Current Project: Untitled WIPStatus: Revising the beginning! Argh!
Since I was having trouble coming up with a subject for today's blog post, I thought I'd ask a classic question. When you start a new writing project, do you usually come up with your characters or your plot idea first? (Note the clever insert of the weasel word "usually")
If I'd been asked this question even yesterday, I would have immediately said "plot first!" I don't know where I got this idea into my head, but somewhere along the way I picked up the notion that the plot *had* to come first. That characters were important, but they mainly existed to serve the plot. I wonder if this comes from all of the Science Fiction I read as a kid, where plot was king and characters were, with rare exceptions, two dimensional at best.
Funny thing, though, it turns out that I lean more to the character side of the ledger. Take my current WIP, for instance. I had a basic idea for a plot and a couple of characters that I thought would do nicely. But as I started getting to know the characters, they made it clear that they just didn't want to play in my plot playground. "That's not me!" they cried, and, "I wouldn't care about that!"
Finally, last night as I was in that drowsy space where you float along and everything's possible just before falling asleep, I asked my Hero in exasperation, "Fine. Just what would be a problem for you?" When he gave me a surprising answer, I had to jump out of bed and write it down immediately. I was too afraid that I'd forget it by morning. Why? Because I suddenly realized I had my plot and it wasn't at all what I'd started out to write. This plot will grow organically out of who my characters are and will influence who they will become.
Or maybe this is just another example of my classic writer's dance of two steps forward, one step back (aka: write, write, revise; rinse, repeat, cha-cha-cha). I'm not sure I care -- so long as it works!
11 comments:
For me it really depends, Debbie. If it's the first book in a series (like STOLEN FURY), then the plot generally comes to me before the characters. Archaeologist is looking for a treasure. Thief steals it from her. She has to hunt him down and get it back. Instead, he cons her into working with him. Now...who are these people and why do they care about these relics? However, the second and third books in my STOLEN trilogy really developed out of the characters I created in STOLEN FURY. Okay, so WHAT happened to Pete in the past? WHO did he lose? WHAT happened to Shane six months ago that changed his life? WHY is he so moody after all?
The same is pretty true for my new Eternal Guardians (paranormal) series. The plot idea for book one - MARKED - came to me first. Argonaut warrior has to find the woman who fulfills a prophecy to save his world...only doing so ensures her certain death. Okay, so what kind of character fits this plot? But the next book (which I'm plotting now) developed out of characters I introduced in book one, and - I have a feeling - the subsequent books will as well.
Not everyone works this way, but if you're writing a series, you don't have the luxury of changing characters to fit a plot, you have to use the characters you've already introduced.
Great topic!
Like Eli said, it depends. LOL! But as you also mentioned, this can go back and forth.
If my initial idea comes from a character, then the plot usually develops from that character. However, what happens in the plot and with external conflict also influences that character. If something in the plot dramatically changes the character, the plot is in the driver's seat for awhile.
Not sure if that makes sense. To me, plot and character go hand in hand. You can't have one without the other. (Sorry, two cliches in one paragraph!)
Could question, Debbie.
Most of my books come from characters and I form a plot around them, but then there are a few that come from plot first.
The Halsey books all came from the characters first and I built the plot to fit them and their conflicts. The contemporaries came from the plot and characters.
I usually have at least one character in mind when the plot comes to me. Like the novella. I'm using a factual occurrence but twisting it a little to make it work for me and the hero manifested as I researched to make the story work.
The paranormal spirit books the idea came, then the characters and then the plots.
So it is a different process for each WIP.
I'm glad your character is moving you in the right direction!a
Yay on the aha moment!
It really depends on the book--It's mainly plot for me, but sometimes it's more character. It's often more situational--I think of the situation then start brainstorming both plot AND character, if that makes sense.
I'll agree with everyone else that it depends. Sometimes one, sometimes the other, esp. if it's the second or more in a series of some kind. I'm trying to think about my WIP. In my mind, the whole thing erupted as one, with a woman wresting a car away from a kidnapper and crashing and getting amnesia so she wouldn't understand her kidnapper was an enemy -- both the plot and the characters had to develop to serve one another.
I like to think of them as buddies.
Fantastic news on your book!
Elisabeth -- I hadn't really thought about this in terms of writing a series. I can see where that would be challenging, especially if the series is connected by characters and not just the world they inhabit. Given that your characters are already determined for the sequel to your paranormal, have you found any difficulties in coming up with a plot? Or has it been pretty smooth sailing?
Hi Genene! That makes perfect sense. :-)
I think my post was my fumbling way of getting to the same point--plot and character are intertwined. I suppose at some point it doesn't matter which comes first, so long as they both fit together.
Hi Paty! Sounds like flexibility and recognizing when to nurture a character or idea are really key. I love that everyone has their way of working that fits them. And that every story has its own unique beginning!
Hi Wavy! Thanks -- gotta love those aha! moments! :-)
It's often more situational--I think of the situation then start brainstorming both plot AND character, if that makes sense.
This makes total sense. The best part of reading everyone's responses has been seeing that every story has an unique starting place.
Hi Alice! :-)
I like to think of them as buddies.
I love that! Can't really have one without the other and the more they complement each other, the stronger the story is overall.
And thanks -- I've been having little spurts of inspiration all day based on last night's weird discussion with my Hero (good thing it was all in my head!). :-)
Actually, Debbie, I have found this to be hard sometimes. I've mentioned this before, but in the STOLEN books, Shane's book was supposed to be the second book. But when I sat down to write it, I couldn't get the plot to work for him and Hailey. After about three months of fighting with it in my head, I finally gave up and wrote Pete's book (his was supposed to be 3rd). That really made all the difference though, because Hailey grew as a character in the second book, it gave me more time to figure out Shane's issues and when I sat down to write their book (finally) the whole thing flowed beginning to end and the plot I'd been struggling with worked itself out. Sometimes I think characters just need more time. At least I'm pretty sure they did in my case.
This all points toward my whole philosophy that you can't push anything in writing. Especially not a book or plot idea that doesn't want to be pushed. When something's not working, THERE'S A REASON why it's not working.
As for the paranormals...I'm not sure yet. I've only just started the second book. In my head it makes sense, so I'm hoping on paper it will as well. (In my head, Shane's book didn't make sense the first time I tried to write it, so I'm hoping this is a good sign.)
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