Secrets To Writing

(4c) Is Plot Development More Important Than Character Development?

Plot versus character. Two heavyweight wrestlers stepping into the ring. The question on many writers' lips is: who will win?

It's a common conundrum, with many writers wondering where they should place their focus as they start out with their first stories.

We can all think of examples where the plot led the way or where character development was at the forefront, but is one more important than the other?

Do literary agents prefer plot over character or vice versa? Perhaps more importantly, do readers prefer one over the other?

The answers to these questions are a little more nuanced than we might expect.

Which is More Important: Plot or Character?

To keep the answer short and sweet, the truth is that when it comes to fiction, both plot and character are important. The relationship between the two is incredibly symbiotic.

You can have a powerful idea for a plot (the imminent destruction of our planet as an alien asteroid hurtles towards it, for example), but if you have no compelling characters reacting to or engaging with the event, it'll be pretty bland to read.

Likewise, to develop a character and show your reader who they are, how they feel, and what motivates them, you need to have a plot: things happening to and around them that allow you to turn them into someone the reader should care (or not care) about.

Both elements are required for any story to reach its full potential. Despite this, there's still an ongoing debate around the literary scene as to which is better: plot-driven narratives or character-driven narratives?

You'll find that many authors tend to lean towards one or the other. There are some great examples of how both can be done effectively to create engaging stories that readers love.

The Case For Plot-Driven Narratives

First things first: what do we mean by plot-driven narratives?

In a plot-driven story, the author places a larger emphasis on the things happening to the characters. These books tend to focus on factors like plot twists, action and activity, as well as external conflict.

We don't get as much of an in-depth look into how the characters feel, or a deeper analysis of their motivations for behaving in specific ways.

A simple way to determine whether a story is plot-driven is to see whether you can interchange a character or two. If you swap characters around, does the plot itself stay relatively the same? Does it progress in the same way?

If so, you've got a plot-driven narrative on your hands.

What Genres Suit Plot-Driven Narratives?

Commercial or genre fiction is well suited to plot-driven narratives. These tend to fall into niches such as fantasy, science fiction, mystery, thriller, and romance genres.

Essentially, any book where the things that happen to the characters are focused on more strongly than the characters themselves.

Examples:

•  The Lord of The Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien

Although Frodo is a strong protagonist, the plot centres more on the larger action. You could potentially swap Frodo for another hobbit, or even remove Frodo from the trilogy entirely, and still have the same plot surging forward.

•  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Similar to Frodo, Katniss is a great character, but we only know her through her reactions to the events occurring around her. We could have followed her sister (originally selected as 'tribute') or any of the other children and still been led down a similar revolutionary plot.