Earlier, we tackled the definition of a plot-driven novel and covered how to approach writing a plot-driven story of your own. If you missed it, don’t worry; you can find that post right here.
While plot-driven stories call for a lot of work on the front end—plotting, after all, is in the very name—character-driven stories require some work up front, too. Luckily for you pantsers, it’s easier to get away with minimal outlining when it comes to this type of novel.
It’s important to understand the basic elements of plot- and character-driven stories as a writer. Understanding these definitions will change how you approach your outlining and drafting process. This will cut down on the amount of revising you have to do and improve your writing in the long run.
In short, learning this stuff teaches you how to write faster and better, and that’s what’s really going to make your writing soar.
So, without further ado:
What is a Character-Driven Story?
A character-driven novel is one in which the events are a result of the characters choosing to take action based on the things they want.
It’s as simple (and as complicated) as that.
The things your characters ultimately want—lofty things like love, recognition, vengeance—are their motivations. Character motivations may change as they learn new things about themselves, others, or their world. As a result, their goals—the concrete things they want, like to earn a medal or to kill an enemy—may also change.
Think of it this way: when a character wants something, he chooses to do things to get it. If he learns he actually wants something else, he will change what he’s doing so he is poised to get that new thing. This means the events of the story change as a result of the character taking action.
Here’s the secret to writing a character-driven story: the narrative arc follows the characters’ actions and not the other way around. Internal conflict is the driving force.
By extension, this means that you, as the writer, need to focus on developing your characters’ internal conflict(s).
Because these stories are so focused on characters and their personalities, they can’t just be well-rounded people—your characters must also have complete character arcs. As they learn more about themselves, other characters, and the world around them throughout the book, they grow as people. The events of the story you weave must not leave your characters unchanged.
Examples of a Character-Driven Story
Romance novels are, more often than not, character-driven. (Frankly, I’d be a little creeped out if your romance wasn’t fundamentally driven by the characters’ desire to be together.) Similarly, YA, fantasy, and especially YA fantasy—these also tend to be character-driven novels.
If you’re looking to read some character-driven books to get a feel for the plot structure, I’d start with these genres. However, be cautious. The Harry Potter series, for example, fits into the “YA fantasy” category. It even has some minor romantic subplots. That said, it is not a purely character-driven series.
While certain elements of the series mimic character-driven plots, the seeming inevitability of the looming confrontation with Voldemort has me unconvinced. The titular character tends to do a lot of things (*cough* the Triwizard Tournament as one example out of several *cough*) simply because he must. If anything, I’d call that series a blend of plot- and character-driven writing. This could be a technique you may want to study and employ, depending on your own story. All I know is it works in J. K. Rowling’s case.
So what’s a good example of a story that is purely character-driven?
The How to Train Your Dragon series is one of my personal favorites. (Admittedly, I was first exposed to the series via the DreamWorks movies, as I have some younger siblings who adore the shows. Spoilers ahead.)
Throughout the books/movies, the characters’ goals are constantly changing as they learn more about dragons—and as they develop as people in general. For example, in the first film, Hiccup starts out wanting to kill a dragon to please his father. By the end, he’s doing everything in his power to defend the dragons and defy his father’s violence. The series’ myriad cast deals with grief, insecurity, superiority complexes even—the internal conflicts abound, driving the characters’ actions and, in so doing, the plot.
Another fantastic example is Laini Taylor’s Daughter of Smoke & Bone trilogy. Throughout the series, characters’ desires and intentions constantly change as they come into contact with new information and grapple with their hearts. They interact with each other, they grow, they have full and complete arcs. Permit me some spoilers to make my point:
Prior to the opening of the first book, Madrigal and Akiva fall in love. Their subsequent actions are motivated by that love and a desire to see how their world might be affected by kindness and mercy. Later, Karou meets Akiva and learns how he has betrayed the dream he once shared with Madrigal. After this discovery, her actions are not merely a reflection of her wish to help her people—she is also reacting to Akiva’s betrayal.
Akiva, for his part, then reacts to the discovery of Karou’s true identity by trying to rekindle Madrigal’s dream, and so the cycle of reaction continues. Internal conflict is officially running the show, and as readers, we are all deeply satisfied. (The only thing that comes close to the thrill of writing torturous emotional pain is reading it, amirite?)
How Do You Write a Character-Driven Story?
Okay pantsers, stay with me, I promise we’re actually at the fun bit.
Remember when I said character-driven stories require minimal outlining? That doesn’t mean you can’t completely outline it (my writing binder is an inch thick and I will defend it until my dying day), but it does mean you have a lot more wiggle room.
A character-driven plot is much more conducive to seat-of-your-pantsing than a plot-driven one because you don’t need to know the specific events that take place beforehand—just how your characters feel about them. You should still have an idea of where the story should end up, but more than that, you should have an idea of who’s driving it.
So, get to know your characters.
Spend time with them—including and especially your antagonist. Come up with detailed character sheets and questionnaires. If you’re not sure what questions to ask your characters, I have a list here to get you started. Try to keep these resources organized and updated throughout your drafting process. If you ever feel lost in a scene, or you’re not sure what a character might do in a scenario, refer back to your charts.
In my own “character synopses,” as I call them in my notes, I include the following items. This is not an exhaustive list of what I include, just something to get you started. Note that I’m a serious plotter; you may want to be more or less thorough than me. It depends on your writing style, personal preferences, and the needs of the story you’re looking to tell. A lot of the details in my character charts don’t make it into the first or final draft of a piece. They simply exist to flesh out the character in my mind.
A typical character synopsis might include:
- Full character name, birth date/age, brief physical description
- Main motivation, initial goal(s), primary fear(s)
- Personal strengths and flaws
- Brief personal history, summary of internal and external conflicts
- Character quirks
- Character epiphany
Honestly, there’s no reason to be too formal about it. If you’re a pantser, try writing something like a journal entry from the perspective of each main character to get a feel for their personalities. Then… go for it. Make sure each character’s motivations and arc are clear and complete. As long as their actions make sense relative to their experiences, you cannot greatly err.
In general, don’t view the plot as a progression of events—it’s just a series of things that happened to happen to specific people. Your job as a writer is to chronicle how these individuals respond… and then how people respond to that, and how people respond to that, and how people respond to that, and so on until the battle is won.
What do you think is the most important thing to remember when designing a character-driven story? If you’re currently plotting a novel, is it more plot- or character-driven? Tell me all about it in the comments—I’d love to hear from you. And, as always, happy writing!
