Thursday Thought ~ Plot or Character Writer?

by Cindy R. Williams

Which are you? Are you a writer with a concrete plot worked out before you write or are you a writer that followes the flow of the character? There is merit in both, depending whom you talk to. I recently graduated from a three year Character Based Creative Writing Class. I loved the focus on the character and learned a crazy amount about them. I wrote scene after scene following my characters around. They often led me on a quite a wild path.

The interesting thing is that as I finished the scenes that tied the book all together, I had so many chapters that I had to split the book into two. It was always going to be a series, but now instead of three books, it'll be four.

The adventure scene where I now end Book One had to be beefed up, but the cool thing is I now have Book Two written. Sure, revisions of the new Book Two will be needed, but the first draft is done. Huzzah!

This experience has taught me that I'm really a mostly a character based writer, but I like a rough outline. I love to allow my characters to fly and become who they are meant to be, not just what I tell them to be. If you're a writer, that will make sense to you. My characters are real, and talk to me often. Is this insanity? Don't know and don't care.
         What kind of a writer are you, character or plot driven?

1 comments:  Friday October 02, 2009, Joyce DiPastena said...
          Well, since an agent accused me of writing too much plot for a romance, I guess my stories are very plot driven, but I love my characters, too! After all, the characters are what drives the plot...aren't they?