How to Set Up a Character Arc in the First 10 Pages
Every story is designed to make the audience feel something — whether that’s excitement, inspiration, caution, or heartbreak. Plot and structure help deliver that effect, but the element that often carries the deepest meaning is the character arc.
A character arc shows us what the story means by dramatizing how the protagonist is transformed by what they go through.
But how do you set up that transformation so the audience feels its full impact? Just as stories need setup, escalation, and resolution, character arcs need those components too. Today, we’ll zoom in on the setup—specifically, what you need to establish about your character in the first sequence of the screenplay.
Step one: confirm the protagonist
Before you can set up a character arc, the audience needs to know whose story we’re following.
If the viewer isn’t sure where to focus, all the groundwork you’re laying for the arc will get lost. Think of it this way: if we don’t know who the camera is following, we won’t know which “before” picture we’re supposed to measure against the “after.”
So in Sequence 1 (the pages before your Inciting Incident), first make sure it’s absolutely clear who the protagonist is.
The arc at a glance
Character arcs generally unfold in three phases:
Needing to change (the “before” picture)
Being forced to change (the pressure of the plot)
Embracing the change (the resolution, the “after” picture)
The meaning of the story comes from seeing all three. But before we can appreciate the impact of transformation, we need a strong sense of where the character is starting.
That’s what Sequence 1 is for: establishing the “Before Character Arc” (B.C.A.) version of your protagonist.
The two things to establish early
Many writers wonder what to put in those opening 10–12 pages before the Inciting Incident. You’ve probably heard advice like “set up the normal world,” which is useful — but vague.
Here’s a more practical approach: in Sequence 1, establish two things about your protagonist:
What they want (what matters most to them right now)
How they try to get it (their dominant quality, strategy, or approach)
This gives us a clear picture of who they are before the story forces them to change.
And the way you show this is through action. Characters reveal themselves not by what they say about themselves, but by what they do to pursue what they want.
Example: Meet Cute
Take the rom-com Meet Cute. The movie arguably has two leads, but Sheila drives most of the story, so let’s focus on her.
When we first meet Sheila, the script describes her staring at Gary, the love interest, with “the intensity of a thousand suns.” Right away, we know where her focus is, which leads us to what’s important to her: this man, this moment.
As the first sequence plays out, Sheila flirts with Gary, tries to connect, and clearly wants the date to succeed. But notice the second component: how she pursues what she wants. In Sheila’s case, the answer is shocking — time travel. This evening matters so much to her that she literally rewinds and replays it until she gets it “right.”
Later in the film, we’ll understand the deeper reasons behind Sheila’s desperation, and her arc will resolve when she learns to let go of control. That shift only feels meaningful because we’ve seen such a strong “before” image of her clinging to control at all costs.
Keep it simple
Notice how simple this setup really is. We don’t need an elaborate backstory dump or a dozen character quirks. We just need:
A clear sense of what’s important to the character
A demonstration of how they go after it
That’s it. Those two elements give us a strong, memorable starting point for the character arc — one that sets up the transformation to come.
In your first sequence, don’t overcomplicate things. Instead, focus on those two elements.
Show us those through action, and you’ll give your audience the perfect “before” picture — the foundation that makes the eventual transformation powerful and resonant.