Plot and Character

This article is concerned with plotting. In this article you will see how plot and character are intimately related and how the conflicts that occur throughout the story bring about changes in the characters.

Plot

Most new writers get quite worried when they hear the word plot because they think that they have to come up with some grand new design. The fact is that there is no such thing as a brand new plot, what makes your novel different from anyone elses novel is how you develop your plot - and that is done through character.

Character

Before you start to think about plots you should have at least some idea of who your characters are and what they want. It is the characters needs and whether, and how they achieve them that is the basis of any plot.

Scene

Plots are built from scenes. Basically a scene consistes of the following:

A character wants something

Someone or something tries to prevent them from getting what they want

The scene ends when the primary character overcomes whatever is standing in their way and preventing them from getting what they want.

In this way the writer develops not only the story or plot but also the character. A novel whether it be a best seller or a so called literary novel is based on conflict as outlined above.

Conflict reveals things about the characters involved in the story, it therefore shows their development and changes things.

For example when somebody is murdered and a detective is trying to find the killer the killer will be doing things to evade capture - here you can see that both characters want something. The reader wants to know whether the detective will catch the killer or whether the killer will evade capture. Whatever you decide happens or who gets what they want, it has to show a change in the character.

There are currently no posts in this category.