The Final Debate

Well, as luck would have it, the debate between character driven and plot driven stories ends the same way the chicken and the egg does. One really isn’t better than the other. It all depends on the story you wish to tell. The journey you wish to take your readers on. What you want them to know. What you wish for them to feel.

There are so many books on how to write and this debate comes up in all of them. Don’t get drawn into that or let people convince you one is right and the other is wrong. Debating this with other writers, while interesting, is a waste of time. Time you may not have on your side if you have deadlines. Always remember, it is YOUR story and you can tell it anyway you wish.

As I mentioned before, my first book is character driven. My second book, whilst it is the sequel to the first, will be plot driven. Same characters, same main idea, different setting and different story line. My third book (the one I must write to complete my MFA) will be character driven.

I apologize if you were expecting a definite answer. But now that I’ve ‘talked’ your ear off about the ‘how to’s’ of fiction, it is time to move on to other genres.

Next week I will start a series on creative writing for nonfiction works. Joe Friday would disagree because he was a “just the facts ma’am” kinda person. But there are ways to enhance nonfiction works. And we will start off with the difference between an autobiography, memoir and biography. We will look into why they are different and important things you need to know if you are looking to do some nonfiction work.

Until next time…