Which Should I Develop First - Characters or Plot?

DwayneA · Apr 4, 2009

For my first three books, I used to write out an outline describing the entire plot and everything that happens. Then I wrote out the story following everything written down in the outline. I noticed that this doesn't leave much room for character development which is a major disadvantage.

I think that's why I'm having a hard time interviewing my characters. Because I do the plot first, so I can't make my characters come alive. Basically, they're on paper just following a simple path.

I want to do things differently starting with my current and fourth work. Should I develop my characters first and then write the plot? Would that be less complex?

Do most authors develop their characters first or the story's plot? Which would you do first?

scarletpeaches · Apr 4, 2009

Character is plot.

blacbird · Apr 4, 2009

Echo Peaches. She adviseth well. Any decent novel involves characters doing stuff. You won't get far putting character and plot into discrete boxes and grinding on them separately.

caw

JRTurner · Apr 4, 2009

scarletpeaches said:
Character is plot.

That was the same thought I had

When I'm creating an outline, I leave it very flexible. I use paragraphs, not chapter titles and scene numbers--just paragraphs. This helps me eliminate, alter and add as necessary to honor the way the characters react when confronted by the situations I create--which isn't always in the way that I planned.

I normally write a character's story--not a story for the character--and I think that may be where you're outlining is going astray a little? For instance, if I know someone close to the character will die in chapter ten, what I wrote in the previous chapters might make my expected reaction too lame, or too cold or too dramatic--depending on how she handles all that came before. In other words, it's hard to tell how a character will ultimately interact with any given part of the plot until you've written to that point.

Sometimes not having strong characters is a good indication you need to practice writing from within the character, rather than from within in the plot as well. I don't know how close your narrative is, but I would suggest looking into the terms "subjective third person" and "close narrative" and read up on those techniques.

I hope that helps some and I wish you the best!

Warmly,
Jenny

KikiteNeko · Apr 4, 2009

Characters are first and foremost. If I don't know/care about your character, I won't care about what's happening to them in your plot.

I could tell you that someone got shot, and you might say "Oh no that's awful" and feel bad about it, but think of how much more it would mean if you knew the person.

... kind of morbid, but that's how I think.

Madisonwrites · Apr 4, 2009

I have actually done it both ways. I have stories waiting for characters and characters waiting for stories. It just depends on what works for which story.

Good luck and happy writing!

Sophia · Apr 4, 2009

DwayneA said:
I want to do things differently starting with my current and fourth work. Should I develop my characters first and then write the plot? Would that be less complex?

Do most authors develop their characters first or the story's plot? Which would you do first?

I think your decision to try a new approach is great, and you'll learn more about what works for you by doing it.

I approach things a bit differently as I start with setting, find characters that would exist in that setting, and then work out the plot. The very start of a new project for me is generally an image in my head, and I use that to narrow down the many possibilities for setting, character and plot from the start, so I'm not working completely in an empty void.

You don't have to keep the character and plot creation completely separate. You might, for example, have events in mind that really excite you and you're looking forward to writing, but you find as you develop the characters that they wouldn't necessarily do the things you need them to do.

If that happens, you can change the characters to fit your plot. The important thing is that the characters and plot are consistent with each other.

DwayneA · Apr 4, 2009

good advice everyone. Thanks for clearing things up!

maestrowork · Apr 4, 2009

You can take two different approaches: develop plot first, then place your characters in there to carry out those plots.

You can also develop the characters first, then put them inside your world and give them some situations and let them figure it out...

The danger of the first approach is that you end up with a great plot-driven story with flimsy, cardboard characters who are nothing but pawns to advance the stories. Their motivations are paper thin, and the plot can become far-fetched or forced. These characters would just be marionette puppets.

The danger of the second approach is that you have great characters, but they end up doing nothing. The plot goes around in circle without enough stakes or twists to keep the readers interested. A bunch of people sitting around sipping wine and talking about their lives is not particularly exciting to read -- profound, maybe. But not a plot you will rave to your friends about.

I think the "secret" lies somewhere in between. Personally, I like to know where my plot is going in general terms. The general direction and how things would eventually turn out. But then I let my characters do their thing and hopefully they will end up where I want them to....

peachiemkey · Apr 4, 2009

When I outline, which I love to do, I always outline my character's development too - or at least keep it in mind. I don't do it on purpose, it's just that character development is an integral part of the plot. So... X character does this (plot development) because X character FEELS this (char development). Y character discovers who they truly are (char development) and therefore does this (plot development). After this happens (plot development), Z character is scared (char development), so he leaves (plot development).

C.M.C. · Apr 4, 2009

I would agree that you can't really separate the characters and plot completely. They need each other for the story to work, and there is plenty of room, even within an outline, for both to be developed.

Cyia · Apr 4, 2009

Create your characters, get to know them (like with your interviews). Once you have a character (or characters) that you know, you'll know how they will react to a given situation... that's where your plot comes in.

