false belief — the specific lie this character has internalized about themselves, others, or how the world works. Be concrete: not "they don't trust people" but the precise belief structure that drives their choices.

2. The ghost — the past event that created the wound. One or two sentences, specific enough to suggest scenes without writing the scenes.

3. Want vs. need — what they are actively chasing (the external goal) and what they actually require to heal (the internal need). Explain the specific irony: how pursuing the want forces a confrontation with the need.

4. Three turning points in order:
   - The moment the wound is exposed to the reader (not necessarily to the character)
   - The moment the character chooses wrongly because of the false belief, and what it costs them
   - The dark night: the moment the false belief collapses under pressure

5. The earned change — the specific belief that replaces the false one, and a single action the character takes that proves it. Show; do not describe.

Keep every answer specific to this character and story. Do not give generic craft advice.
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