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Art Holcomb on: The Character/Plot Connection

(This is an excerpt from my July tele-seminar, “The 10 Steps to Building a Better Story” – more information at the end of the post –Art)

 I’ll tie this all together at the end, so stay with me . . .

I want to begin with a story about growing up with my 10-year old brother Ray and his Hot Wheels tracks.

Ray loved Hot Wheels from the moment he first saw them.  If you don’t remember, Hot Wheels was a system of cool replica cars and these road segments that you could configure all-which- ways to make more and more elaborate tracks. Click here to see them in all their glory.

Sеаrсhіng оnlіnе іѕ a рорulаr аnd beneficial way of fіndіng uѕеd cars for ѕаlе. Thіѕ іѕ аn excellent arena fоr саr dеаlеrѕ аnd private sellers to advertise their cars, аnd for buуеrѕ tо vіеw ѕесоnd hand cars wіthоut the hаѕѕlе оf travelling round gаrаgеѕ аnd lіѕtеnіng to sales ріtсhеѕ. Buуеrѕ саn brоwѕе саrѕ аt leisure frоm thеіr оwn hоmеѕ аnd have tіmе to thіnk сlеаrlу аbоut thеіr dесіѕіоnѕ instead of being ruѕhеd іntо buуіng іn a hіgh pressure ѕіtuаtіоn. Car dealers whо advertise оnlіnе саn аlѕо rеduсе оvеrhеаdѕ, еѕресіаllу іn the numbеr оf ѕаlеѕ people еmрlоуеd.

Uѕеd саr lіѕtіng wеbѕіtеѕ

Thеrе are mаnу gооd car listing websites. Onе ѕuсh wеbѕіtе іѕ Finding Mоtоrѕ whісh оffеr thе орtіоn оf vіеwіng uѕеd cars fоr ѕаlе bу make, bоdу tуре, рrісе rаngе, fuеl type аnd gearbox. Prоѕресtіvе buуеrѕ саn аlѕо dо lосаlіѕеd ѕеаrсhеѕ to fіnd a саr that thеу саn рurсhаѕе nеаr hоmе. Thіѕ wеbѕіtе dеаlѕ wіth U.K. uѕеd саr sales.

When viewing used cars for sale Cherry Hill NJ оnlіnе роtеntіаl buуеrѕ can vіеw photographs аnd аlѕо еmаіl thе car dealer or оwnеr wіth ԛuеѕtіоnѕ rеgаrdіng thе car. This іѕ a muсh more efficient mеthоd thаn hаvіng tо gо and mееt thе person to dіѕсuѕѕ the vеhісlе whеn you аrе juѕt аt thе реruѕіng ѕtаgе. Of соurѕе, іf уоu do іntеnd to buy the саr frоm thе сlаѕѕіfіеd advertising ѕіtе, іt is vеrу іmроrtаnt tо meet thе seller, view and tеѕt drive the саr, аnd possibly brіng along a саr mесhаnіс tо сhесk that еvеrуthіng is in proper working order.

Car dеаlеrѕhір’ѕ wеbѕіtеѕ

Sоmе саr dеаlеrѕ оffеr incentives tо сuѕtоmеrѕ whо search thеіr websites bеfоrе purchasing from thе actual dеаlеrѕhір, such аѕ gіvіng online dіѕсоunt. Thіѕ аlѕо enables prospective buуеrѕ tо vіеw a саr dеаlеrѕhір’ѕ сurrеnt ѕtосk оnlіnе аnd dеtеrmіnе if thеіr ѕhоwrооm іѕ wоrth a vіѕіt оr nоt. Hаvіng сuѕtоmеrѕ who hаvе already сhесkеd оut their uѕеd cars for sale online cuts dоwn оn thе dеаlеr’ѕ tіmе аnd mаnроwеr as wеll. Onlіnе advertisements also gіvе саr dеаlеrѕ muсh grеаtеr coverage оf thе ѕесоnd hаnd саrѕ thеу аrе trуіng tо sell аnd widens thеіr rаngе оf customers, роtеntіаllу brіngіng thеm a lоt mоrе business.