Take what you've learned about your characters in the interview process and apply it to your plot. You'll know how their individual personalities come into play during a fire or how they react to painful memories.

Mad Queen · Apr 4, 2009

I'll go a little against the grain and suggest you develop plot first, even though I agree characters are extremely important and stories with cardboard characters suck. For me, the best characters are those who do interesting stuff (plot). If your characters are fascinating people but don't do anything worthy of attention, then you don't have anything. It's a useless character. And for me it's way easier to create complex characters than a cool story. I'm very strict with my characters. If they're not doing any useful work or if their story bores me, I scrap them, it doesn't matter how likeable or complex they are.

Sage · Apr 4, 2009

I'm kinda a fan of developing them both at the same time. Sometimes I don't find out something about my characters until I develop some more of the plot. Sometimes the way my characters are drives the direction the plot is going.

dpaterso · Apr 5, 2009

I think about setting and situation first.

Which then allow characters and plot to develop.

I'm just saying. Each to their own.

-Derek

seun · Apr 5, 2009

maestrowork said:
I think the "secret" lies somewhere in between. Personally, I like to know where my plot is going in general terms. The general direction and how things would eventually turn out. But then I let my characters do their thing and hopefully they will end up where I want them to....

Same here. I let the characters tell the story. If they don't go where I originally imagined, it doesn't matter. I follow them. It's their story, after all.

SarahMacManus · Apr 5, 2009

I'm good at characters and lousy at plot - so I'm trying to do plot first this time 'round. The characters are there, but I'm forcing myself to do the hard part, first, and they're emerging.

FennelGiraffe · Apr 5, 2009

At the basic idea level, I tend to start with setting. From there, I think about the kinds of problems that could arise in that setting. Then the kinds of characters for whom those problems would be significant.

But that's just the bare bones of an idea. Actually developing it, fleshing it out, is complexly intertwined. I go from character to setting to plot to character to plot and back again. Adding one detail here inspires three details there. It's all connected.

Meredith · Apr 5, 2009

For me, plot and characters evolve together. I start with a the premise - who I want the "hero" to be, at baseline, plus what he or she does/what happens to him or her to launch the story. Usually I know some major events at the start - x disaster will happen midway through, y is how I want the character to change along the way, z is where it ends. But everything else is up in the air.

From that point, plot and character are completely interdependent. I tend to think of plot as "what happens to the character" and characterization as "what the character does in response". Those two things have to weave together. And sometimes the plot changes the character along the way... just as sometimes the character's response necessitates a change in the plot. (Fr'instance, if your character's truest response to a dangerous, mysterious stranger showing up in a dark alley is to shoot said stranger in the head, you may want to move the meeting to a nice, well-lit, populated coffee shop instead of the alley if you need that stranger for the rest of the story. And who knows what will happen in the coffee shop? Maybe you never make it back to that dark alley, or...)

I would say you can't concentrate on either to the exclusion of the other without getting yourself into story trouble down the road - not even at the very beginning.

RobJ · Apr 5, 2009

DwayneA said:
For my first three books, I used to write out an outline describing the entire plot and everything that happens. Then I wrote out the story following everything written down in the outline. I noticed that this doesn't leave much room for character development which is a major disadvantage.

There's a fundamental problem with what you say here. There's no reason why having an outline should leave little room for character development. Try to get your hands on a copy of Jordan Rosenfeld's book Make A Scene, Creating a Powerful Story One Scene at a Time. I think it would help you.

Cheers,
Rob

bonitakale · Apr 6, 2009

Here's a thought, though. You've got the plot, so you know what problems are going to come up. Now, what kind of character would those problems be the most painful for? What traits or events in his or her past would make this especially hard for him or her? And how could this particular plot affect a character's growth?

A very secretive person, for instance, might have to share information and power. A very open person might have to go undercover. A person whose parent or child has just died might have to deal with a plot that brings that back. A gentle person might have to fight, or an aggressive person might have to hold back.

DwayneA · Apr 6, 2009

that makes sense

Kaiser-Kun · Apr 6, 2009

I think plot first, then characters. My characters grow depending on their reactions to the event: Either if it's a "oh damn", "oh shnaps", or "oh well", it's different for every character.

DwayneA · Apr 6, 2009

I just purchased a copy of that book off Ebay. Hopefully, it will be of help!

RJK · Apr 7, 2009

You use the plot to develop your characters. After you put your characters up that tree, it's how they react to the rocks you throw at them, that makes them interesting, and makes them grow. One character may climb down and fight the rock thrower. Another may hide and cower behind the limbs and other characters. A third may build a slingshot and shoot acorns at the attackers. Another may climb out of range and try to negotiate with the rock throwers, Yet another may climb down the tree and join the rock throwers against his former friends. Each character reacts differently and may react differently again after he learns from the first incident.

Which Should I Develop First - Characters or Plot?

DwayneA

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