Tag: creative writing

When you hear “character driven story,” the first thing that comes to mind is probably a piece of classic literature, possibly by someone like Louisa May Alcott or one of the Brontë sisters. Perhaps you are a fan of those stories, and it kindles a convivial flame in your bosom. Or perhaps you are, like me, a person who tends to run in the opposite direction in distaste. It’s not that they aren’t good books; in fact, I quite enjoyed The Secret Garden and Oliver Twist, so they’re obviously not all hateful in my sight. It’s just that I like a complex but quickly paced narrative with adventure, humor, and a few plot twists to spice things up.

My first attempts at writing mirror this desire: action scenes start on the first page and there’s never any lull in the pace. Rereading now, I find it all phenomenally boring—and even when the constance of unrelenting motion isn’t confusing, it’s impossible to really care on anything greater than a superficial level. The constant hustle prevents any actual introductions to the characters, whose only distinguishing features are their eclectic names. I went into those stories with a plot, quickly waning enthusiasm, and…nothing else. Plot-driven stories are fantastic and all that—without plot, it quickly becomes some abstract symbolism-type speculation more reminiscent of a character study than a story. However, when plot is the only thing happening, it’s easy to simply skim passively through the story. It’s difficult to become invested, and so the reader is basically unaffected by the protagonist. This can come out one of two ways: