Plot vs. Writing

The best books have both, but I can forgive/ignore weak plotting over weak writing/characters.

I like a good story where the writing doesn't get in the way.

I'm a sucker for voice. If I connect with it, it's almost hypnotic, and then I don't care much where the story goes.

Just because I am a pedant... I wouldn't have classed Jane Eyre as a period romance; it's too long and delves into a lot of other things.

Ifeel that good writing is indistinguishable from good story, in the case of most published books. People often mislabel "flowery" writing as good, but extraneous words dont equal well written by default (in fact, usually the opposite).

That said, good writing is in no way a requirement for reader engagement in general (although it is a personal requirement for me). If you have to pick, story structure probably counts for more.

I need both. If I read the synopsis and I don't think I'd be interested, I'll skip it. If the plot sounds interesting but I think the writing's weak, I'll skip it.

I think I might give a slight priority to writing. A weak plot can be annoying and feel like wasted potential, but if it is beautifully written, I could enjoy the book anyway.

Now a great plot that is terribly written, on the other hand, really feels jarring to read and I might not make it through the first few pages.

I prefer story. (Plot is only one aspect of story, as is characterization, btw.) I'll forgive a lot of little things if it's a great story: the occasional typo, occasional word misuse such as lie vs. lay or affect vs. effect. But, then again, it's true a plodding (or poorly executed plot) or poor characterization can completely destroy the story.

With SFF, I find myself thinking a lot of huge bestsellers have fabulous plot/worldbuilding, but are rather clunkily written (and sometimes skimp on character). I can enjoy them anyway, but they're sort of like potato chips: tasty, but not something that's really going to stick.

Honestly, I think both kinds of stories can work. The ones that I find most memorable tend to hook me with character, but even then there has to be something to the story structure or I just get bored.

At the end of the day, things HAVE to be interesting. Be it characters or story, preferably both. If they aren’t interesting, that’s a death sentence.

For me characters and the writing are the most important. One of my favourite books is Edward St Aubyn's Nevermind. There is little in way of plot, it's basically following a bunch of rich people getting ready over the course of a day and travelling to a dinner party that takes place that evening. But the characters, the sharp observation and the sarcastic, yet beautiful prose, makes for a hypnotic story for me, but I know other people will find it boring because for them nothing happens.

HR Garcia said:

Do you prefer story over structure?

Click to expand...

That's not an either/or choice, unless you're defining those terms in some way I'm not familiar with. The title of the thread also seems like a non-sequitar.

The plot is the visible blueprint of a story. And that blueprint is supported by structural elements that are commonly found in stories. The writing is how the story is communicated to the readers, and is subject to the influences of voice, tone, and style. The story itself is the whole of all its parts: character, plot, setting, structure, pacing, and writing.

IOW, I'm not sure what your question is. Plot, structure, writing--they're all essential and every story has them.

When picking out a book to read I always look for a plot that I've not already read a hundred times. If I catch a whiff of the MC in the blurb, that's always a plus because I think it's an indication of a good writer (I maybe and am probably wrong about that, but it's just my opinion). So, plot draws me in, but it's the characters that keep me there. I have to relate to them in someway otherwise I don't care what happens.

As to visual descriptions... I only want enough to spark my imagination, anything more becomes tiresome. There's no need to describe every detail of a room (unless some aspect is critical to the plot). I know what a room looks like, you don't need to beat me to death with it. One caveat occurs at the beginning of each chapter (and sometimes scenes) - where I like to get a sense of where the MC is and their mood. This gives me a starting point, which keeps me from figuratively looking back over my shoulder wondering where I and and what's going on.

BethS said:

Plot, structure, writing--they're all essential and every story has them.

Click to expand...

No one disagrees with this, but every book has these elements to various degrees, and all the OP is asking is which is more important to you, as a reader. Except for structure. I don't think anyone asked about that.

HR Garcia said:

Do you prefer story over structure?

