Character or Plot-driven Stories?
Many writers may not be aware that there are choices when
it comes to how they approach their stories, and not many writers stop to think
what kind of story they’re telling. There are, however, two types of story that
are often referred to: Plot-driven and Character-driven, and they each serve
the story differently.
Most commercial fiction is plot-driven. In other words,
the plot and the unfolding events linked to it drive the story forward. The
characters revolve around that plot, rather than a secondary plot revolving
around the characters.
In character-driven stories, the opposite is true. The unfolding
story revolves entirely around the characters and the plot takes a back seat in
terms of importance.
But which one should you use?
That depends entirely what you want from your story and
the genre you choose. There are advantages and disadvantages to each, so it’s
important to not only choose the right one for your story, but to know
it’s the right one and that it will fit with the type of story you’re telling.
So what are the differences between them?
Character-driven
Stories
In these types of stories, the plot tends to be less
developed than the characters. That’s because the emphasis is placed on the
personal growth, development and inner turmoil of the main characters, and
therefore the plotline is seen as less important.
Character-driven stories are noticeably less
action-driven and tend to concentrate on the emotions, sentiment and conflicts
and motivations of the main character(s) in relation to the story. They concentrate
on internal conflicts and relationships more so than the external conflicts that
can be found in plot-driven stories. They tend to use the emotional development
and growth of characters to drive the story forward, rather than use a plot to
move things along.
These kinds of stories suit certain genres, which is why
you will find that romance, fantasy and literary novels are almost certainly character-driven,
since there is a heavy emphasis and influence of the character’s inner feelings
and emotions that are developed as the story unfolds. Novels such as The Girl
on the Train, The Catcher in the Rye, The Kite Runner and Sense and Sensibility
are great examples of character-driven stories.
The style and language, in literary fiction in particular,
also lends itself to focus completely on the character rather than the crux of
the story, simply because there is less need for explosions and guns and all
manner of action. The usual fare of commercial fiction is less significant.
The advantages of these stories is that it allows the
writer to indulge in their characters; they dictate the story, so the emotional
depth and feeling is very well explored, but the downside is that the heart of
story – the plot – suffers and doesn’t have as much detail as it should.
Plot-driven
Stories
Unlike the sedate charm of character-driven stories, plot-driven
stories are focused on the nitty-gritty of the story; the action, the multiple
events, incidents and turning points and how they affect the characters, particularly
the varied external conflicts and the turmoil they create.
The plot is the focus – it’s about how the story evolves,
how sub plots are part of the main story arc and how plot twists help drive the
story forward. Whereas the character-driven stories are heavily influenced by
emotional development, in plot-driven stories, the action takes centre stage.
While characters may be well drawn, these types of stories rely more on the swiftly
evolving inner mechanics of the story rather than the characters.
The likes of action thrillers, crime novels, horror, psychological
thriller, science-fiction and urban fantasy tend to be plot-driven, such as the
Hunger Games, The Da Vinci Code or the Maze Runner.
The advantages of plot-driven stories are that the heart
of the story is fully developed, as are the sub-plots and relevant plot twists.
This makes for an engaging read. The drawback is that characters may not be as
fully realised, certainly not to the thoughtful detail of character-driven
stories.
If you want to tell a story from beginning to end in a
way that involves the reader with the events, turning points, plot
developments, tension, atmosphere and action, then a plot-driven story will be
the best choice.
If, however, you want your story to focus on the inner
feelings, conflicts, aspirations, goals and tensions as the character
progresses on their journey of discovery, then a character-driven story is the
best choice.
But isn’t it possible you have a mix of both?
In truth, many novels do achieve this. They tend to be neither
one nor the other and are often balanced with some thoughtful plotting and deep
character analysis, but on the whole, most novels fall into either category in
the way they are written.
The genre and type of novel you want to write tends to dictate
the style of the plot, so it’s wise to think about what exactly you want from
your story. If you really want to focus of your characters, then it will be
character drive. If you’re a plotter, then it’s very likely you’ll create a
plot-driven novel. The choice is yours, but choose carefully.
Next week: The Problem with Emotion
Good insights here. However, I can't recall a character-driven fantasy tale. What fantasy tales did you have in mind?
ReplyDeleteHi Mike,
DeleteLord of the Rings? Totally character driven. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe? The Golden Compass, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Watership Down, to name but a few. They're all character-driven, or heavily character-centric.