Character-Driven or Action-Driven? by Martha Alderson, M.A.

Character-Driven or Action-Driven?

by Martha Alderson, M.A.

Most writers have a preference for one style of writing over another. Some writers are more adept at developing complex, interesting, and quirky characters. Others excel at page-turning action. The lucky ones are writers who are good at creating both the Character Emotional Development plotline and the Dramatic Action plotline. Become aware of your strength and learn to address your weakness, and you, too, can become one of the lucky ones.

Broadly speaking, writers who prefer writing action-driven stories focus on logical thinking, rational analysis, and accuracy. Action-driven writers tend to rely more on the left side of their brain. These writers approach writing as a linear function and see the story in its parts. Action-driven writers like structure. They usually pre-plot or create an outline before writing. Action-driven writers have little trouble expressing themselves in words.

On the other hand, writers who write character-driven stories tend to focus on aesthetics and feelings, creativity and imagination. These writers access the right side of their brains and enjoy playing with the beauty of language. They are more intuitive, and like to work things out on the page. Character-driven writers are holistic and subjective. They can synthesize new information, but are somewhat (or more) disorganized and random. They see the story as the whole. Right brain writers may know what they mean, but often have trouble finding the right words.

The Test

Take the test to see whether you are stronger at developing Character Emotional Development plotlines or Dramatic Action plotlines.

Fill in the Character Emotional Development Plot Profile below for your protagonist (the character who is most changed by the dramatic action), any other major viewpoint characters and, if there is one, the character who represents the major antagonist for the protagonist.

1) Protagonist’s overall story goal:
2) What stands in his/her way of achieving this goal:
3) What does he/she stand to lose, if not successful:
4) Flaw or greatest fault:
5) Greatest strength:
6) Hates:
7) Loves:
8) Fear:
9) Secret:
10) Dream:

Results

1) Writers who filled out 1-3 with ease prefer writing Dramatic Action.
2) Writers who filled in 4- 10 with ease prefer Character Emotional Development.
3) Writers who filled in everything with ease find both the Dramatic Action and the Character Emotional Development plotlines come easy.

Analysis

Without a firm understanding of points 1-3, you have no front story. The Dramatic Action plotline is what gets the reader turning the pages. Without it there is no excitement on the page.

Without a firm understanding of points 4-10, you are more likely to line up the action pieces of your story, arrange them in a logical order and then draw conclusions. Yet, no matter how exciting the action, this presentation lacks the human element. Such an omission increases your chances of losing your audience’s interest; readers read 70% for character.

Plot Tips for Dramatic Action Plot Writers to Strengthen the Character Emotional Development Plotline

1) Try using your own flaw, fear, and/or Secret – we all have them.
2) What you filled out for #4-10 of the Character Emotional Development Profile is a mere skimming of the surface, like the first draft of any story. Even so, tack it up next to your computer. Over time, as you continue writing and come to know your characters better, the information will deepen. The longer you work, the deeper you will dig, the more significant your story will become.
3) Look for opportunities to incorporate more patterning, metaphors, and analogies into your writing.
4) Look for opportunities to role-play and use visual aides.
5) Stop writing periodically and move your body during your writing time.
6) Reread the information above that covers the less dominant side of your writing.
7) Writers with a strength in creating Dramatic Action usually think in sequence and are list makers. Since you have no trouble processing symbols, you actually enjoy making an advanced plan on a linear form such as a Plot Planner.
8) After plotting out the Dramatic Action, use a different color pen and plot out a Character Emotional Development plotline. To create logical conclusions, look for clues as to how the dramatic action causes changes in the character emotional development.

For Character Emotional Development Plot Writers to Strengthen the Dramatic Action Plotline

1) Use goals of your own and insert them into the context of the story – to finish, what? To organize, what? To accomplish, what?

2) Writers who write about Character Emotional Development have a more random writing style and rebel at anything as structured as a Scene Tracker or Plot Planner. Yet, because you like things concrete and benefit from seeing, feeling, or touching the real object, you keep coming back to the idea of developing a Plot Planner. You know intuitively that a plan will keep you on track and help you survive to the end of a completed project

3) Because the right side of the brain is color sensitive, use one color to plot out the Character Emotional Development scenes and use a different color to show the Dramatic Action, and yet another to show the Thematic Significance.

4) Schedule a walk during your writing time and set the timer. Imagine yourself plotting out your scenes in sequence. The act of seeing yourself plotting will help you actually do it.

5) Start with the Climax of your story, and work backwards. Using your intuition, pay attention to coherence and meaning. Link Dramatic Action to the changes in your characters emotional development.

6) Since you like to back up everything visually, hang a Plot Planner and/or Scene Tracker on a wall near your computer. These will help you remember the sequence of your story as you rewrite and rewrite until your story shows the meaning you want it to convey.

These are just some of the differences that exist between character-driven writers and action-driven writers, but you can see the pattern. Writers who lean more toward creating the Character Emotional Development plotline now know you can be flexible and adapt the Plot Planner to make such a structured approach work for you. Likewise, those of you who are predominantly left-brain know that it would be wise to use both sides of the brain and employ some right brain strategies.

We tend to process and use information from our dominant side. However, the writing process is enhanced when both sides of the brain participate in a balanced manner.

About the Author 

Martha Alderson, M.A., is the author of Blockbuster Plots Pure & Simple and an award-winning writer of historical fiction. She teaches plot workshops privately and through UCSC-Extension, Learning Annex and at writers' conferences. She offers plot consultations to writers anywhere in the world. Writers receive a personalized Plot Planner for their individual project.

