Secret Place by Dawn Elaine Darkwood
----- Original Message -----
...I have very strong characters, but a very weak plot. While my story is primarily character driven, I feel I feel I put them in a place where there's not much plot, or that the plot itself is uninteresting. How do make my plot stronger? Furthermore, how do I find a balance between plot and characters? Or is it okay that my plot isn't gripping, as long as I have strong, well-developed characters?
...I have very strong characters, but a very weak plot. While my story is primarily character driven, I feel I feel I put them in a place where there's not much plot, or that the plot itself is uninteresting. How do make my plot stronger? Furthermore, how do I find a balance between plot and characters? Or is it okay that my plot isn't gripping, as long as I have strong, well-developed characters?
-- Wanna Write it Right!
What should you do when you have
Strong Characters but a Weak Plot?
Strong Characters but a Weak Plot?
First, I think we should clarify what Character-Driven means.
Character-Driven does NOT mean:
A story that focuses on the characters.
Character-Driven means:
A story's events happen because the Characters choose (or refuse) to make things happen. In other words; the story's Plot is Driven by the events caused by the characters.
Examples of Character-Driven stories:
Stories where the characters make events happen, such as: Iron Man, Batman, How to Train your Dragon, and most Romance stories such as; Miss Congeniality, Secretary, Pride & Prejudice.
In comparison:
Plot-Driven means:
A story's events happen to the characters, and the characters struggle to deal with them.
Examples of Plot-Driven stories:
Stories where a chracter is pushed into being a hero whether they want to or not, such as; Spiderman, Pitch Black, and Dr. Strange. Also, most broad-range fantasy stories such as; the Harry Potter series, The Sandman graphic novel series, The Wheel of Time, The Sword of Shannara, Lord of the Rings books and movies, and most Science-Fiction such as Brave New World, Equilibrium, The Matrix, Soylant Green, Star Trek, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica.
To simplify:
- If the Characters make Events happen to each other and/or the World around them it's Character-Driven.
- If the Events make things happen to the Characters and/or the World around them it's Plot-Driven.
Now that we have that straight, on with your questions!
Let's start with this:
"Is it okay that my plot isn't gripping, as long as I have strong, well-developed characters?"
NO. It's Not Okay.
No matter how interesting your characters are, if they're in a boring story your characters will seem boring too. To show off interesting characters, they have to DO interesting things. A cool back-story is Not Enough.
Example:
Batman, Robin, Superman, and Deadpool were fishing on the bank of a river. As a result of the smart-assed comments passed around between them, an argument broke out over whose superpower was best. To decide, each one one caught a fish using their superpowers. Still unable to decide, they went home.
Boring.
Why? Even though we had four interesting and engaging superheroes, they didn't really do anything but fish. Sure, the dialogue between them was probably pretty awesome, but honestly? You could have told the same story with 4 old men, 4 little kids, or 4 grannies.
In fact it actually would have been a better story if the 4 old men, 4 little kids, or 4 grannies had used superpowers to fish.
Those four superheroes were WASTED on this story.
Those four superheroes were WASTED on this story.
To put it bluntly:
Next question...
If you're going to use super characters,
you need a super Story to show them off.
Next question...
"How do make my plot stronger? Furthermore, how do I find a balance between plot and characters?"
To Make a PLOT Stronger:
Add More Problems
Add More Problems
for the Characters to Solve.
AKA: Add More CONFLICTS.
AKA: Add More CONFLICTS.
What's the Worst Thing that could happen?
Make that happen!
AKA: Murphy's Law.
Where do you get this Worse Thing that could happen?
From your Characters.
Begin here...
Begin here...
Who are your
3 Main Characters?
- The Main Character whose adventures the story tends to focus on.
- The Villain or Trouble-maker character.
- The Ally character that supports one or both.
This doesn't mean you can't have a huge cast of characters! Simply that these are the 3 that the main story focuses on.
Examples from Anime:
- Main Character: Sir Integra Hellsing
- Ally: Seres Victoria
- Villain or Trouble-maker character: Alucard
- Main Character: Alucard
- Ally: Either Sir Integra OR Seres Victoria; depending on the scene they're in.
