Character or Plot Driven Stories Basic plot driven

Character or Plot Driven Stories?

Basic plot driven structure

Why Is It Important to Know What Kind f Story You are Writing? q The goal is not to pigeonhole your story or make you feel you have to adhere to a blueprint of some kind. q It’s to help you understand the reader’s expectations. q Nor does this mean that a plot-driven story can’t have a protagonist with an internal struggle, or that a character-driven story can’t have an antagonist standing in the main character’s way, but the focus, the main goal your character is trying to achieve, would be geared toward the type of story you’re writing. q An important point to keep in mind: Whether you’re writing a plot-driven story or a character-driven story, a character’s choices push the story forward.

Hallmarks of Plot Driven Stories q fast pace that compels the reader to turn the page to find out how the characters will escape, evade or prevail. q your characters make quick decisions that move the plot forward. q character development is secondary to plot development. The focus is on what happens next. q many genre stories are plot-driven; The Lord of the Rings trilogy, the Jason Bourne series, and mysteries like Murder on the Orient Express are great examples. q Plot conflicts are usually focused on external or physical goals like: q Establish financial security. q Protect others from harm. q Save the world from an evil power. q Survive a natural disaster. q

Questions to Ask if Writing A Plot-Driven Story q Is it focused on one external antagonist? (The antagonist can be a single person or a collective representing a certain ideal. ) q. Is it focused on what happens next? q. Is the protagonist’s goal to solve an outer problem? q. If you answered yes to these questions, chances are you’ve got a plot-driven story and your main character will work to overcome the obstacles that the antagonist has set in the way.

Basic Structure for Character Driven Story

Hallmarks of Character Driven Stories q focus on the inner transformation of a character or the relationships between the characters. q focus is on how the character arrives at a particular choice. q a character’s internal conflicts take precedence over the external conflicts. q. Internal conflicts are focused on individual goals with an emotional core like: q To find love or friendship. q To invent, explore or learn something new q To atone for past mistakes q To live up to family or societal expectations

Questions to Ask if Writing a Character Driven Story q. Is it focused on an internal struggle? q Is the protagonist’s goal to address a personal situation they find themselves in? q. Are your main character’s obstacles more personal, more individual? q. While there may be external forces at play, your character’s choices will lead to a new outlook or perspective.