Click to expand...

BethS said:

Plot, structure, writing--they're all essential and every story has them.

Click to expand...

nickj47 said:

No one disagrees with this, but every book has these elements to various degrees, and all the OP is asking is which is more important to you, as a reader. Except for structure. I don't think anyone asked about that.

Click to expand...

ICYMI, see post #1.

BenPanced said:

ICYMI, see post #1.

Click to expand...

No, I didn't miss it. I just couldn't figure out what the OP was wanting to know. After reading the thread, I gather most here are assuming it's a question of reading for plot versus reading for... superior writing? Or something else? I'm still not sure. I don't know where structure comes into it, and people's answers appear to address different things.

Clearly I'm not on the right wavelength here...

lol, I *think* BenPanced was replying to nickj47, not you Beth Your quote was just along for the ride.

BethS said:

No, I didn't miss it. I just couldn't figure out what the OP was wanting to know. After reading the thread, I gather most here are assuming it's a question of reading for plot versus reading for... superior writing? Or something else? I'm still not sure. I don't know where structure comes into it, and people's answers appear to address different things.

Clearly I'm not on the right wavelength here...

Click to expand...

No, this is a valid observation—that there was a mix of terms. The thread title was "Plot vs Writing" and the examples given support the title, and I think that's what most everyone addressed. I chose to answer the first question, "Do you prefer story over structure?" Story is not synonymous with (beautiful or lyrical) writing, nor is plot necessarily synonymous with structure. (Your plot can skip all over the place or even bog down and that's where a structural editor works their magic.) Story is all-encompassing: of characterization, setting, plot, and the writing. Hopefully, your story will stay with your readers long after they've forgotten each beautifully constructed sentence. But those sentences . . . ah, those sentences conspire with each of the other elements to make the story memorable.

BethS said:

No, I didn't miss it. I just couldn't figure out what the OP was wanting to know. After reading the thread, I gather most here are assuming it's a question of reading for plot versus reading for... superior writing? Or something else? I'm still not sure. I don't know where structure comes into it, and people's answers appear to address different things.

Clearly I'm not on the right wavelength here...

Click to expand...

Toto Too said:

lol, I *think* BenPanced was replying to nickj47, not you Beth Your quote was just along for the ride.

Click to expand...

Yup. Tried to keep the train of thought together, so I felt it was necessary to include BethS's comment.

Glad I qualified my response. I stand corrected on the verbiage. Still, I'm not sure I'd equate plot with structure.

Robots said:

I think I might give a slight priority to writing. A weak plot can be annoying and feel like wasted potential, but if it is beautifully written, I could enjoy the book anyway.

Now a great plot that is terribly written, on the other hand, really feels jarring to read and I might not make it through the first few pages.

Click to expand...

HR Garcia said:

I think this sums it up. Whether writing or plot is outstanding isn't relevant..as long as each doesn't stand out as exceptionally "bad" when you're reading it. Mediocre is ok, bad is not. I have noticed, since plodding through writing my own novel, that writing quality stands out more now than it did before.

Click to expand...

I agree with both of these. If either plot or writing is just plain bad, I'm not going to enjoy or even finish the book. However, given a choice between lovely writing with a mediocre plot, and an excellent plot with mediocre writing, I'll choose the former.

"Lovely writing" doesn't have to be flowery or "literary". It can be relatively plain writing that flows well. I think Neil Gaiman, for example, has lovely writing (and fortunately, he's usually good at plotting too).

What a plot counts as will vary with genre.

Mrs Dalloway doesn't have a plot in traditional SFF terms, as in the way we tend to think of plots in relation to that genre. It still has all the building blocks of story, though; conflict, need, obstacles, attempts, successes, failures. And, of course, character.

nickj47 said:

Glad I qualified my response. I stand corrected on the verbiage. Still, I'm not sure I'd equate plot with structure.

Click to expand...

No, they are two different things.