- Villain or Trouble-maker: Guest Villain
- Main Character: Edward Elric
- Ally: Alphonse Elric
- Villain or Trouble-maker: Colonel Mustang
- Main Character: Edward Elric
- Ally: Alphonse Elric, Colonel Mustang, or guest Victim
- Villain or Trouble-maker: Guest Villain
The idea behind this technique is:
The better you know your Characters' Problems,
the easier it is to make MORE Problems for them to solve.
the easier it is to make MORE Problems for them to solve.
The Hawk and the Dove
A very popular bodice-ripper.
In a Romance story,
the roles change drastically.
In a Traditional Romance, the 3 Main Characters look like thus:
- Main Character: Heroine
- Villain or Trouble-maker: Hero
- Ally: his best friend and/or her closest relative, (brother, mother, great aunt, grandfather...)
These Romances are traditionally told from the Female point of view and the Heroine does Not initiate the romance
--or hardly anything else-- the Male character does.
This is because
these stories were invented (and codified) during the 1700's and 1800's
where a female that was 'forward' about her affections was considered to
be 'impolite', 'pushy' and low-class. Since most of these stories
featured high-society females; lost princesses, impoverished Ladies, and
down-trodden heiresses, being 'pushy' was not something they would do.
Only female Villains acted that way.
Keep in mind that the original romances were written by 18th and 19th century middle-class authors Fantasizing about how they thought high-class noble ladies would act. It proved so popular an 'ideal' that this fantasy of nobility persists today.
Keep in mind that the original romances were written by 18th and 19th century middle-class authors Fantasizing about how they thought high-class noble ladies would act. It proved so popular an 'ideal' that this fantasy of nobility persists today.
But, if the Heroine never initiated the first move,
How did Romance happen?
How did Romance happen?
It started with some sort of Event where the two crossed paths, and the Hero decided that he wanted the Heroine, usually because she was pretty. (Think: Cinderella.)
The following 3/4s of the story consists of the many ways the
Hero seduces the Heroine in increasingly racy scenes, while the Heroine seeks to 'escape his clutches.'
Eventually, the Hero rescues the Heroine
from some sort of mortal peril, and confesses his love.
She confesses
that she loves him too.
The very next scene is where the Hero fixes the story's main conflict -- usually the Heroine's conflict.
Cue: Wedding and Happily
Ever After.
Traditional Romance
in detail:
1) They cross paths during an Event.
-- Could be at a party, could be on a battlefield, could be on a ship at sea, he could be in the coach she's trying to rob at pistol-point...
- She's there because she has a Problem she's trying to fix.
- He's there as an invited guest.
2) He decides he wants her, and interferes in whatever she was trying to accomplish.
- Ruining whatever plan she had going on.
3) She wants nothing to do with him.
- She's too busy trying to deal with her Problem.
4) He either actively pursues her to seduce her, or keeps running into her while minding his own business, and simply can't resist making a grab for her.
- The first time he catches her, he gives her a less-than-consensual kiss.
5) She escapes.
- In common Romances, she escapes before he can get into her panties.
- In bodice-rippers and Erotic Romances, she does not.
Repeat 4) and 5) for the next 80k words, or 30 chapters.
- Insert increasingly racy Seduction scenes.
- Insert decreasing amounts of resistance to letting him have his way with her.
If there's an actual plot going on during this, that plot gets increasingly dangerous for the Heroine. The Hero is much too powerful for anything to really affect him.
6) She falls into mortal peril.
- While attempting to fix her own problem.
7) He rescues her and confesses his love.
- May happen up to 3 times, saving the Confession for the last Rescue.
8) She confesses that she's in love too, and tells him about the Problem she is trying to fix.
- Insert: Consensual Love Scene.
9) He voluntarily fixes her problem for her, and proposes marriage.
10) Big Wedding scene and Happily Ever After.
Unfortunately, I am not exaggerating, the plots really were this simple, and that sexist. The Heroine did not fix her own problems, the Hero did all the heavy-lifting. (Apparently, that's what husbands were for.)
Art by Luis Royo
Modern Romances
A tad bit different.
