I am always shocked when someone says they care more about the plot of the book than the characters. This boggles my mind to no end, because what’s the point if you don’t connect with the characters? I plan to do another post soon about the hero’s story arc, and to me that arc makes or breaks a story. But of course, I have to wonder…
I mean seriously, if you make me love characters enough, I will devour scenes where they just sit around and talk, but I have to admit, plot is imperative to make the story move forward. Can the character have an arc without a real journey? But what do the journey and the arc matter if you don’t even care about the character in the first place?
When I read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows it was just amazing to me how Rowling pulled this off. I had gotten to know these characters and were already attached to them from previous books, but through their circumstances they grow leaps and bounds just in this one book. Their journey felt complete.
Characters help connect me to the story. The plot moves the characters through an arc. And if the arc is successful and I see positive change on the other side (or really well executed negative change), then I am ultimately satisfied with the story.
Do you consider yourself more of a plot person or a character person? What do you think matters most in a story/character arc?