Convincing character change is subtle, not abrupt or total

Evidence

Often the notion of change is misunderstood by new writers to mean change that is abrupt and absolute, from Scrooge to do-gooder—but this rarely happens in life or in convincing fiction. Rather, change can be as subtle as a step in a new direction, a slight shift in belief, or a willingness to question a rigid view or recognize previously unseen value in a person or situation. Something is visible that was not visible before. — Janet Burroway; Elizabeth Stuckey-French; Ned Stuckey-French, Writing Fiction, Tenth Edition, 306

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Character emerges from unresolved inner contradiction — Hilary Mantel, A Memoir of My Former Self- A Life in…, 1156; Character can be built from accumulated telling consumer details — Hilary Mantel, A Memoir of My Former Self- A Life in…, 184; Repertoire change happens through continuous modulation, not sharp breaks. — Charles Tilly, Regimes and Repertoires, 352

Broader Connections

• Character emerges from unresolved inner contradiction #corroborates (0.60) — Hilary Mantel, A Memoir of My Former Self- A Life in…, 1156