“This scifi is much more character driven than my usual reads.” When I saw this and a few other similarly phrased statements in reviews for my novel, I had a bit of a “huh?” moment. “Aren’t all good stories character-driven?” I thought. The short answer is, it depends.
Enter the artificial dichotomy of character-driven versus plot-driven stories. To be clear, no (good) story is either one or the other. This division merely serves as a tool for both readers and writers. In reality, every narrative lies somewhere on this spectrum. Some genres lean more heavily towards one—literary fiction and romance = character-focused, whereas mystery and thrillers = plot-focused.
I’ll dive into each in more detail, but the short and quick of it is it all comes down to: 1) what kind of agency the characters in a story have and 2) the nature of the central conflict.
Character-Driven
Description
It shouldn’t be surprising that character-driven is all about the characters, but that statement is a bit misleading. Every story is about the characters, so what specifically makes something “character-driven”? Let’s jump back to my previous statement.
It all comes down to: 1) what kind of agency the characters in a story have and 2) the nature of the central conflict.
In character-driven stories, characters’ agencies are of paramount importance. Their actions must influence the story. They must have a meaningful impact on what happens and drive the narrative forward. Related to this, the most important conflict is an internal crisis. That’s not to say there can’t be external events influencing the world, but the focus of the story and the conflict that readers are most engaged with are the ones within the character.
The characters’ internal struggles and their actions drive the narrative. This often translates to conflicts that are more contained or if there is high-stakes conflict, the story focuses on characters’ reaction and experiences rather than the larger world.
Pros
Why use this type of narrative? In short, character-driven stories are kind of a hack. If readers bond with your characters, they’re more likely to love your book.
Humans seek connection. It’s hardwired into our DNA. We are social creatures, even those of us introverts (me!). Not surprisingly, this means we enjoy stories about other people. Readers will remember a well-written character who feels like a living, breathing entity and has a satisfying arc long after they’ve put the book down.
Cons
But there’s a dark side to this. What happens if you create a character that falls flat or, worse, (unintentionally) annoys your readers to no end? If they aren’t rooting for your character, they are unlikely to care much about what happens to them.
Plot-Driven
Description
How do plot-driven stories compare? They obviously also feature characters, but are they just uninteresting or flat? Not at all. Many plot-driven stories have engaging and well-developed characters. It’s just that they aren’t the primary focus. This often means their thoughts and feelings aren’t shared, and the focus is on the events taking place. Let’s hop back to my earlier statement.
It all comes down to: 1) what kind of agency the characters in a story have and 2) the nature of the central conflict.
In plot-driven stories, the problem facing the character is of paramount importance and drives the narrative. The characters react to their environment. There is an external crisis, and it tends to be a big picture/higher stakes conflict (e.g., end of the world).
Pros
One great aspect of plot-driven stories is that they allow a writer to put their world-building front and center. Not as much time and effort needs to be spent fleshing out any individual character. This is particularly handy in stories that require a wide cast of characters (hi there, space operas).
Cons
On the other hand, plot-driven narratives can quickly devolve into a series of “then this happened and then this and then this.” Without a connection to the characters, readers can quickly lose interest in the story. They need someone to root for. All the beautiful world-building can’t make up for hollow husks of characters. All that to say, plot-driven still requires a heart. The characters may not be the focus, but they can’t be neglected or the author risks writing a flat tale.
My Preferences
I’ve already hinted that I tend to write what others have called character-driven stories, so perhaps you can guess which I also prefer to read. That being said, my aim is to actually write something that is evenly balanced between character and plot. Let’s see if I can manage to pull it off in future novels.
Which do you write and/or prefer to read? Let me know in a comment.
Leave a Reply