Modern
Romances have the Heroine rescue the Hero (or they rescue each other)
from some sort of mortal peril at the center of the story, and during
this, she discovers that she loves him.
Even so, she still runs from his
'clutches' for quite a bit until he admits that he loves her.
Deciding
to fight together, they solve the story's major conflicts.
Cue:
Happily Ever After.
Modern Romance
in detail:
1) They cross paths during an Event.
-- Could
be at a party, could be on a battlefield, could be on a ship at sea, he
could be in the coach she's trying to rob at pistol-point...
- She's there because she has a Problem she's trying to fix.
- He's there because he has his own problem to fix.
2) Plans go awry.
- Sometimes she interferes in whatever he was trying to accomplish.
- Sometime he interferes with her plans.
2b) They end up in a Compromising Position and become mutually attracted.
- Insert less-than-consensual kiss.
3) She admits to herself that he's damned good looking, and very good at kissing, but wants nothing to do with him.
- She's too busy trying to deal with her Problem.
4) He either actively pursues her to seduce her, or keeps running into her while minding his own business, and simply can't resist making a grab for her.
- Insert racy less-than-consensual Seduction Scene.
5) As soon as he falls asleep, she escapes.
Repeat 4) and 5) for the next 80k words, or 30 chapters.
- Insert: increasingly racy less-than-consensual Seduction Scenes.
- Insert decreasing amounts of resistance to letting him have his way with her.
Modern Romances do tend to have actual plot going on, so things get increasingly dangerous for both the Heroine and the Hero.
6) They both fall into mortal peril while attempting to fix their own problems.
- Sometimes they fall into peril together, sometimes separately.
- Insert: Major Love Scene.
- May happen up to 3 times -- including the love scene.
8) She decides that she's in love, or that she's been in love since their first encounter, but still runs from him.
9) At next encounter, he admits that he's in Love.
- Cue: Double Confession
10) They find a way to fix their problems Together.
11) Happily Ever After or Happily For Now.
Yaoi M/M Romances
First of all, do not confuse Yaoi with mainstream M/M Gay fiction. They are Not The Same -- at all.
Mainstream M/M Gay fiction is far more realistic in how male-male relationships are portrayed -- with very little romance, and a lot of hardcore hook-ups where names are not even mentioned. They also tend to feature domestic violence, domestic rape, drug abuse, alcoholism, and frequently suicide.
The theme of these stories is more often than not: Unrequited Love that will never be reciprocated. In these stories, Happy ending are few and far between.
Yaoi stories are M/M Fantasy Romances
written by women for female romance readers.
Don't get me wrong! I have tons of gay male friends who adore these stories, but they also make a point to say that they are nothing like the reality of a gay relationship -- which is why they like them.
Now, on to the good stuff!
Yaoi Romances tend to have a bit a lot in common with Bodice-Ripper Romances.
Both the character tropes and the plot lines in Yaoi stories and Bodice-Rippers are damned near identical.
- The Main Character is usually if not always, lovely in appearance, kind in nature, and in some kind of trouble -- the Heroine's trope.
- Their Pursuer is handsome, aggressive, rich, and occupies a powerful position -- the Villain's trope.
There can be other villains, or even a Hero or two, but they are all defeated by the MC's powerful Pursuer.
As for the plot--
Yaoi Romances generally start with some sort of Event where the two cross paths, and
both are immediately attracted to each other. One decides that they will
do anything to have the other.
The next part of the of
the story consists of the many ways the Pursued seeks to 'escape his
Pursuer's clutches'.
At the center of the story, The Pursuer rescues the
Pursued from some sort of peril and takes that chance to reinstate his
attraction, usually forcefully.
During this time the Pursued admits to
themselves that it might be more than mere attraction. It might be love.
(Oh Noes!)
Cue more running from 'clutches' until their Pursuer admits
that they're in Love.
Insert Double Confession.
Deciding to fight side by side, they solve the story's major conflicts.
Cue: Tropical Vacation scene and Happily Ever
After.
Yaoi Romance
in detail:
1) They cross paths.
-- Could be at a party, could be on a battlefield, could be on a ship at sea, one could be in the coach the other trying to rob at pistol-point...
