Aug 2020
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Aug 2020
Aug 2020
RyzaCobalion
Aug '20

Plot first then character-driven and development

When i came up with the idea I had for my series The Dark Children of The Night I had to go through a ton of redrafting and edit the story and where I want to go with but then the next problem came when I need to have the characters themselves throughout the story. Such as naming them and giving them proper backstories (at least the main characters of the story) but then I'd also have to develop them as they interact with the main character otherwise they would be completely one noted characters that you would see them in one scene then gone the next. So adding layers to my characters was my next challenge and I think I have given them at least just enough for them to develop even the villains.

WolfUnderTheMoon89
Aug '20

I started off with the characters. they come from rp so they were established first and way longer.
the plot came natural for what suited them. and therefor i have 6 books/storyarchs for my first series arch. based on 6 characters

MattRAuthor
Aug '20

I switch depending on the story. I might come up with a cool story idea and make characters to fit it, or I come up with a character and question why they are the way they are. That usually helps me come up with a plot for them

BlunderingAlbatross
Aug '20

I tend to put a lot more effort into figuring out what my characters than my plot :stuck_out_tongue: I get a vague idea of where I want the story to go and just get writing, kind of letting the characters make their own way there rather than having me trying to squish them into a rigid narrative.

DualDragonsMaster of Yeet
Aug '20

For RotH (and that is because I started two years ago with lesser experience) I started with characters and then proceeded with the plot.

I'm trying to involve the plot a bit more in Square One, where characters do fill in certain roles more.

Hutch-Comics
Aug '20

The plot first for me most of the time. Should it be the character first it's usally what they look like, so more visual then 'written'.

joannekwan(ง ˙o˙)ว here to help~
Aug '20

Both.

Sometimes characters already loaded with personality and dynamism come to me in my head, but they're orphans with no solid story behind them and I have to craft a plot around them.

Other times I think of a story premise and have to sculpt out the characters from vague archetypes.

But overall, my stories are usually character-driven, so I don't have complex, winding narratives and I put greater effort into developing the characters, since that's most important to me.

lilithfairenwrites
Aug '20

...both together, really. Most of my stories are heavily character-driven, so the characters themselves and the plots they go through are heavily intertwined.

SagaHolmgaard
Aug '20

Both at the same time for me as well. I kinda starts with one scene or one sort of dynamic that I want to explore. It's not really a plot, just something I think could look cool or be an emotional scene. Then I fill the scene with characters, and they are just ocs for a while. There's no real plot outside of the scene or the dynamic, even though I might get a couple more ideas for scenes and stuff. I'm just creating the characters at this stage. Then I start worlbuilding, and finally I start fleshing out the story line, usually by tying together all the loose ideas and seeing what I need to do to make it into a fully realized story.

Flauschwurm
Aug '20

I care about characters foremost. Good characters carry a good medium.

To me, bad characters are must worse and less bearable than a bad plot.
A bad plot can be overlooked if the characters are good and believable.

I care, for my stories, more about the characters and their personal stuggles more than about the overall plot.

CommanderMarty
Aug '20

I tend to focus on my main character most in my novel because my novel is mostly a character study with tons of action tossed in.

EyesInTheSky
Aug '20

I tend to write in the third person. Focusing on the overall plot first. As a general out-line then gradually expanding it. I also try to think of the ending first. I'm a newbie writer to be honest and I had some synopsis ideas I thought I could try and develop, to see if one of them (Monster Idol) could be turned into a film / games project (We can all dream! :money_mouth::money_mouth:). I have pitched to a few small companies but they didn't have the budget for my idea, even though they liked it. Other companies didn't accept submissions. So I joined Wattpad a month and a half ago and Tapas nearly two weeks ago. To see if I can get feedback.

MorganaMevil
Aug '20

I do a mix of both. Sometimes it’s the character and sometimes it’s just a rough premise of the main conflict.

With that, I usually try to write a chapter or so, introducing my MC, getting a feel for the idea in my head and deciding if I want to continue it. It’s also how I scratch the creative “itch” in my brain after I get a new idea. Then, I set away from my idea and I think about whatever I’m fuzzy about still—either the plot or the characters, sometimes both—and I start detailing how I want the rest of that to go. If I have a good internal understanding of my characters, I don’t usually write their detailed character descriptions until I’m on my second draft. But I always make sure I’m at least familiar with what their flaws, their strengths, and their ticks are. Everything else just kinda follows.

Idk if this works for most people tho, because I am one of those people that remembers their dreams a lot, and I can guide my thoughts with reasonable success to dream about my WIPs and characters so that my subconscious does the work while I sleep.

domisotto
Aug '20

I am plot driven, delighting in twists and turns, but I love character and dialogue work a lot. For me they are inseparable, but I do start with a plot.

Messaff
Aug '20

I think characters. Its what draws people in even if the world or plot inst that interesting. Especially if they change and work of each other.

Iris-Grimoire
Aug '20

Neither - premise first. Then characters and what plot could fit both of them together. Characters are fun but they can be only OCs, and a plot can "require" characters you don't want to make. But if you think of a premise like, "this cursed cookbook turns people into dishes if not followed correctly", you don't have a story around it yet, but you can start formulating who'd be fun to interact with this object. THEN, what would work best with this combination: a terrible cook wrecking havoc around town? A master cook that wants to create a masterpiece despite all risks? A beginner, who feels responsible after someone they liked turned into a hot dog?

Your start needs to have the heart tying all together, or it's just separate pieces that might be nice individually but don't quite fit.

nathanKmcwilliamsIn the making of Bunneh The Rabbit
Aug '20

A little bit of both actually. I don't believe in only creating one way or the other.

WLHcomics
Aug '20

I usually do the plot first, then pick which character would fit the role, it actually a lot helpful since I write a lot of short comics.

M.ComicFan
Aug '20

For the comic I'm working on now, I definitely had the plot in my head first. Certain characters took some time to figure out.

Freemints30
Aug '20

Characters first generally

More like
Vague idea of the premise(emphasis on vague)-----> Character indepth-------> fully get the plot premise-------> get my plot