Book Blogger Hop Dec 17

Book Blogger Hop
This is the Book Blogger Hop, hosted at crazy-for-books.com

This week's question for discussion:

"What do you consider the most important in a story: the plot or the characters?"

Wow. What a silly question. 

If you want to get into the nitty gritty, plot is the most important for some author's styles, character for others. A great plot will carry me through an otherwise uninspiring book, and great characters will make me interested in reading another book about them. I can't do without either, although good characters can disguise the lack of plot slightly longer than good plot can disguise the lack of characters. Series are more dependent on characters, short stories and stand-alone novels are more dependent on plot.

I often think that I enjoy character-driven work more than plot-driven, but I usually can't stand works that have no plot to speak of, that rely solely on style or character.

What I consider the most important is... the author.


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More snark on my holiday-themed blog: Mainlining Christmas

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Comments

  1. AnonymousDecember 17, 2010 at 10:57 AM

    Hi! Coming through on the Blog Hop! That's a good answer, it does vary from book to book. I like your point that characters can cover up a lacking plot longer than the other way around; I think that's very true.

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownDecember 17, 2010 at 1:26 PM

    Hello my dear,

    I think that characters are very important. I love seeing what happen to them and I love to swoon over a few fictional boyfriends more then I should. ;)

    I'm also the creater of Morbid Romantica Challenge 2011 which I'm trying to get off the ground. It should be a very fun challenge. AND it wont seem like homework. *smirk*

    Today was the start of a Hardcover giveaway for Beautiful Creatures and Beautiful Darkness @ Ridley's Giveaway

    Mad Scientist

    Steampunkery & Book Reviews

    ReplyDelete
  3. BLHmistressDecember 17, 2010 at 3:04 PM

    HI Hopping on through, Happy Holidays. That is a perfect answer. And exactly what I had been wanting to say but couldn't. Thank you .

    My Follow Friday/Book Blogger Hop

    ReplyDelete
  4. Howard ShermanDecember 17, 2010 at 3:07 PM

    This might be the best Book Blogger Hop question I've seen to date.

    So what's the answer? Plot! Hop over to my blog and let me tell you how a good plot rescued bad characters from bad book oblivion.

    Howard Sherman
    http://www.howardsherman.net

    ReplyDelete

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