˒⠀S O T T . . . 𝙲𝙰𝚁𝙳𝙸𝙸𝙰𝙲

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❛ JUST 𝑺𝑻𝑶𝑷 YOUR CRYING,
IT'S A 𝑺𝑰𝑮𝑵 OF THE 𝑻𝑰𝑴𝑬𝑺. ❜

stories that are character  ━━ no. 037
driven!
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     CHARACTER-DRIVEN.

     This is a phrase that gets thrown around a lot in the writing and fandom worlds. It can be interpreted in several ways. For some, it's a compliment. For others, it's a statement of preference or genre. But what, exactly, do people mean when they describe a story as 'character-driven'? What's the difference between it and plot-driven stories? How can we, as authors, think about our characters as complex individuals while at the same time taking into consideration how they will function as, some put, cogs in the story machine? How can our stories challenge, frustrate, motivate, test, and reveal our characters in all of their raw flaws and morals? How can we drive our characters to become better over time?

     Trust me, it's not easy. I struggle to maintain character-driven stories and often find myself defaulting back to my plot and driving the book in that direction instead. However, as someone who is a sucker for a well-written character-driven story, as well as a sucker for beautiful character arcs, I want to take a moment to break down what exactly it is, some of the steps to create a character-driven story and a few of my personal tips.

     ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑-𝐃𝐑𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘? ⸝⸝ ⇗

          ╰───  Character-driven stories are focused more on character development than they are on the plot. This is the type of story that is driven by emotion as opposed to a high-concept plot with layers upon layers of details and mystery. In short, a character-driven story is simply asking the question: how and why do people change? What causes them to change?

          If you're writing your own story, you should consider the life your character has lived through, think about what they've already learned, their habits and flaws, and how they react to events. Make sure to give your character a backstory that isn't simple and vanilla. Spice things up. Add a major conflict that caused them to change the way they go about certain scenarios or how they deal with particular stressors. Their backstory should be well-developed and thought out. Don't just throw something together because when it comes time for development and rising arcs, things may not add up the way you envisioned them to.

     ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐖𝐇𝐘 𝐃𝐎 𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄? ⸝⸝ ⇗

          ╰─── In the majority of stories, the main character, and others sometimes, will undergo a major change at some point. Now, this is basic writing knowledge that most authors already know, but it's worth addressing. Undergoing a major change in 'real-life' is difficult. It's not easy, and it's important to remember that when writing the change that your main character will go through.

          Now, I believe that one of the reasons why it's so challenging to give characters compelling 'change' arcs is because of the assumed disconnect we should make between our characters and the plot. To most people, their character and their plot are totally separate entities when that's not entirely the case. Yes, you have your character and you have your plot, but in character-driven stories, the character and the plot are the same things.

     Okay, yes, I know that sounds confusing and possibly crazy, but hear me out. The change your character undergoes is the plot. Think about it. Everything that happens in your story (should) directly affect or push forward the change that your character will undergo. When everything finally comes to a head and it's time for your character to undergo that change, the plot will have contributed to that and served its purpose. The plot is tied to the change because, without the plot and its events, the steps to get to the change never would have occurred. Does that make sense?

     ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐈𝐏𝐒! ⸝⸝ ⇗

          So, if the story you want to tell would work best as a character-driven story, sit down and figure everything out.

          ╰─── 𝟬𝟭. Ask yourself some questions. How does your main character see themselves and their place in the world? How can you show this from the very start? What are their flaws and what do they need to correct in their lives in order to be happy? What is the change they need in order to become a better, more whole, human being? How do they get there? What needs to happen to get them there?

          ╰─── 𝟬𝟮. Focus on inner conflict. Plot-driven narratives often center around external conflict, whereas character-driven stories are able to center on an inner conflict that occurs largely within a character(s). So, what's your character's inner conflict?

          ╰─── 𝟬𝟯. Build a point of view. No, I don't mean first, second, or third point of view. When developing a strong, believable, and realistic character, part of that process is developing a well-defined point of view. Think about what makes your character tick and how they see the world—how they see others. A clear point of view is necessary when creating a character that will be carrying your story.

          ╰─── 𝟬𝟰. Think through the plot. By this I mean think about how your plot will directly connect to the change your character will undergo. Make sure the connection is clear and solid. Make it make sense.

     I hope these were all helpful and if you have any questions or want more tips on this topic, let me know!

     Also, this is the last chapter of this Act! The final act of this book will begin tomorrow!

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❛ THEY TOLD ME THAT 𝑻𝑯𝑬 𝑬𝑵𝑫
IS 𝑵𝑬𝑨𝑹, WE GOTTA GET 𝑨𝑾𝑨𝒀
FROM 𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙴. ❜
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