Want to Write a Great Novel? Be Brave. | Jane Friedman

Say the character arc is about a woman gaining the courage to leave an abusive relationship. For one writer, that sort of arc will basically just be a device, something that's there to serve the plot-say, of a mystery or thriller. That arc might work well in this regard, but it won't necessarily cause reader to connect with the story, or find any particular sense of meaning in it.

But if the author has actually been that woman? The same arc can have a great deal of power-the power to truly connect with the reader. The power to make that same thriller or mystery feel hugely meaningful.

Maybe even the power to change the world.