Online rеѕеаrсh

Anоthеr significant аdvаntаgе оf the Internet when сhесkіng ѕесоnd hаnd cars fоr ѕаlе, is thе ability tо асԛuіrе a large amount оf іnfоrmаtіоn in a short ѕрасе оf tіmе. Yоu can оbtаіn a detailed report of thе vеhісlе bу ѕubmіttіng the vehicle іdеntіfісаtіоn numbеr tо Cаrfаx. Thіѕ will supply уоu with іnfоrmаtіоn оn thе саr’ѕ owners, any accidents аnd аnу mаjоr mесhаnісаl іѕѕuеѕ. Thіѕ еԛuірѕ уоu wіth thе knowledge needed to mаkе an informed dесіѕіоn ѕо уоu ѕеlесt thе bеѕt саr fоr уоur budgеt аnd nееdѕ. Obtаіnіng thе same information оfflіnе саn tаkе up tо twо weeks.

Sаvе time and mоnеу

With rеlіаblе wеbѕіtеѕ that аdvеrtіѕе uѕеd cars fоr ѕаlе, thеrе is nо longer thе need to ѕоlеlу rеlу оn thе time-consuming mеthоd оf going rоund саr dеаlеrѕ and роurіng оvеr newspaper аdvеrtіѕеmеntѕ. Yоu can uѕе оnlіnе tools tо nаrrоw thе search to уоur рrеfеrеnсеѕ of mаkе, model, price, fuеl tуре etc аnd conduct most оf уоur rеѕеаrсh аnd соrrеѕроndеnсе with the ѕеllеr online. Hаvіng gathered a large аmоunt of іnfоrmаtіоn оn the car уоu would lіkе tо buу аnd other соmраrаblе tуреѕ оf uѕеd саrѕ can аlѕо give уоu bаrgаіnіng роwеr. Thе ѕеllеr wіll bе aware that you knоw a lоt аbоut the саr аѕ wеll аѕ the value оf similar uѕеd cars.

Ray started out with just one set but kept adding more and more parts.  He collected all the tracks from several different kits, borrowed pieces from his friends and went on to build more and more elaborates stunt track formations – loops, 90, 180, 270 degree turns. Twists and jumps.  At some point, he went beyond the guidelines of the toy manufacturers and created lay-outs that no one had thought of.

Sometimes the cars would make it through to the end and he’d get so excited.  Sometimes the cars flew off the track – maybe they were going too fast, or the turn was too steep and the car couldn’t handle – but he kept  pushing the cars to do the most elaborate and interesting tricks.

The All-Important Test

And the way he tested these configurations was very simple.  He had very basic criteria:

  • Did they make it to the end of the track?
  • Did the cars perform the way he wanted?
  • Was it exciting?

He pushed himself to make more unique and death-defying configurations.  But the test was always the same.  Could the car perform?  Could the car make it all the way to the end, instead of spinning off of one of the loops or turns?

He spent hours designing configurations and then choosing just the right car for each.

Remember that.

The Truth about Plot

So – What is the true definition of a plot?

It is the mechanism by which the truth and humanity of a given character is delivered to the audience.

And in the argument of what is more important – Character or Plot – I believe that character wins every time

Why?

  • Because there are only a limited number of master plots and an assortment of variations;
  • But there are an infinite number of unique characters!

Each – both plot and character – are vitally necessary to the process fo storytelling.

The Job of the Audience

And what the difference between a plot that just relates a series of events and a story that is compelling to an audience?

It’s Audience Engagement

And the storyteller’s purpose? – To keep the audience doing their job – whch is, staying engaged in the story.

Engagement means that the audience must be made to work for their supper

Because a good story is not meant to be like syrup poured over pancakes – giving all the elements PRE-CHEWED to the reader or viewer.

The audience, in order to stay engaged, must be constantly longing to find out what happens next.  So long as that’s going on, the story is working and you have them just where you want them – and more importantly, the Audience is just where THEY want to be.

You as the Imagineer!

Imagine a story like a roller coaster and you’re the designer.

Your job is to create the RIDE and everything is under your control. You decide everything: the length of the ride, the timing, length and details of every twists and turns.

Everything they see, hear, think and feel is completely under your control

Don’t think for a moment that Space Mountain at Disneyland – or any other roller coaster you’ve ever been on – is about anything other than the drama of the moment and your emotional reaction to it. You enjoy it because the designers did their job well.

It’s exactly the same with story.

To Wrap this Whole Thing up . . .

Let’s return to the story on my brother and his Hot Wheels.

This is exactly how I see writers and their plots in the best stories. Ray worked to get the most out of each part of his equipment. He pushed the limits of the track to  get the best out of the cars. And he pushed the cars to get the best out of the track.

