Which came first: the characters or the story?

[Jasper]

I think up a concept that I want the overall theme of the novel to be about first, then focus on the main character, then the plot, then the side characters to weave it in. Starting off with the plot first is a struggle for me.

[Coco50Nitty]

In my opinion because I planned out a couple of stories but never wrote them, I'd say the story came first and as you're writing it the characters start to form.

[Bailers77]

I came up with a character in my head and it wouldn't go away until I gave it a story, a life.

[Nadezda]

I think every writer is different, and for that matter, often it varies depending on the story. That being said, I have a town full of people, many who will someday get their own stories. Often, my secondary characters become so interesting, I realize they need their stories told as well.

Generally, I begin with a character with a need, desire, or challenge first. I walk around with their story percolating within me, and eventually, I am ready to write it down. By that time, I feel like I have crawled inside their skin, and I have to get their story down on paper. What I love is when a principle character from one story becomes a secondary or tertiary character in another. I love the feeling of community it builds in many of my short stories. I even have drafted a map of their fictional town. (Thank-you Dad, for letting the child-me hover over your desk when you were working on town plans.) So when a character walks to Stoddard's hardware store to buy a rake, they pause to admire the swans on the pond, or give in to the tantalizing aroma of fresh-baked goods from Russo's bakery.

Occasionally, I write about characters outside my town, but even if it is not overtly stated in the story, I know they have a tie to the community in some way. It keeps me grounded as I explore their stories.

This is so cool! Thank you for sharing, KEW.

[Jen319164]

Wow i mean it is unique to a person of how they want to think up a story but i have never heard of that technique and personally have never done it myself because i feel I can't give a character characteristics before i know the adventures or fights or challenges that they have gone through so i always think of the story first but i guess people can reverse this

[Katherine E Wall]

Wow i mean it is unique to a person of how they want to think up a story but i have never heard of that technique and personally have never done it myself because i feel I can't give a character characteristics before i know the adventures or fights or challenges that they have gone through so i always think of the story first but i guess people can reverse this

For me, the development of the character is the story. However, the adventures, fights and challenges, the character goes through in the story is what makes the character develop. The character makes a decision based on his want, need, passion, misinformation, etc. and it is this decision which drives the story (for me).

Occasionally I might have a 'what-if' scenario which might harbour a glint of an speck of an idea for a plot, but until I have a character, I don't have a story.

Again, as you say, everyone is different. Currently, in my head, I have a woman who just dropped a heirloom teapot. She is only vaguely aware as the pot's life blood oozes into the crevices of her cracked linoleum floor. She is aware enough to step back as it edges towards her slippers, but she is engaged in listening to the person on the other end of the phone. I am trying to determine what was said on the other side that made her drop the teapot and how she is going to react or act on that news. When I know that, then I will have my story. But, in this case, it starts with this woman, and I am currently getting to know her.

Whether this story will go anywhere or not, depends on how much I become emotionally invested in it.

[ConorEngelb]

For me, it varies. Sometimes, I'll start off with a character in mind and sometimes with a story that came to me, but most of the time I just have a snippet of a scene, or a few lines of a poem, and when I start writing, the characters and story spring up around that.

[toddwiese]

When I used to write I would write about the characters first. The plot sort of just acts as a backdrop. Maybe that's my problem. Perhaps I should start out with a plot and see where it takes me. I'm hoping this site will motivate me to be a writer again.

[electramia]

For me usually, I may conjure up a specific moment or scene and then flesh out both my character(s) and story at the same time.

[thebookworm4ever]

The story usually comes to my mind first. I make up a whole story then I try and make characters that would fit the story and compliment it the best. I think it is very creative to make a character then think of what their story could be.

[avatarofrozein]

I have a bunch of characters -in all iterations of fullness- rolling around in my head. It makes it a little more difficult to develop a plot but once I do get a plot rolling I find myself getting stuck less often because I know what the characters would do in certain situations and what their motivations are. It's also fun because whenever I'm bored I can just think up a mini story in my head with a couple of my characters.

[annabear3]

For me, when I'm writing I see the character first. I see what they look like, they're personality, and then their life story and sometimes their life story happens to be the main part of the plot but other times they may just be the side character with some interesting features that come from their back story. Every character that comes into my mind has a face, a name, a personality, and a story of their own.

[MatthewAlexander]

For me personally, the story always comes first. The story is necessary of course, but I find that this makes my characters weak. I try so hard to fit them to the story that they don't feel like real people, who had stories before the one that I have thrust them into. With time, though, my characters always come to life, to the point where their personalities are so strong I feel like they're thinking for themselves! What I find interesting about this is once my characters are complete, the story seems to change because certain things stop making sense now that I know the characters well. It's very complicated, and, honestly, a bit annoying. Only minorly, though.

[debbie smith]

I think usually it varies, but for me the story almost always comes first. But then again, up until the last few years writing has not been a 'project' or a planned activity. Instead it has been a just for fun or release, spur of the moment activity.

[dantheman]

I make characters fit the story most times that way the characters are all well suited to the plot.