If you read this blog, you know I’m a character first guy. So I’m not sure how I feel about these results.
Story – 35%
Character – 25%
Revision – back in the pack, with 18%
When I say “not sure,” mean it. I can’t argue with story. That’s where I’m also from: I believe in the fundamental notion that if all the elements are solidly developed and in place, a good story must be, has to be, the end result.
Which leads me to the related belief that, in a good novel, even the story’s structure flows directly from the living needs, desires, dilemmas, and decisions that flow naturally from the lives of deeply-understood characters.
That means, if you wonder how an author created a great story, you’ll find the answer in the matrix of character, where the seed of a great structure lies coiled in potentia, ready to spring alive.
No, I’m not saying it’s easy to find the seeds of your own great story–the work daunting–but when you do, hang on. You’ll have a story that emerges almost at a full gallop, or an elegant trot, or an exquisite walk; a story that demands to be read.
The poll is still open, and I won’t close it for another couple of weeks. So be a patriotic fiction writer. Vote!
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