Creating Scenes that Sizzle by Martha Alderson | Writing Tips Of The Day

Writing Tips Of The Day: Creating Scenes that Sizzle

 

by Martha Alderson

Every story spans a period of time. Story can be defined as conflict shown in scene, meaning that most writers will treat time in scene rather than in summary.

An example of a partial scene from Rick Bragg's memoir, Ava's Man:

Charlie felt the hot rush of shot fly past his face, and his legs shook under him with the boom of the gun. But it was a clean miss, and he started to run at Jerry, closing the distance even as Jerry fished in his pocket for another load.

Twenty feet...

Jerry cursed and broke open the breech.

Twelve feet...

He slapped in the fresh shell.

Eight feet...

He snapped the gun closed.

Six feet...

He threw it to his shoulder.

Four feet...

He saw a fist the size of a lard bucket come flying at his nose.


Every high point in a story must be played out in scene on the page, moment-by-moment in real time. The technique of slowing things down forces the stakes in a story ever higher. At the same time, the stakes also rise for the writer.

Many beginning writers hide from the pressure of creating scenes by relying on summary. These same writers hold the mistaken belief that they can control things better by "telling" what happens rather than by "showing" what happens in scene. Consider, instead, the idea that by breaking down each scene to its smallest parts you retain control.

Essential Element #1: Time and Place

The first layer of every scene deals with time and setting. Often this layer is implied or understood from the scenes and summaries that precede it. Either way, be sure to ground your readers in the "where" and "when" of the scene. The last thing you want is for your reader to awaken from the dream you have so carefully crafted due to disorientation or confusion.

In the scene from Ava's Man, the time is established in the earlier part of the scene - "They were getting ready for supper just a few weeks later when."

Essential Element #2: Character Emotional Development

If conflict, tension and suspense drive the reader to turn the page or send the viewer to the edge of her seat, the character emotional development motivates them. Readers read stories and viewers go to the movies to learn about a character's emotional development. The word development implies growth or change. Therefore character becomes a layer.

Using the example, Charlie's character emotional development has deepened over the scope of the story thus far. "Then Charlie did one of the bravest things I have ever heard of, a thing his children swear to. He opened the door and stepped outside to meet his enemy empty-handed, and just started walking."

Essential Element #3: Goal

The protagonist has a long-term goal for the duration of the story and smaller goals for every scene. They may or may not reach the scene goal by scene's end, but viewers and readers who know what is at stake for the character are more apt to cheer for the character's successes and mourn his failures.

For example, in Ava's Man we know that Charlie's goal for the portion of the scene written above is to close the distance between himself and Jerry before Jerry loads the gun.

Essential Element #4: Dramatic Action

Dramatic action that unfolds moment-by-moment on the page makes up the next layer of scene.

In our example, the dramatic action intensifies because of the "ticking clock" - will Charlie stop Jerry in time or will he get shot?

Essential Element #5: Conflict

Embedded within the dramatic action lies a layer or two of conflict, tension and/or suspense. The conflict does not have to be overt but it must be present in some form. Fill a scene with tension or suspense or something unknown lurking in the shadows and you have yourself an exciting story. Remember that setbacks and failure create suspense, conflict and tension, not success or good news.

Charlie's dilemma has conflict, tension and suspense. Will he or won't he? is a simple and powerful set-up.

Essential Element #6: Emotional Change

Just as the action in every scene affects the overall emotional growth of your characters as a reflection of the entire work, the action also affects your characters emotional state at the scene level. In other words, the character's mood changes because of what is said or done in that specific scene.

In Ava's Man, Charlie starts the scene angry that Jerry hurt his friend, Hootie, "just for the sport of it." The more he thinks about "now this man had come to his house, bringing the treat of violence to where his wife and children lived," the angrier and more determined he becomes.

Anger consumes Charlie. Then Jerry says he is coming inside the house and Charlie becomes furious (an emotional change in intensity).

Charlie's anger gets him to his enemy in time to stop him cold only to see "a huge figure hurl itself at him from the shadows," changing his emotional state again, moving it even higher.

Essential Element #7: Thematic Significance

Thematic significance not only creates mood, it also creates the final layer of scene and the overall spirit of your story. Your reason for writing the story, what you want your readers to take away from having read it holds the key to your theme. When the details you use in scene support the thematic significance you have an intricately layered scene that provides meaning and depth to the overall plot.

The theme of Ava's Man could be that a man who drinks too much but is loyal and just inspires respect and becomes legendary.

Our example scene, Charlie's friend Hootie is accused of stealing Jerry's whiskey. Charlie is not drinking or drunk in this scene but the fact that alcohol is the object of the conflict creates thematic significance.

Early in the scene, Bragg establishes that Jerry has done wrong to Hootie. As much as anger motivates Charlie's actions, so does his deep sense of loyalty to Hootie. This reinforces the idea that Charlie is loyal and, by emphasizing the concept, also strengthens the theme.

At the end of the scene, in summary we are told that Jerry never came back, "maybe because [he] respected [Charlie]." Yet another of the thematic elements is highlighted, deepening the thematic meaning to the entire piece.

Creating a Scene Tracker

Create a Scene Tracker for your project using all seven essential elements for a scene that sizzles. Track each scene for the seven elements. The elements you locate right may very well be your strengths in writing. The missing ones may create more of a challenge for you.

 Take it one layer at a time. Trust the process and good luck!

 

About the Author 

Martha Alderson, M.A., is the author of Blockbuster Plots Pure & Simple and an award-winning writer of historical fiction. She teaches plot workshops privately and through UCSC-Extension, Learning Annex and at writers' conferences. She offers plot consultations to writers anywhere in the world. Writers receive a personalized Plot Planner for their individual project.