Writing Advice

Choosing Your Narrative:
Character-Driven or Plot-Driven

When writing, authors often take one of two approaches to telling the story: character-driven or plot-driven. Both approaches can be memorable, both can be engaging, both can be great! So why even discuss the difference? Because they differ in their focus and approach to how the story is told. Character-driven stories emphasize the development of the characters, their inner lives, their growth or decline. Plot-driven stories emphasize the events as they occur.

Understanding the differences between character-driven and plot-driven can help writers make better decisions about how they compose their creations. This same understanding can also help readers gain a greater appreciation for the nuances and complexities of the art that their favorite authors create for their enjoyment.

So let's jump in! First, we need to define some terms, to ensure that we are speaking the same language. Only when we are all on the same page can we then address the essential differences between character-driven and plot-driven storylines and the pros and cons of taking each approach?

Story

A "story" is a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events, presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program. It refers to the overall arc of the tale, the broader scope of what happened and how it impacted the characters and the world around them.

According to the Novel Factory, a story has nine basic elements: an unforgettable main character; an extraordinary situation; a compelling objective; a challenging opponent; impending disaster and realistic stakes; an intriguing theme or central question; a distinctive voice; effective symbolism; and engaging subplots. In other words, the story is the big picture, the overall tale.

Plot

The "plot" is the sequence of events that make up a story, whether it's told, written, filmed, or sung. The plot is the story, how the story develops, unfolds, and moves in time. According to LiteraryTerms.net, plots are typically made up of five main elements: exposition, introduction of the characters, the setting, and the main conflicts; rising action, where the main character is in crisis and events leading up to facing the conflict begin to unfold; the climax, the peak of the story, a major event occurs in which the main character faces a major enemy, fear, challenge, or other source of conflict; falling action, where the story begins to slow down and work towards its end, tying up loose ends; resolution, resolving any remaining issues and ends the story. In other words, the plot is the roadmap of the narrative, the series of events that move the story forward and create tension, conflict, and resolution.

Character-Driven Story

According to the Author Learning Center, a character-driven story is "sometimes referred to as literary fiction ... [where] there is much more depth to the characters. Instead of following characters on a mission or adventure, they are fighting something inside themselves and must deal with their internal struggles to move forward, or fail to change."

Plot-Driven Story

According to the Author Learning center, a plot-driven story is where "everything deals with the plot. You can still have detailed and compelling characters, but the story revolves around the plot and story arc. If you were to take the characters out and replace them with others, you would still have the same story and story arc."

How to Distinguish Between Character-Driven and Plot-Driven

Consider how character and plot impact the story. In character-driven stories, character development is a priority, to the extent that, if the character was removed, there would be no story. Exploring character relationships is important. Internal struggles are just as important as the plot, if not at the core of the plot. In the case of the latter, the events and conflicts arise from the characters' goals, motivations, and interactions, not from external factors such as the environment or specific events.

In a plot-driven story, the events and actions are the primary focus. Characters react to those events, and those reactions drive the story. The plot provides the narrative structure, and the character's responses to the events and conflicts reveal their personalities, illustrate their motives, and express their growth throughout the story. For this reason, there is often a heavy reliance on escalation of events and conflicts in plot-driven stories as characters struggle to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals.

According to Writers Write, the plot-driven story "reveals who someone truly is based on the actions they take under duress" while the character-driven story "uses a character's daily life and inner musings to raise questions about who they really are and who they might become."

Character-Driven Examples

Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight is an excellent character-driven story example. Even minor characters play a significant role in the narrative's dynamic. The hero's actions drive the plot forward. If Batman was removed from the story, the entire narrative would collapse, illustrating how critical the character is to the story's progression.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen follows Lizzie through her daily life with the typical struggles a clever woman of her time would go through. If the same story happened from her Kitty's perspective (her sister), the story would not take place. It is specifically Lizzie's experience and personal changes that makes the story. Thus, it is character-driven.

Plot-Driven Examples

In the Lord of the Rings film trilogy, if Legolas was swapped for another Elf, the story's structure would remain intact, with only minor changes to specific plot details. Over the course of the trilogy, Legolas changes as a result of the plot's events. Even if the main hero, Frodo, was replaced with another Hobbit, the key event, the battle for Middle Earth, would still occur, and the call to action would remain.

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton is driven by actions and disasters. While the characters undergo changes, the changes are responses to the plot, not the thing driving the story forward. A fun, dynamic cast of characters (like in Lord of the Rings) does not mean a story is not plot-driven.

Character-Driven Pros and Cons

While character-driven stories may be slower-paced and less action-packed than plot-driven stories, they often provide a more profound exploration of the human experience. They often build emotional connections between the audience and the characters.

According to Writers Write, character-driven stories are "supposed to be like a road trip. They are journeys of self-discovery as you go where the road takes you! You'll end up somewhere new, changed by your unpredictable experiences. Although the journey itself may be long [and] grueling."

Plot-Driven Pros and Cons

Plot-driven stories can be exciting and action-packed. They may be less effective in exploring character development and inner conflicts.

According to Writers Write, plot-driven stories are "supposed to be like a roller coaster — a fun, thrilling jaunt full of twists and turns. You end up where you started and you haven't been substantially changed by the experience."

W.D. Kilpack III: Official Web Site