Suspense OR compelling characters (pick one)

I would not pick one. There are elements of story. One element is a good reason to read forward...even in contemporary non-suspenseful stories, you need suspense to drive the page turning. The reader needs to want to read forward, to turn the page. The reader also has to have a connection with the characters. Whether the reader likes them or hates them...the reader needs to be invested in them. So...no either or. BOTH are essential.

The choice totally depends on what kind of Story I want to tell. Some stories inherently need compelling characters. The exploration of their personalities provides all the interesting story questions needed to pull the reader through the story, so there's no big suspense questions needed.

Some stories inherently need heavy-duty suspense. The plot-line provides all the interesting story questions need to pull the reader through the story, so the characters can be pretty much cardboard and the reader's still in for the whole thing.

Some stories inherently need a mix of both. The compelling characters and suspenseful plot-lines are so intermixed that to remove one will completely gut the entire tale.

Story dictates what I need to put in there, so I listen to Story for my answers.

I always root character. I the kind of person that can read a story that lacks in plot but makes up for it with interesting characters.

One or more compelling characters is primary. Whether readers love them or hate them, our readers will not feel suspense if they feel blah for the characters.

Agreed that you can't have one without the other.

I recently re-watched a film I first saw when it came out. I remembered the visuals and overall concept being amazing, only to be wasted on ho-hum stock characters and a plot that alternated between paint-by-numbers and completely illogical under the circumstances. (I.e. someone saying "You've finally come to join the resistance," when the "resistance" consists of basically only that character and a couple supporting characters. (Think if Batman referred to himself and Alfred as "The resistance"). Also, they're in a post-apocalyptic wasteland with a half-dozen characters. There's no repressive government or anything TO resist. One of the characters tries to be a leader and is really bossy and kind of a jerk... maybe they're resisting him? But he has no real power to speak of.

I was genuinely hoping to find more in it this time, because it's truly amazing to look at. Sadly, I think I would have enjoyed it more if I"d turned off the sound and made up my own story and dialogue. Sigh - So much wasted potential.