Chicken or the Egg?

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  1. wingedcentaur profile image63
    wingedcentaurposted 13 years ago

    Chicken or the Egg?

    This is a bit of a creative "chicken or egg"question concerning the writing and reading of fiction specifically. What I'd like to know is this: In your opinion is it the characters that "drive" the story, or is it the story that "drives" the characters? It would be great if you could, also, briefly, explain why you make the choice you do. Thanks.

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  2. profile image0
    The Taco Taggerposted 13 years ago

    I think it depends on the situation. I think if the story is mainly character focused and they somehow end up causing a situation, then the focus is on how the characters would then go about getting out of said situation, thus their actions move the story. If the characters were to not do anything, then the story ends. However, say the story is about some specific plot element that the characters are being drug along through and have no power over the situation (i.e. a war or a murder) then I think the plot drives the characters.

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  3. Bill Yovino profile image81
    Bill Yovinoposted 13 years ago

    There are many schools of thought on this, but developing the characters first can be a big help.  If you have very well defined characters, you can put them in any situation and you'll know how they would react. The story will write itself.

    By the way, Shahid, the question was about writing, not about your ridiculous religion which censors free speech and is the enemy of independent thinking.

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  4. feenix profile image59
    feenixposted 13 years ago

    For me, the characters "drive" the story.

    Specifically, I have written one novel and when I was in the early stages of writing it, the characters took over. They kept telling me such things as the way wanted to look, to talk and carry themselves. And ultimately, they were dictating every aspect of the plot.

    In fact, I created a bunch of monsters who all had minds of their own.

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