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Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/45461
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

Source: https://writers.stackexchange.com/a/45461
License name: CC BY-SA 3.0
License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/

The main distinction to be made here is between **character-driven** stories and **plot-driven** stories.

Character-driven stories, as you can imagine, focus mainly on the characters, their struggles, their growth and their relationships. The central questions of these stories could be, **What will Bob do in this situation? Will his relationship with Alice survive? How can Charlie react to such an event?** and so on. In this case, there must be at least a subset of characters (e.g. the main cast) that have to be well fleshed out, so they can't be classified as objects.

Plot-driven stories, on the other hand, tend to put more emphasis on the plot. The main question could be **Will the great evil be defeated? Can this nation win the war? Can the police stop this killer?** etc. Characters are less central in these kind of stories.

For example, a lot of detective stories revolve around getting the guilty in jail. Those stories do have interesting characters (a troubled detective, his steadfast colleague, a shady informer, the witty morgue doctor, and so on) but developing this character is not the point. _The point is the current case (in other words: the plot)_. The main character in those kind of stories usually gets some development, but its often diluted in a series of books rather than a single one.

So, in a way, characters are _instrumental_ in pushing the plot forward.

## Yet I wouldn't say that characters may be considered objects.

Even when you're writing a plot-driven story, whether it is a thriller, an action packed adventure, a war novel or a daring science fiction, treating your characters like disposable objects is a risky operation at best.

The audience won't feel engaged towards characters who are as shallow as cardboard. Shallow characters are bad for a story since they can dim a good plot.

Another risk is that if you don't define your characters, you risk making them inconsistent. Good stories are made up by **conflict** , but it has to be **meaningful conflict**. Characterization is a tool that helps you determine what choices a character should or should not make; and which character should move the plot forward.

If your cast is just a bunch of faceless puppets ready to do anything that's needed to advance the story, the audience will notice.

Original score: 20