Consider a time you felt a deep connection with the protagonist in a book you’ve read, imagined them as your friend or even your significant other, and mourned their loss when the book ended.
This would be an example of a character-driven plot. The reason it hit you so strongly is because it focused on the inner workings of the protagonist’s flaws, motivations, desires, life lessons, relationships, and eventual transformation. This is also why these types of novels tend to be so memorable and drive their way into become bestsellers (pun intended).
So, let your protagonist take the wheel, and let’s dive in!
What Is a Character-Driven Plot?
The structure of your story may be shaped by various events, but ideally, each scene should be influenced by your protagonist—what matters most to them, what they want/need, and the stakes involved if they don’t achieve it. Your protagonist’s struggles create their transformative character arc over the course of the story, and this is what should ultimately drive the plot forward.
Character-driven books offer more substance than a simple series of events happening at random, because what happens externally is only half the story. As Dr. Finnian Burnett says in their Writer’s Digest article, “It’s not about what’s happening to them—it’s about what’s happening inside them.” There should be an internal conflict (point) linked to the external conflict (plot). This allows for meaning and growth as you raise the stakes by providing a why behind the what.
Examples of Character-Driven Books
Examples of books with character-driven plots exist across genres.
Romance
Mystery / Crime
Sci-Fi
Thriller / Suspense
Fantasy
Horror
Young Adult
Historical Fiction
A Note on Multiple Protagonists
If you have more than one protagonist, which is often the case with romance, keep in mind that you should still be able to determine which of them is your main protagonist, even if you write from each of their perspectives.
One of your protagonists will have further to grow than the other during the course of the story, and as a result, they will be followed more closely by your reader. This is how you determine who is your primary protagonist.
Your secondary protagonist should also be fully developed and have a dynamic character arc, however they do take a slightly more backseat position to your primary protagonist. For the Character Bible Toolkit, which you will be able to download later in this article, I would advise marking this character according to their appropriate role in the story (e.g., love interest).
If you don’t have an initial obvious instinct as to which of your protagonists is primary and which is secondary, work through my Character Bible Toolkit for each of them and see if it helps. If you are still unclear, the next section of this article may help you determine which protagonist pulls you more to the heart of your story.
What’s Your Point?
Your point allows insight into your protagonist, and ultimately, is the underlying universal message you are conveying through your story. For example, love conquers all, good triumphs over evil, or it’s never too late. In Save the Cat! Writes a Novel, Jessica Brody explains that almost any point will be derived from one of ten universal lessons:
- forgiveness
- love
- acceptance
- faith
- fear
- trust
- survival
- selflessness
- responsibility
- redemption
If the plot is what happens in the story, then the point is why it matters to your protagonist. Separately, an external conflict means little to your reader if they don’t know why it matters to your protagonist, and an internal conflict is boring without an external conflict pushing them to transform. Readers want to know why your character cares enough to break out of their comfort zone and take risks. Why do they do what they do? Why do they want what they want? What’s at stake? This is the point of your story.
Knowing your protagonist will help you understand the importance of your point, and knowing your point will allow you to write a character-driven plot because it directly relates what happens with why it matters, tying the external conflict with the protagonist’s internal conflict. It all connects.
So, what’s your point? (Learn more about Pairing Plot with Point.)
Creating a Memorable Protagonist
Brody also points out that the “relationship between character and plot is an essential one.” The reason a reader will care about your story boils down to your protagonist—if your protagonist is memorable, your plot will be too. So for a character-driven plot to work, you first need to create a memorable protagonist.
Understand that a memorable protagonist does not mean a perfect protagonist. In fact, that would make them rather boring, amiright? Flawless characters don’t allow for the space to grow, learn life lessons, or improve. Where’s the conflict and drama? Where’s the butterfly transformation? Also, where’s the relatability? Because let’s face it, even superheroes have their Kryptonite.
To create a memorable protagonist capable of driving your plot forward, you will first need to fully understand them. This begins with the basics, like their age and how they relate to the world around them, but it also goes much deeper than that. Developing a clear concept of who your protagonist is will provide a better understanding of their flaws, their dreams and aspirations, and their motivations for doing what they do. Knowing your protagonist in this way will also allow you to envision their transformative character arc, which will ultimately be what drives your plot forward and makes it all come to life on the page.
(Learn more about Writing a Memorable Protagonist.)
Additional Resources
- Strong Female Characters by Marcy Kennedy
- GMC: Goal Motivation, and Conflict by Debra Dixon
- Read my other Tips for Writers articles related to this topic
- Use my free downloadable Character Bible Toolkit to get to know your protagonist!
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