Aug 2020
28 / 41
Aug 2020
Aug 2020
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

TheGentleArtist
Aug '20

Characters first. After thinking about how I do my stories and remembering how the process goes, I create the character(s) first then do the story; it is somewhat rare for me to do story first then characters.

Hazumirein
Aug '20

Characters. Most of my stories have really weird casts of characters because they were created separately and then I stuck them together and built a plot around them. A lot of times the overarching plot comes secondary to character writing with me; I love writing dialogue and thinking about their relationships and dynamics.

AmazementComicsThe Best Fruit Smoothies
Aug '20

Mhm. I always focus on the characters before the plot. Half of the story really goes to the OC(s), their personalities, and motivations. The other half goes to the plot itself ) or if it's a slice of life, then the episodes come second.

I like to do character studies of characters that gives them the true depth they need in order to adapt to the plot of the story. How they react to certain moments in a story is vital and in my opinion their reactions must be tonally consistent with their personality traits.

Harmony-S-S
Aug '20

I do plot first. It makes things easier when making the characters. However, if you have an idea for a character, then I suggest saving it until you create a plot that matches.

thel3tterm
Aug '20

I'm actually somewhat surprised by the number of people who get plot ideas first. Perhaps it was a fluke, but my friends and other writers/creators that I've known all seemed to be character-first types. This has been kind of eye-opening!

Llyrel
Aug '20

Characters first, plot next. My stories tend to be very character-driven, so it is vital for me to have their personalities and flaws figured out before I get to the plot. That said, though, I don't like jumping into the writing having only a vague idea of what the story is going to be about, so once I'm done with the characters I like to work on an outline of the events that are gonna happen in my story... and then expand, cut or fix stuff as I write :smiley:

jcmraz
Aug '20

Depends entirely on the story I'm writing. I've done both

vblairehawthorne
Aug '20

Characters and Plots come side by side. You cannot plan a story by only thinking about which of those plot points come first because at the end of the day, they're both slaves to the bigger problem you should be addressing first.

Theme.

Layout the theme of your story first and the rest will come naturally. Don't think about who you wanna write or which story you wish to tell. Ask yourself first: what do you want to write?

Do you want to write about cults? What about them? Do you want to tell the insidiousness of the cult and how they manipulate people's agency to draw them into their "Family"? Then, that's your theme. Cultists are awful people, and they manipulate innocent bystanders to take from them. Now you already have two characters: the cultist and the innocent person. Now the plot will come naturally because you have a goal in mind, you have a story to tell. This is exactly the thought process I used while writing Megachurch hahaha!

Both characters and plot are a secondary part of your many worries. Hope that helps <3

colorgoat
Aug '20

For me, it's really just what comes into mind first...? I don't, like...try to do one method over the other, if that makes sense.

For what I consider my "main" story, it consists of characters who I've been drawing for years. It was just recently when I thought "oh, I should write a plot for these guys, huh?" I will admit that this is the harder method for me, it feels like working in reverse. But these characters are dear to me, and I want to do something with them, haha.

Berserker
Aug '20

The plot should be strong and robust and the characters should be the primary drivers of it.

Mallory
Aug '20

For me it's usually a concept or an idea first. Usually it's a world/setting idea rather than character, so I guess in that sense, it's... plot first? IDK it depends on the idea.

For example, my newest story concept was like "Hey, there's so many stories out there where dudes try to seek power and become an Emperor, and like... never anything about women with the same ambition. Like Catherine the Great. So I want to tell a story about a young woman who sets out to grasp control over the Galactic Empire. And she befriends the Emperor's current femme fatale wife and enlists her as an accomplice." So the original source of the idea was more character-driven, but in the end I had a plot before I had any real characters.

From there I kinda grow both along side, sometimes the characters inform the plot, sometimes they take part in it.

LadyN
Aug '20

I almost always create a character, and if they don’t fit in an already pre-existing story I made, I make one for them.

I alway tend to make stories but then scrap them not only because I didn’t like it but the character didn’t interest me so I also had to remake them.