When drafting your novel, you’ll be faced with the decision to structure your novel as either plot driven or character driven. You can probably guess the difference, but the route you take will determine the trajectory of your story. These two types of novels will, inevitably, have overlap, but it’s important to know which structure will fit best with the story you’re trying to tell.
Plot Driven Novel
In a plot driven novel, the story is moved forward by the actions and events that take place in the pages, i.e., the plot. The purpose of this type of novel is to produce high tension that builds toward resolution at the end of the story. Therefore, the external events happening to the protagonist are more important than the protagonist’s response to the events (internal conflict).
There is also minimal character development in these stories. That’s not to say your protagonist can’t have a character arc, it just won’t be the primary goal of your novel. In this case, your MC’s character arc may span the length of an entire series—not a single book—based on the plot points that force them to change. Rather than resolving a character’s inner development arc, the resolution will focus on wrapping up the plot question.
What is a plot question?
The plot question is, for lack of a better analogy, the mystery that your story is trying to solve. This could be an actual mystery, or it could be as simple as does the protagonist reach their goal?
The plot question is also the kickstart of the action in the novel. All of the action and all of the protagonist’s decisions should be a step closer to answering the question. Let’s look at a couple examples of plot questions:
- The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. The plot question is why does Evelyn want Monique to write her biography? While there are other questions raised throughout the story (who is the love of Evelyn’s life, who is the real Evelyn Hugo), this is the question that pulls the story along. Evelyn’s interest in Monique is the catalyst for the story, and the big reveal at the end is why Evelyn is interested in her.
- Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin. The plot question is can Lou evade her mother’s search for her? This problem is what drives Lou’s decisions throughout the novel. If she didn’t need to evade her mother, then she would not need to hide among the Chasseurs. Her presence among the witch hunters is what creates tension and raises the stakes in the story. Without Lou’s desire to evade her mother, and the actions she takes to do so, there would be no story.
Though not always the case, it is common for the protagonist’s unique circumstances to be the catalyst for the story question. In both above examples, notice how the story question is directly tied to the inciting event, i.e., the event that pushes the protagonist into their circumstance. In The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Monique’s unique circumstance is that, even though she’s a junior writer at her magazine, movie legend Evelyn Hugo has requested that she write the star’s biography. She is given this incredible opportunity—her circumstance—but the question both Monique and readers want resolved at the end is why.
What makes a good plot question?
The plot question is the thing that keeps readers interested until the very end. It is the ending they don’t see coming, the mystery that needs to be solved, the tension that makes them flip the page. So how do you create a plot question that keeps readers engaged?
- It’s not obvious.
- It raises the stakes.
- It challenges the protagonist.
Your plot question needs to, first and foremost, not have an obvious answer. Readers want to be tricked, to have twists and turns that catch them off guard. If a reader can figure out the resolution a hundred pages or so before the climax, then you’re likely to lose their attention. The more you can complicate the plot, the more you’ll engage your readers.
Your question should also mean something to your protagonist. Why does it matter that they reach their goal? What do they stand to lose if they don’t reach their goal? In Serpent & Dove, Lou will be sacrificed to her witch clan. In The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, Monique will lose her career. The possibility of failure has to raise the stakes so that readers care about the outcome.
Lastly, the plot question has to challenge the protagonist mentally, emotionally, or morally. Your protagonist shouldn’t have an easy ride, and the events of the plot should challenge the protagonist along the way. The way the protagonist’s actions change in response to those challenges should lead to the resolution of the plot question.
Example Genre: Mysteries and Fantasy
Character Driven Novel
In a character driven novel, the story is moved forward by the protagonist’s character arc and how the events of the story change them, or how they overcome their circumstances. Often, the events are an outward expression of what the protagonist is experiencing inside. The protagonist has to experience an intrinsic journey—or character arc—that is symbolic of a theme. That theme can be personal, such as overcoming the grief of losing a parent, or a social commentary. You’ll find this especially in literary fiction.
For more on character arcs, reference this article.
My favorite example of a character driven novel is A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. It’s about the changing relationship between four friends as they mature from college into adulthood. However, it centers around Jude, whose mental illness and tragic circumstances is slowly revealed throughout the story. The story develops into Jude’s struggle to overcome the trauma of his childhood, which explores the theme of whether we can ever truly shed our traumas.
How do you reveal character?
Character can be exposed through a variety of narrative tricks, but there are three essential story craft elements needed to develop a dynamic, intriguing, and relatable protagonist.
Backstory:
Backstory is the past information about your protagonist that is relevant to what’s happening in the story presently. In a story such as A Little Life, Jude’s backstory—the trauma he experienced as a child—is essential to understanding his actions in the present events of the story. The backstory reveals his motivations for inflicting pain upon himself, reveals why he doesn’t believe he deserves to be loved. His backstory is purposeful and reveals how he has been shaped by the events of his past.
Be selective with the backstory you reveal for your protagonist. You might know every trauma your protagonist has ever experienced, but unless it’s related to the events of the present story, you don’t need to share it with readers. Only use backstory when it exposes or explains information relevant to your character’s actions and behaviors.
Struggles:
Struggle, or conflict, builds a story—and a character arc. Without adversity, your protagonist doesn’t have the opportunity to change and grow. Character arcs require a protagonist to leave behind who they were at the beginning of the story so that they can become who they’re meant to be at the end.
Struggles also reveal the true nature of your protagonist. Are they resistant to change? Do they thrive in the face of adversity? Are they a coward and rely on others to solve their problems? Are they a badass warrior queen who faces her enemies head on? Use your protagonist’s behaviors and actions in response to struggles show their character.
There are three types of struggles:
- Intrapersonal: this is what your protagonist struggles with internally. Their inner demons, the things that hold them back, their weaknesses.
- Interpersonal: this is the protagonist’s response to challenges with other characters. The conflict with the antagonist should challenge your protagonist the most, but conflict with other characters is inevitable and may be useful in guiding the protagonist along in their journey.
- External: this is any conflict beyond characters in the story. This could be a hurricane threatening to flood the city. It could be a road block that keeps your protagonist from reaching their destination. It could also be a demon reaping destruction. Whatever it is, it’s usually a greater force than your characters.
Ask yourself how you want to use each struggle to develop your MC’s character arc. Think of the worst possible thing that could happen to your protagonist and keep throwing it at them. Nothing builds character like failure.
Relationships:
Relationships may be the easiest way to establish your protagonist’s character. How do they interact with other characters? How do other characters perceive your protagonist? The way your character behaves around other characters may reveal character traits such as morality, responsibility, dependency, or trustworthiness.
Relationships are also the perfect way to create conflict and tension. As in real life, conflict is produced when two character’s desires or goals clash against each other. This reveals character in two ways: by showing the protagonist’s goals and by showing how they react to the conflict. How they react may alter their relationships, which can also reveal how they value the people around them.
In A Little Life, Jude’s view of himself is revealed through his relationship with Willem, specifically through their conflict. While they love each other, the reader consistently sees how their desires clash, which reveals that Jude’s dislike for himself is stronger than his love for Willem.
