Character-Driven vs. Plot-Driven:

“A good story needs a plot, yes. But it’s the characters who make us care.”

Let’s talk about one of the oldest debates in the writing world: Should your story be character-driven or plot-driven?

Honestly? There’s no right answer. But there is a right answer for your story. And if you’re anything like me, you’ve probably gone back and forth about which side of the fence to commit to. (Spoiler: you don’t have to pick one forever.)

So, let’s break it down, figure out what each approach really means, explore some examples, and talk about how to choose the best fit for your fantasy or romantasy novel.

🤺 Plot-Driven Stories: The External Engine

Plot-driven stories focus on what happens. There are twists! Turns! Life-or-death stakes! The narrative is propelled by events that force characters to act. Think epic quests, high-stakes battles, mysteries, ticking clocks, and unexpected reveals.

Books like The Hunger Games, Red Queen, or Divergent lean plot-first. Sure, the characters are important, but the events are what keep readers turning pages. The engine of the story is external: war, rebellion, survival, conspiracy.

In fantasy, you often see this style in books where world events loom large: empires at war, forbidden magic returning, ancient prophecies being fulfilled. The protagonist is swept up in something bigger than themselves, and they’re forced to react to survive.

If you love crafting intricate world events, battles, puzzles, or action-packed sequences that drive your characters forward, this might be your jam. It allows you to show off your worldbuilding skills and keep the pace quick and exciting.

BUT — here’s the trap: if you focus only on plot, your characters might feel flat. You don’t want cardboard cut-outs running through your magical obstacle course. Readers want reasons to care about the outcome, and that emotional investment often comes from the people inside the chaos. The more grounded your characters are in their own desires and internal conflicts, the more those plot moments will hit.

💔 Character-Driven Stories: The Emotional Core

Character-driven stories are all about internal growth, relationships, and the personal choices your characters make. Plot still exists, but it’s often a by-product of emotional conflict, not the main force driving the story.

Think A Court of Mist and Fury, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, or The Song of Achilles. These stories move forward because the characters are changing, breaking, healing, loving. We stay for the pain, the yearning, the transformation.

These are the stories that let us sit in the silence between the chaos, that explore grief and trauma, healing and betrayal, intimacy and longing. They work best when the characters are rich, layered, and full of contradictions — because their personal arcs are the main source of narrative tension.

If you’re the kind of writer who loves diving deep into emotional arcs, tension-filled relationships, and slow-burn development, character-first might be your wheelhouse. Especially in romantasy, where a huge part of the draw is how the love interests change each other — and how they resist or embrace that change.

BUT — watch out for stagnation. Character-driven stories still need motion. There still has to be something happening that puts those emotional dynamics under pressure. Otherwise, you end up with a lot of vibes and no momentum.

⚖️ Can You Blend the Two?

Absolutely. In fact, some of the best stories do.

Take Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros. It’s fast-paced, loaded with plot (hello, war college and dragons), but it’s also deeply character-driven. Violet’s choices, fears, and emotional growth are front and centre. Her PTSD, her chronic illness, her vulnerability — they’re not subplots. They are the story.

Or look at Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. It starts very plot-driven (a deadly competition to become the king’s assassin) but slowly becomes more and more character-focused as Celaena’s internal world unravels and reshapes her choices.

Blending character and plot means your characters don’t just react to events — they shape them. Their desires, fears, and flaws create the plot. And the events, in turn, shape their emotional journey.

Want an even older example? The Lord of the Rings is a plot-heavy epic, sure. But Frodo’s internal arc — his burden, his temptations, his slow descent into weariness — gives the story its soul. Without that emotional resonance, it’s just a long walk with jewellery.

🤔 Which Is Right for Your Story?

Ask yourself:

• What made you want to write this story?
• Do you see specific events, or do you see a character in a moment of emotional turmoil?
• Is your central question “What happens next?” or “How does this person change?”
• Does your climax resolve an internal question, or an external one?

For me, some stories start with a character voice that won’t leave me alone. Others start with a what-if scenario that demands to be explored. I try to honour the origin of each idea, then layer in the other element.

If you’re writing a romantasy, chances are you need both. You want action and emotion. Banter and betrayal. Magic and meaning.

So instead of asking, “Which one?” try asking, “Which one comes first?” And how can the other support it?

Pro tip: if you’re ever stuck on what should happen next in your story, look at what your character wants most and what they’re most afraid of. Then force them to confront both. Boom. You’ve got plot and character development in one.

Plot gets us to the finish line. Character makes us care when we cross it.

If you’re stuck, try outlining your story both ways. Write a plot summary without mentioning emotion. Then write a character arc without mentioning events. See which one flows easier. That’s your starting point.

Don’t be afraid to experiment. And don’t beat yourself up if your story leans more one way than the other. Lean into your strengths — and then build the rest.

Stories that stay with us are the ones that make us feel something about what happens. Whether that starts with a plot twist or a heartbreak is entirely up to you.

Just don’t forget: your story doesn’t have to fit into a box. It just has to resonate. And sometimes, resonance comes from letting your plot breathe through your characters — or your characters crash into your plot.