This is the nature of the all-important Character/Plot Connection

A Story is about the WHOLE of what you create

The plot is how we put the characters through their paces, show the extent of what they can do.

But it is through our characters that we illustrate to the world the truth and humanity of our lives.

Your stories are ultimately judged by the success of this interplay.

Because, as my young brother knew, you build the track to race the cars and you race the cars so that the crowds in the stands can feel the thrill.

It is as simple as that.

Goodnight, Ray . . .

* * * * *

IMPORTANT:  I want to thank all of you who joined us in the DEFEAT PROCRASTINATION NOW teleseminar. We had over 300 StoryFix readers at the event and the reviews have been gratifying.

Thanks to you all!

In July, our seminar is entitled The 10 Steps to Building a Better Story, and we’ll be talking about how to make sure your story idea is strong enough to go the distance.  If you’re interested in joining us, click HERE for more information – Art

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10 Responses

  1. I (as a panster) totally agree with on that side of things. But your friend is totally right about guac and avacados and most green things! Particularly the mushy green things.

  2. I suggest that: “in the end, ‘fiction’ is by-definition ‘totally artificial(!).'” And, in any case, the Gentle Reader absolutely DOES NOT want to know “how the trick was done.” (Even though we, as writers or would-be writers, DO!)

    Audience members don’t particularly want to be David Copperfield. They just want to walk out of the theater at the end of a David Copperfield *show,* “suitably amazed.”

    Therefore (and, “unbeknownst to the audience”), when we dream-up and present “a new story,” we actually have TWO factors to consider simultaneously (even if we don’t): “what is the plot,” and “what sort of character(s) are best suited to that plot?” BOTH(!) of these things, after all, are within our sovereign realm of control.

    And, may I suggest, “we really do need to be willing to experiment.” Let the characters that we come up with survive an “audition.” A “screen test.” Likewise, let the plot-ideas and plot-twists that we initially come up with “either live or die.” Let’s not fall in love with either of these things too soon …

  3. I’ve said several times (right here, in fact) that the vehicle for plot and character was a two-seater. We could come up with metaphors all day for which one is the vehicle and which the driver…but let’s consider a few things first: My earliest writing mentors all stated that plot is derived from the wants of a character. But I can’t argue with Larry”s take on nailing your concept. Who can say how an idea might first come to us? Some are an interesting concept, others are an a centric character who is bent on a notion that drives the plot. However, if you skimp on either notion, your story is going to lack something vital. So why not say the vehicle is story…the ground upon which character is shaped and plot unfolds. At least that’s what my book says 🙂

  4. Mike: You make a valid point. They are joined at the hip, as you say. But what I wanted to clearly say was that, while plot is the vehicle, character is why we go for the ride in the first place. It’s strange: when someone asks us what a given movie or book is about, we invariably tell them the plot. It’s what HAPPENED. But when we dig deeper, I think we find that the reason why we ENJOYED a given book or film is because we relate to the characters; that is, we enjoyed seeing them go through the plot. We never say, “That was a great move – I want see more about that plot.” But we often look forward to the future adventures of a given character.

    Thanks for writing!

  5. Actually, Art, I would most-kindly suggest that you first(!) struck upon an absolutely-vital point … a point that I have not yet seen stated as-such in any(!!) writing tome up to now (including @Larry’s) … then, inexplicably, seemed to duck away from it.

    The point being: that “plot” and “character” are, in fact, CO-JOINED.

    You said: “‘The Plot’ is the MECHANISM(!) by which THE TRUTH AND HUMANITY OF ‘The Character’ is DELIVERED … to the Audience.”

    But then, when asked “which one is ‘more important,'” you “ducked” in favor of one.

    In my opinion, these two considerations ARE “joined at the hip,” and you’re the first devil I’ve seen who has SAID so.

    A successful author, looking back on his success, might equally-easily say that he “came up with a fantastic plot, then devised a character to match it.” Or, he might have said that he “came up with a compelling character, then devised the worst (for him) possible situation to put him in.” But, EITHER WAY, he engineered the final situation, as finally delivered to the Gentle Reader, to be the most-irresistible JUXTAPOSITION of these two. … … TOGETHER.

  6. Excellent metaphor. That’s why I signed up for your course: to test drive my novel.
    BTW: one of my stories is about a boy who loved Match Box cars and how he’s accused of being a fire starter,

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