Neil Turner asked Neil Turner:

How do you balance plot and character? Which is more important?

Neil Turner This is an interesting craft question in two parts, and there are probably as many answers as there are authors. Here’s my take, which I offer from the perspective of a thriller writer. I consider character to be the single most important aspect of writing. Unless I care about the people in the story, what happens to them doesn’t much matter to me. As for balance, just because we care about a character doesn’t mean we’re going to stick with them through 400 pages of navel gazing. For my money, a good book includes compelling characters navigating their way through a propulsive tale with plenty of obstacles to overcome, huge dollops of uncertainty at every turn, and all with a universal theme underpinning the story. Now, I may not be able to actually do that myself, but it’s what I like to read! 😊

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