Friday, January 7, 2011

Do Characters make a Story?

Recently I read a book  where I was  captured by the  story and the descriptions. The main character: an old man from whose point of view the book was written did not appeal to me much. His weak bladder courtesy his prostrate problems, his  nostalgia  over his wife (he was  a widower), his problems with his children ; who he felt  were cold and indifferent to his needs, were all regular affairs.

But what kept me hooked was the style of the narrative: the story moved from person to person,  where after the main character meets a person, the story then starts tracking the new entrant’s life: past and current.

The descriptions  in the book were amazing. The writer’s eye for detail was mindblowing. I am always fascinated with writing that encapsulates sensory details.

The main character’s  run of the mill problems :common occurrences of old age  were incorporated seamlessly  into the story;  at no point did I feel that the author was bombarding me with information. Infact, I felt  that I had become the old man’s confidante and he was confiding   his problems, little by little, to me.

That’s one thing I love about descriptions which gently creep in on the reader taking him or  her by surprise. It’s something I am trying to work at. I found both : the story and the story telling technique unique, though the main character did not  evoke any emotion from me: I  didn’t love him, nor did I  hate him, and neither did I sympathize with him, I just loved his story and had to read on, to know what happened next.

This got me thinking that I have become partial to the story, more than the  main character. I feel a good story will make even a weak character look appealing, the opposite is true of a not so good story, which will make the character look spineless.

To be able to create a world where a  strong character  is captured in a powerful story is what writing is all about. I feel stories make characters, and characters just enhance and take the story forward. I just go by my feeling when I have read a book. If I have liked a story, then even a not so great character gets my vote, but if the story has failed to strike a chord with me, then, however great the character, I  wouldn’t root for it.

What do you look for when you read? Do you tilt towards the story, or do you lean towards strong characters.  What do you think is important;  the main character  or the story? What would you concentrate on while writing your own stories: Character or Plot. Please share with us.
                 

21 comments:

  1. Hmm, great questions. I used to think that I looked for one or the other but I've realized that if either element is strong, it is enough to keep me hooked to a piece of writing. I prefer character driven stories but I have come across some wonderful plot driven ones!

    Also, I am open to having two critique partners and would love to read anything of yours if you want a fresh pair of eyes! Whatever you think is best is fine with me :)

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  2. First of all, happy new year to you and your loved ones!

    You know, you ask a great question! I read voraciously since I was little, but until I began writing more recently and talking to fellow writers, I never really stopped and asked myself what captures me in a book. Now that I think about it, first of all, I look for the narrative style. If that doesn't appeal to me, however strong the story is or the characterization is, I cannot go on. I, like you mentioned, am big on imagery that moves my senses, too...

    At the end of the day, I guess it is strong characters and style that appeal to me most in a book. While I enjoy a fast paced book once in a while, I don't always want it to be so... We're already caught up in a busy life, so if the world I choose as an escape via books is a whirlwind of action all the time, too, then that would just exhaust me. :)

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  3. I don't think I can seperate the two - I think both are important, and one springs of the other, a bit like which comes first, the chicken or the egg? The book you read sounds fascinating.

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  4. Great insights here! I'm actually more of the opposite of you: I think characters make the story! I do agree with you that it's really important to strive for writing both a compelling story and enthralling characters. The writer who does both is brilliant indeed!

    I came over here from Saumya's blog. I look forward to more of your posts, Rachna! Have a wonderful weekend! :)

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  5. Emm...now there are some difficult questions. After much pondering, biting of nails, and pulling of hair, I've decided that as a READER it is all about style. For example, everything I love about Stephen King, I don't like about Dean Koontz. Even though Koontz has created some compelling characters and story lines, his over-description and long sentences annoy me. King uses half the amount of words to say the same thing. Much better, in my opinion.

    Now as a WRITER both style and character are important to me, which makes me think that if you get the style right the rest just falls into place. I hope that makes sense!

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  6. I need both, really, to make a book five star for me. I admire beautiful prose, but it's a great story and characters that make it truly memorable.