-- Could be at a party, could be on a battlefield, could be on a ship at sea, one could be in the coach the other trying to rob at pistol-point...
- Each is attempting to deal with their own Problem.
- Or One is trying to fix their problem, while the other is an invited guest.
2) One decides he wants the other, and promptly demonstrates this.
- By pulling them into a dark corner and stealing a Kiss.
- This sometimes develops into a full-blown hardcore seduction scene against the wall.
- Ruining whatever plans the other has going on.
3) The Pursued he admits to himself that his Pursuer is damned good looking, and very good at kissing, but wants nothing to do with his Pursuer.
- The Pursued is too busy trying to deal with his Problem.
4) The Pursuer literally stalks his interest until he corners and/or traps his Prey in a situation his Prey can't get himself out of.
- This, more frequently than not, involves some form of Bondage.
- Insert less-than-consensual Seduction scene.
- In many cases, the Pursuer offers to assist his trapped Prey with their personal problem in trade for sexual favors.
- The Prey usually disagrees, they want to fix their own problem.
- Insert less-than-consensual Seduction scene.
- If they agree, they are treated like a Housewife, or a human Pet.
- The Prey may also suffer days, weeks, or months of erotic captivity.
5) The Pursued escapes.
Repeat 4) and 5) for the next 3/4s of the story, manga, anime, fan-fic...
- Insert: increasingly graphic less-than-consensual Seduction Scenes.
- Insert: decreasing amounts of resistance to letting his Pursuer have his way.
If there's an actual plot going on during this, that plot gets
increasingly dangerous for both the Pursued and the Pursuer.
6) They both fall into mortal peril while attempting to fix their own problems.
- Sometimes they fall into peril together.
- Insert Captivity seduction scene.
- Followed by daring escape together.
- More often they fall into peril separately.
- The Pursuer escapes.
- The Pursued fails his escape.
- If the Pursuer falls into peril, and their Pursued has not --
- The Pursued will try to rescue their Pursuer.
- The Pursued often succeeds in the rescue, but is captured.
7) The Pursuer rushes off to rescue his Prey.
7b) Sometimes the Pursuer doesn't get there in time -- because the Pursuer was grievously, but not mortally, wounded.
- When this happens, the Pursued is seduced by the Pursuer's blindingly handsome, and filthy rich enemy.
- Insert several captivity seduction scenes between Prey and handsome Enemy.
- Insert decreasing amounts of resistance to letting him have his way.
7c) Eventually, the Pursuer succeeds in stealing his Prey back from the clutches of his enemy.
- Insert: Consensual Love Scene.
- May happen up to 3 time with 3 different handsome Enemies.
8) The Pursued decides that they're in love, or that they've been in love since the first encounter, but still runs from their Pursuer.
- They don't want to look weak by admitting that they have feelings.
9) At next encounter, the Pursuer:
- Admits that he's in Love.
- Cue: Double Confession
- The Pursuer may then propose marriage.
- Seduces their Prey into admitting their feelings.
- Then confesses his own and may propose marriage.
10) Deciding to fight side by side, they solve the story's major conflicts.
11) Final scene is a Tropical Vacation scene implying: Happily Ever After.
- or a Big Wedding
A Quick and Dirty way to Build a Plot
from your Characters!
from your Characters!
Once you decide who your 3 Main Characters are:
- Main character:
- Ally:
- Villain or Trouble-maker:
Ask EACH character these 3 questions:
1. Who am I, and what do I do?
2. What do I want?
3. What is the Worst thing that could happen to me?
Once you know the answers to these three questions, you pretty much have your whole story.
By combining the 1's you have the Opening scene to your story.
By combining the 2's you have your External Conflicts scenes (what the character DO and what happens TO the characters,) and your Internal Conflict scenes (how they Feel about what's happening.)
By combining the 3's you have your Main Character's Ordeal/Self-Sacrifice scene; the one thing they don't want to do, but have to (often to survive,) and your potential Climax scene.
Do not be afraid to change things around or adjust things to suit the story you want to tell.
Do Not Forget....!
A story cannot END until
ALL the Main characters' problems have been Solved!
Morgan Hawke
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