Character vs. Plot

Okay, before I jump into today's post, I have a confession to make.

10 days in & I've already fallen off the NaNoQuerMo mark. Not because I forgot, got scared or even lazy. But because -- despite my dozens upon dozens of attempts -- as of yesterday I still hadn't created a query that felt right.

Then I accidentally stumbled upon a simple piece of advice which had never been expressly pointed out to me before. And sometimes I really need things spelled out for me in huge, neon letters!!

If your story is character-driven than your query should be character based. If your story is plot-driven than your query should be plot based. 

YES! That makes so much sense. . . but um, I've always been sketchy on what the distinction is between the two. I mean all stories have characters right? But they also have plot . . . very sketchy indeed.

Sadly enough, in order for it to make sense I needed to relate the terms to movies. So for those of you who've also been kind of not exactly sure how your story fits into things...

Character Driven
Character driven stories are ones where it's the characters, more than anything else, that moves the story forward. The actual events that happen aren't as important as how the characters feel, act and relate to those events. Case in point:

The Notebook

The story is about Noah & Ally and their star-crossed love. You could swap out virtually all but one of the reasons that continually drive them apart (the whole alzheimer's thing is pretty damn important) because in the end, the only thing that matters is Noah & Ally finding their way back to each other no matter the obstacles.

Their story is character driven.


Plot Driven
Plot driven stories can have wonderful, quirky, well-developed characters, but ultimately they don't matter as much as the plot. It's the events that happen that drive the story along. Case in point:

Armageddon

(okay, I know technically Ben Affleck wasn't the main star of the movie, but I was so in love with him back then!)

Yes, Bruce Willis & his rag-tag group of deep-sea oil drillers are a diverse and interesting bunch, but this movie kept us on the edge of our seats because of the plot. When there's a giant asteroid hurtling through space on a collision course for earth, while there's only 18 days to figure out a way to stop it . . . the characters really have no choice but to play second fiddle.

Their story is plot driven.

****

Now back to me. <---- That just made me feel like the Old Spice guy. Creepy.

Anyway, it took me all this time to realize, the reason my query never felt right to me was because I was trying to write a plot-based one for a character-based story. Two days ago, I began redrafting my query (for only the bazillion and tenth time), but I focused more on my character and less on the intricacies of the plot. . . and low & behold I found the "voice" that's been missing from every other version I've created thus far.

Now, I'm not claiming the query is perfect, but for the first time I feel much more comfortable the agents who read it are getting a better idea of the type of story they'd be requesting. Now, I just have to spend the rest of this week getting caught up on those few days of querying I missed while I was completely revamping.

Planners & Pantsers: Planners Needed!

Alright folks, I need help.


We all know there are pretty much two types of writers: Pantsers (those who fly by the seat of their pants while writing) & Planners (those who hyperventilate at the thought of having to begin a story without massive outlines and characterizations in place).

I’ve always prided myself on being a Pantser. Never minded the uncertainty of not knowing exactly how my story was going to get from one major plot point to another. Now that my schedule is more hectic, however, I need to find a way to squeeze the most productivity from every writing minute. As much as I enjoy the freedom of being a Pantser, I won’t lie and say it’s an efficient writing style.

Long story short – I’ve decided that for this next story idea I want to see if doing a little planning/outlining ahead of time keeps it more focused. The less chaos in the revision stage, the better, right?

This is where I need help! I’m not really sure how to begin.

I’m not worried about character development. It’s pre-plotting the outline that has me tangled up. To me “outlines” are those things we had to do in high school--I hated them with a passion-- so I think I’m having a bit of a mental block.

I’ve got a huge dry erase board to mark up with some sort of structure: perhaps what I’d like to have happen chapter by chapter? I just don’t know how to start.

So, I’m looking for any tips and tricks from you Planners out there. What do YOU do before you start a story? How do you make sure you keep your story on track? Are you okay if, in the midst of writing, your story starts to veer away from the outline?

Any thoughts are greatly appreciated!