Plot Vs. Character based fiction
In literature, there are no rules set in stone. This is good and bad. It’s good because it gives the writer the ability to experiment and be creative. It’s bad because with no rules, it’s hard for a writer to tell if his/her fiction will make sense, or just be a bunch of gibberish.
However, despite the lack of hard "rules" in literature, there are patterns. These patterns can be traced throughout the history of literature and are generally accepted among the literary community (I say "generally" because not everyone will agree on everything).
For example, take the book Dracula, for instance. The basic pattern of Dracula is an older man preying on younger women. Thus, any work of literature where an older man is preying on a younger woman follows this "vampire"-type pattern. That means that Dracula can be compared rather easily with the book Lolita, for example, even though the latter has nothing to do with vampires.
That is just one example of these patterns, although it’s probably not the best. A more general example, and one I want to expand on further, is plot vs. character based literature. What does this mean? Well, a piece of fiction where the narrative is based around a character, is character driven. These tend to be more "literary" in style and the plot follows the character narrative. Likewise, if the narrative is based around a plot, then it is plot driven. These types of works usually fall under the category of "genre fiction" (ie. mystery, thrilles, suspense, romance, etc). In plot driven narratives, the plot "drives" the story and the characters play a more "supporting" role.
Of course, as with all things in literature, the line between plot and character driven literature is not sharp and clearly defined. Many authors cross over between the two like a drunk driver weaving between lanes of traffic!
No matter what kind of fiction you write, literary or otherwise, character development is always important. If you’re writing a mystery where your private detective is only partially developed, your readers will never care about him/her in a way that readers should care about a character.
On the other hand, I’ve read short stories that appear to be nothing more than character sketches, with very little actual "plot" involved. Some of them can be very dry, and others can be wildly fascinating, depending on how the writer develops the character. This is literary fiction, and much harder to pull off.
Knowing where your fiction stands on the plot-character spectrum will help you know where you should concentrate your efforts. But no matter what kind of fiction you write, good character development should always be your goal!
Related posts
- Literary vs. Genre Fiction
- Why is some fiction literary and why does it matter?
- Are cell phones ruining some classic plot devices?
- Mixing up viewpoints in your fiction
- 5 Lessons I’ve learned about writing dialogue in fiction
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