For this week's NON contest, I asked readers to comment on what draws them into a story: plot, characters, or voice?
I think I've waxed on about this repeatedly in my blog, though a quick look back through my blog titles didn't reveal a string of "Character vs. Plot" type titles like I expected. Perhaps it's been Cody bearing the brunt of my musings on this perpetual debate. Nevertheless, I'm sure I've said this before here (under some not-so-specifically-titled post), and I'll say it again:
I'm a character woman. I need good characters. Good characters can thrive without a plot for the most part. They can be entertaining at doing nothing but living, much like good friends. When a character's quiet life is as interesting as the way she react to crisis and conflict, then I know I'm in the hands of an excellent writer. Combined with great plot...ah, there's the magic. The most fantastical plot without good characters is nothing more than a failed attempt to get people to suspend disbelief. All the right events are there, but there's no life to them.
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