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  7. "If I have liked a story, then even a not so great character gets my vote, but if the story has failed to strike a chord with me, then, however great the character, I wouldn’t root for it." This is so true. Characters enhance a story. They will make it richer, but ultimately it's the story that will make or break a book.

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  8. I really had to think about your questions. I do love memorable characters (and I don't really have to love them to find them memorable.) But, I think the story and the writing are what really hook me in. And often it's the writing. Sometimes a good story can be told poorly, and I just have to set it aside because I don't want to have to wade through bad writing.

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  9. It depends. I guess it all hinges on the writing. I've read lots of jacket blurbs that were great but the writing didn't cut it for me. I need to be wooed by the style of the words.

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  10. I tend to like stories that are dependent on characters. I can appreciate a fabulous plot with mediocre characters or ones I don't relate with, but the stories that really grab me are driven by the people in them. Most of my stories are very much character driven, and characters are one of the biggest elements I focus on in my drafts.

    This was an interesting post, and I've enjoyed reading the comments! Thanks for sharing.

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  11. Really thoughtful post, Rachna. I like how you showed us how the story about the old man drew you in and gave you the feeling that you were his confidant. How marvelous! I love it when books surprise and delight me through character, setting and plot.

    Good writing, as T.Anne said, is key.

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  12. The words. The voice of the author. That always does it for me. But when I write, I'm def a plot writer.

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  13. I suppose I lean toward characters, but then, I like the whole package to be complete and well rounded. It is interesting how some stories grab us more than others. Sometimes I can't always pinpoint exactly why. Good post. :)
    Have a wonderful weekend,
    Karen

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  14. I need to be able to relate to the character no matter the plot--however good it is, I guess. It worries me, your description of this man, my MC is a widow, who is a little bit of a hypochondriac looking for a perfect family:)

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  15. Heyy, I'm not sure if you still wanted to exchange pages or anything but my e-mail is saumya.dave@gmail.com! Hope you're having a great weekend :)

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  16. I guess the two are supposed to go hand-in-hand but I too notice I am partial to story these days.

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  17. Hi friends...I have enjoyed reading all your comments. Character and story go hand in hand, but a good story will surely stand out and make the character shine, while a weak story will do the opposite to even the strongest character. The way to work round is by paying equal attention to both character and plot. Difficult, but attainable.

    @ Saumya...I have emailed you about being your Critique Partner. Its just that I have not checked my mail since Friday night as I was not well.

    @ Terri... don't let my post cause you any worries. I am sure your MC will strike a chord with readers. I am still unable to figure out why I did not connect with the MC in the book I read, though I loved his story.

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  18. I am an oddball as I mainly love the WRITING. If a writer's voice captures me, I let he/she take me away!!!

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  19. A good story/plot, interesting characters (good or evil) and lean, compelling writing--these three.

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  20. I usually am drawn to the characters above all else. If the characters fail to interest me in some way then I'm not into the story. But this is not always true. Every once in a while there might be a story that's well written with fast pacing and strong plot twists and they carry me along even though I acknowledge that the characters are badly written.

    One example of an author who does this for me is Dan Brown. He's very bad at writing characters but manages to write plots that are interesting and keep readers turning pages. The only good character of his I ever read was the albino in Da Vinci Code.

    But you did raise some interesting questions. I'm wondering about your experience reading this book about the elderly man. You say you didn't connect with him but did you connect with any of the other characters? Sometimes it's possible to not be into the main character at all but be fascinated by the minor characters. Many times for me during reader it's the minor characters who've carried me through the story.

    Jai

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  21. @ Jai....yes, I connected with several minor characters; infact I loved them and their stories more than the main character. Somehow the main character felt spineless and not because of his ill health or advancing age. I felt that he let people around him make the decisions for him (the story was told in flashback). He came across as a weakling.

    Jai...more often than not I too am drawn to characters. But in the last few months I have loved the stories more than I have forged a bond with any of the characters.

    As for Dan Brown's books, they are indeed fast paced. I kind of connected with Robert Langdon the Protagonist in the Da Vinci Code.

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