Poll #29: What Drives Your Fiction?

[Andy]

Some writers classify their stories as either character-driven, plot-driven, or world-driven. This means one of them tends to stand out as the focus of their work.

Which one do you feel best describes yours?

[Shaun]

I say characters, but that's what I think and I could be very wrong.

[Starry]

I would like to say that I haave some sort of consistent plot driving everything, but I really more pick a general point I need to get my story to and then let the characters work their way there. I think it makes the story more real, when you think "what would s/he do" rather than "what needs to happen next." You may get a bit off-track (I just got one of my main characters involved in a major confrontation with a minor character who was originally supposed to be friendly and a conveniently placed source of information), but that's what makes it all fun!

[Zombified]

Most of my stories are first person end of the world tales, so its usually only one character telling their story.

If I couldn't get into their heads and make the reader feel for them, I would have a pretty shitty story.

[Alex]

the world, im much more into describing surroundings than the characters themselves ((damn alex stop doing that!!!))

[Rafael Domination]

It depends on my novel actually. Speaking in terms of ALL my works:

I vote something else because its actually a fusion of plot and character and world. Flair comes in second place. Philosophy and everything else comes in third. I feel that the plot should be the most we pay attention to because a great plot can sometimes obliterate any cliches found in it, and good characters will crown and flavor the plot so much better. The world ties in the whole thing.

Yeah, that's me! I don't go for one thing cuz' that way I get the best of all worlds. :D

But for certain novels, like Wolfgang for example, I focused more on character with plot coming in second place and world in third. GuN DrU1d placed first-place emphasis on The World (Magic vs. Technology vs. Nature) and then the plot and then the characters. For someone lik me who has genres popping up and being scrapped a little too often, I say it depends! :crazy:

[sXe_Jinxeh]

My characters are mucho importante to me. I spend a crap load of time figuring absolutely everything about them (down to thier favorite food, for example Jordan's is white bread toasted to a light brown with just a thin spread of Parkay margarine...) so they are the most important driving force.

[DreamChaser]

My main focus in my stories are definitely my characters...I spend tons of time figuring them out...and sometimes I try drawing them to make sure I have the details right...I'mactually a very good drawer fyi but sometimes the story gets away from me and my characters make their own decisions......like mind control...haha

[Simmi]

Mine is mostly character... Since I'm not very good at describing I show my characters personalites alot and it's mostly dialogue sometimes... depends how hard I'm working on the story. :D

[random_writer]

I don't even know! I'd like to take some classes on creative writing, but since they aren't offered at my school, and I can't drive anywhere, I'm working off of instinct. My anal-retentiveness about grammar? I haven't really been taught much about grammar, really. I'm just good at it. I think I might have Obsessive-Compulsive tendencies also, which adds the the irritation of lowercase "I"s and end-of-sentence punctuation, etc.
With my lack of knowledge, I really don't know how to judge what drives my writing.

[thededone]

My stories, or at least ideas for stories, are primarily driven by philosophical concepts of morality, politics and life. Anyone else feel the same way?

[Melo]

I think the offense plot can be as terrible as it wants to be, as long as you have the hardest line of defense characters in the written world.

[Clawfire]

I'm usually world-driven and character-driven, and I would like to say I am plot-driven but usually when I finish my story/novel, my plan is way different than my story...:huh:

[Weirdside]

I try to make all my fiction character-driven, but a plot (or idea) is usually the impetus of my stories. My characters are reactions to my plot instead of vice versa.

[dragonheart]

I put something else but I in truth pick the top three.

[FayGee]

My family. They give me ideas.

[graystripe79]

I normally build a character in my head and than build the world around the character. The character has to be one that I love and have a kind of...passion for. I dont think a book is to good if there isnt a character that I can fall in love with. It`s all about the love of the characters for me.