Is personal growth interesting enough?

satyesu · May 20, 2018

I want to write a novel focusing on the growth of the MC from an adolescent to an adult, but I'm worried without an "exciting" plot it won't be interesting. Is this reasonable, or will people hang with me if they're invested in the character?

Bufty · May 20, 2018

Personal growth, interesting? Yes - that's the core of many YA and other novels.

Whether or not the plot is whatever one describes as 'exciting', the story has to be 'interesting' at the very least, to make the reader want to know what happens next.

And, yes, I think folk will always read about a character they're invested in and with whom they can connect or empathise.

As always, it's all in the execution.

Good luck.

Harlequin · May 20, 2018

sure, it's all in the execution. To echo bufty above.

hit up some of the classics that do this - Jane Eyre being landmark (imo) but Catcher in the Rye or something like that might better encapsulate what you're going for.

flowerburgers · May 20, 2018

Yes! I second "Catcher in the Rye" as a reference point! Well-done character development is plenty exciting on its own--you don't need a lot of crazy stuff to happen to keep the reader engaged, unless that suits your story.

DanielSTJ · May 20, 2018

Absolutely!

And a skilled and capable writer can make almost anything appealing-- just to keep that in mind.

Gillhoughly · May 20, 2018

I'll pimp To Kill a Mockingbird which can be considered to be a coming of age story. These days such books are called Young Adult, but I think coming of age has more depth to it, depending on the writer and the target market.

Another example is Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold. Rousing space opera, it deals with a brilliant, but inexperienced young adult whose good intentions lead to disaster for some, personal loss for himself, and finally redemption.

Both are now seen as older titles, but they've worn well over the years.

It ALWAYS depends on the writer. I shudder to think what those books would have been like in less skillful hands pandering to the latest trends.

Elenitsa · May 20, 2018

I think that each thing happening to the character in the story contributes to personal growth.

WeaselFire · May 21, 2018

satyesu said:
I want to write a novel focusing on the growth of the MC from an adolescent to an adult, but I'm worried without an "exciting" plot it won't be interesting. Is this reasonable, or will people hang with me if they're invested in the character?

Personal growth is an outcome of the story and the plot. Write a good story and people will "hang with you."

Jeff

cbenoi1 · May 21, 2018

satyesu said:
I want to write a novel focusing on the growth of the MC from an adolescent to an adult, but I'm worried without an "exciting" plot it won't be interesting.

Myth-type stories are all about character, not the plot. The plot is simple. It's usually a series of tests with a grand finale. Do you remember all the plot details in Forrest Gump? Or do you remember Forrest himself the most?

I'm an adult. I've grown from adolescence decades ago. Been there. Done that.

Show me someone interesting.

-cb

benbenberi · May 21, 2018

The bildungsroman is a classical novel-type, nothing at all unusual or exotic about it. There are a million ways to structure a "coming of age" story, & many of them have been very popular. Plots absolutely don't have to have a lot of "action" or external excitement happening to be interesting. If you have an interesting character on an interesting journey (for any value of "interesting") your story can be interesting too. It's all down to execution, of course. It always is.

Bing Z · May 21, 2018

Another book worth looking at is Donna Tartt's The Goldfinch, which follows the life of a 13yo boy into his late twenties. There isn't a single adventure or incident that defines the story. It's about the personal journey of the MC. The book sold more than 1.5m copies and won the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

QuixoticQuill · May 21, 2018

I think a big part is the reader's expectation. If they think it's going to be an action-packed, plot-driven story then they may be disappointed. But if you set up from the beginning, including cover and title, that it won't be like that, then you'll get an audience that is looking for your kind of story. There is definitely an audience for it.

Dave.C.Robinson · May 21, 2018

The thing is, personal growth doesn't happen in a vacuum; it's formed as a result of a person's life experiences. The same experiences that drive the character's growth should provide enough dramatic tension and conflict to build a story.

jjdebenedictis · May 21, 2018

Okay, I just learned about the MACE method of assembling stories, so please bear with my noobish excitement.

M = Milieu, a story about going to another world and then coming back, e.g. The Wizard of Oz, various portal fantasies.
A = Ask/Answer, a story where a question is asked and then answered, e.g. "Who killed [X]?" murder mysteries.
C = Character, a story where the protagonist is unhappy with some aspect of themselves and either changes or comes to term with it, i.e. the kind of story you're talking about.
E = Event, a story where something happens to disrupt the status quo and the characters must establish a new status quo or re-establish the original one.

Most books contain several of these elements; a short story might explore only one.

You can certainly focus on just the character arc, but for something the length of a novel, you'll probably need at least a few other story threads woven in too. Even literary novels that meticulously explore a single character's emotional/personal growth arc in very close detail usually have at least a few externally-driven plot events to help drive that growth.

Isobel · May 23, 2018

In general, I agree with everything everyone has said, but focusing primarily on internal character growth might mean that you have to be very, very good. I have a book out on sub now and have gotten "love the writing, love the characters, but not a big enough commercial hook" from some editors. I totally acknowledge that if I were better this wouldn't be an issue, but if you're at early stages, thinking about playing with something "hooky" along with your character growth might not be the worst idea.

Beginning Write · May 23, 2018

To be honest, that sounds like an amazing idea. Simple clean story focused specifically on the literal (and figurative) growth of a character can be amazing

Obviously you need to have some form of tension or there wouldn't be much of a story. But for the bare bone premise, I would happily read an extremely well written character and their journey from youth to adulthood. Would require a confident writer to pull it off well, but we all believe in you! Now go write

bearilou · May 24, 2018

jjdebenedictis said:
Okay, I just learned about the MACE method of assembling stories, so please bear with my noobish excitement.

M = Milieu, a story about going to another world and then coming back, e.g. The Wizard of Oz, various portal fantasies.
A = Ask/Answer, a story where a question is asked and then answered, e.g. "Who killed [X]?" murder mysteries.
C = Character, a story where the protagonist is unhappy with some aspect of themselves and either changes or comes to term with it, i.e. the kind of story you're talking about.
E = Event, a story where something happens to disrupt the status quo and the characters must establish a new status quo or re-establish the original one.

Most books contain several of these elements; a short story might explore only one.

You can certainly focus on just the character arc, but for something the length of a novel, you'll probably need at least a few other story threads woven in too. Even literary novels that meticulously explore a single character's emotional/personal growth arc in very close detail usually have at least a few externally-driven plot events to help drive that growth.

I've also recently discovered this concept. I'm still wrapping my head around it but can see how amazing it can be.

MaeZe · May 24, 2018

It depends on execution, but it also depends on what said personal growth is.

I could write a decent story about my personal growth as a nurse but, "I'm sure it wouldn't interest anybody outside of a small circle of friends".

So, what is the growth, and I agree there's that other part called execution.

pingle · May 26, 2018

Growth certainly feels rewarding to me as a reader, but I need a reason to turn the pages beyond it, which doesn't necessarily have to be fast paced or exciting plotting, I will also read on if there is something particularly beautiful about the writing.

Is personal growth interesting enough?

satyesu

Bufty

Where have the last ten years gone?

Harlequin

Eat books, not brains!

flowerburgers

New Fish; Learning About Thick Skin

DanielSTJ

The Wandering Bard

Gillhoughly

Grumpy writer and editor

Elenitsa

writing as Marina Costa

WeaselFire

Benefactor Member

cbenoi1

benbenberi

practical experience, FTW

Bing Z

illiterate primate

QuixoticQuill

Dave.C.Robinson

... with the High Command

jjdebenedictis

is watching you via her avatar

Isobel

Beginning Write

bearilou

DenturePunk writer

MaeZe

pingle