Plot Vs. Character

By Rosalinda Alcalá

Let’s talk about plot. Some people may think a writer chooses some events that will occur and drop a character into an obstacle course of events. Instead, the writer should choose their character with an entire life prior to appearing on the page. This character will react a certain way dependent on their background.

Let’s say we are back on a high school campus and one of the alpha-girls approaches a girl (protagonist) that stepped too close to her guy. Does the protagonist shy away and apologize or ask the alpha if she owns him? The answer depends on her background prior to the story. Either choice comes with consequences or an obstacle course of events.