A New Spin on an Old Thread

Character arcs often feel familiar, making them predictable. You find yourself thinking, in the first twelve minutes: "Oh, I see--she's got to learn how to stand up for herself." And then the next eighty are spent waiting for that change.

Another option? New spins on old character arcs. Take Rushmore: the coming-of-age story in reverse. Max is desperately trying to be older, wiser, more sophisticated than a fifteen year old. Which is why it's so satisfying when he happily dances with kite-flying Margaret Yang... it's time for the grown ups to be grown ups, and the kids to be kids.

Why don't we see more traditional character arcs flipped? Why couldn't we have the reverse of the "be yourself" arc? Or the flipside of the "loosen up a little" tale?

Let’s see the story in which a character must stop trying to “seize the day” and instead, commit to a long-term plan. (I really believe this can be done.) Or a character who learns that the pursuit of love isn't necessarily worth sacrificing one’s own career, or family, or friends. (Meg Ryan in You’ve Got Mail, I’m talking to you--that store was in your family for generations! I think you could hold a grudge a little longer.)

On a related note, I would also like to see the story in which the protagonist believes they're dead but it turns out they’re actually--gasp!--alive.