Talk:Blake Belladonna/@comment-27654346-20180126154747

You know, in retrospect, I’d have to say that I’m pretty pleased with Blake’s overall arc in volume 5. In the beginning, yes, she certainly fell victim to the plot troubles much of the rest of the volume - that being that the story was too busy jumping continents to actually establish recognizable character growth over time. However, the fact that she was so separated from Haven for most of the volume, one of the most common criticisms of the story, allowed her half to truly develop beyond previous failings. With the mid-late pieces of volume five being divided into 2 halves - Menagerie and Haven - Blake’s segment was able to get an adequate amount of focus. Unlike many of the other characters, we were able to see her reactions and feelings towards events (instead of merely having a character feel some bland emotion that poorly masquerades as character development. We see Blake respond to the attacks of the White Fang, struggle to find support, and fight valiantly for her family and friends, which is a stark contrast to having a character blandly say how they feel.

It’s showing rather than telling, and seeing a character actually interact with the story is far more impactful than them explaining how much he has endured. Don’t say the journey is taking its toll, show it through direct actions of the characters.