Hello again! Sadly, this may be my last time writing for a bit. I’m suffering from writer’s block and I need some time to think about future subjects. This week, I’ll be discussing what aspects go into crafting a memorable story. Through my consumption of media, I’ve been able to come up with a list of the three key aspects that make a good story: Characters, Plot, and Setting. These three aspects need to work in tandem for the result to be considered “good”. If even one of them is out of line, then the whole product can suffer.
Characters
If the story is a chessboard, then the characters are the pieces. You can’t play a game of chess without them, and you can’t write a story without characters. Your setting may be intriguing and your plot compelling, but you’ll need characters to bring out the best in both. The best characters are those who aren’t cardboard cutouts; those who aren’t one-dimensional or rely too heavily on tropes. Without a reason for being there, characters just waste space. They also need motivation. They need to feel like they contributing to the overarching story, otherwise why are they in the story to begin with? Characters can only do things “just cause” for so long before it gets stale. Another aspect of a character is to make them seem “real”. You shouldn’t have a five-year-old quoting Shakespeare while solving murder mysteries; it just doesn’t make sense and feels very unrealistic.
Another part of this is the character’s likability; but this is where it gets interesting. Characters don’t always need to be likable to be a good character. While it helps if your character is likable and relatable to the reader, it’s not always a necessity. It’s one of the reasons people love the villains in stories so much; they’re the bad guy, but they were written in a way that they’re enjoyable to watch. You may even just love to hate them. I feel like a good example of strong character writing is The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald; none of the characters, except arguably Nick, are particularly good or likable people. But they’re so interesting that you get engrossed in the plot and want to know what’s going to happen to them. Which brings us to…
Plot
Plot, or the story, is the driving force for the characters. You can have the best characters in the world, but if their entire reason for existing is to go to a Burger King and do something mundane then the story falls flat. A good plot needs to be motivating and compelling. The characters and the plot can push each other to larger horizons if they’re well made. It can allow characters to develop and mature throughout the story and serve as the main reason for them being there. Without a plot, great characters are left hanging as the consumer anxiously anticipates what’s going to happen but is let down by the “action” of the story. In the same vein, even the greatest plot can feel disappointing if its characters are boring.
One of the most interesting things about this discussion is whether you believe the plot or characters are more important to the overall development of a story. Because of the closely-knit relationship between the two, it’s relatively easy for media to focus on one while letting the other side suffer as a result. “Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World” by Haruki Murakami is one example that I can think of. Without spoiling anything, that novel has a fantastical plot that made me unable to put the book down while I was reading it. However, the character development in it fell slightly flat for me, and I wouldn’t have enjoyed it as much if it weren’t for the plot and the setting. Hey, look! It’s a transition for…
Setting
The setting of the story exists in a weird vacuum where it’s simultaneously the least and most important part of any story. The setting is where the story takes place, and it serves as the foundation for the story. A weak setting can cause a story to crumble under the weight of being dull. A story can take place anywhere; however there needs to be a purpose for choosing an area to serve as the setting. This is why it can be very important or not important at all. Your story needs to follow the rules of said setting, or it comes across as being lazy. You can’t have a story take place on Earth and have the characters floating around as if there’s zero gravity without explaining how. If the character’s goal is to kill the Demon King, then the story can’t exist in a Subway unless it just so happens that the Subway Manager is the Demon King.
I feel like when you’re talking about setting, it’s important to distinguish real life settings and fantasy settings. Both can be viewed as very different, depending on what the story you’re reading is about. You also need to consider how important the setting is to the story. In my opinion, the film Blade Runner is an excellent example of an important setting; while many love the films characters and plot, the setting of a Cyberpunk future really steals the show, especially when you see all the amazing technology and the retro-future aesthetic of the film. As far as more mundane settings go, “It” by Stephen King is a good example. The town essentially becomes a character itself; much of the history of the town, Pennywise, and the actions of its residents is interwoven into the plot itself, making the boring old town of Derry feel like something more sinister.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, these are just my opinions. If you disagree with me, I would like to hear what you consider to be the most important parts of a story.
Animation: Art in Motion 