That’s a tough question to answer. A great mystery plot will keep me turning the pages until the end. But delightful, intriguing characters whom I can relate to make me feel as if I’m part of the story. Beginning the next book in a series is like a visit with old friends. When I reach the last page, I often don’t want the book to end. Wherever those characters go, I want to go with them.
When I teach my mystery-writing workshop, I stress the need for characters in mystery series to grow otherwise readers might lose interest. Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plume and her gang kept me laughing for years. Then I hit the wall around number 15. Stephanie continued to vacillate between her two hotties, continued to have financial trouble, and although I love her hamster Rex, he has outlived any hamster on the planet. But who am I to talk? Evanovich is a bestselling author whose sales number in the millions. I hope she continues to write her mysteries. She’s created memorable characters, but to hold my interested I would like to see them develop over time.
While characters are entertaining, great plotting grabs me like a chess game, pulling me into the story, blocking out all distractions. I don’t answer my phone, I don’t answer my doorbell, I ignore my e-mail, and I pretend to listen when my husband tells me something. Instead I find myself pondering the story even when I’m not reading the book. John Irving’s latest, Last Night in Twisted River, is such a book, but then so are all of his novels. His characters are often successful writers whose lives are in an upheaval, then he places them in awkward, unbelievable situations. He weaves a story, taking readers from past, present, and back again with such finesse, you don’t notice.
So, my answer is both. When writers create memorable characters with intriguing plot, their books receive a prominent place on my shelf. Next to Irving, sets Carl Hiaasen, Anne Perry, Elizabeth George, and Martha Grimes.
Read what my fellow bloggers have to say. We’d love to hear your opinion on this topic, so please leave us a comment.
http://www.molliecoxbryan.com/2011/10/what-comes-first-character-or-plot/
http://chickdickmysteries.com/2011/10/17/plot-vs-character/
http://sarahwisseman.blogspot.com/2011/10/whats-more-important-plot-or-character.html
http://ryderislington.wordpress.com/2011/10/17/whats-more-important-character-or-plot/
So true, Kathleen. Great post. I totally agree with you on Janet E. Great characters, great series until I felt like I was reading the same book over and over again. A shame.
Nancy
http://chickdickmysteries.com
Your answer is a lot like my answer. 😉 And oh I love a good series for the same reasons you list. It must be difficult to keep it fresh when you are writing the same series for years. Awesome post!
Definitely both are of equal importance. A weak plot destroys a mystery, but readers need characters they can care about. In a good series, the characters need to continue to develop the way real people do.
Jacqueline Seewald
THE TRUTH SLEUTH
This is a chicken or the egg question for me. Without an engaging character, a super plot falls flat. Without a great plot, even the most quirky character can't carry the book. They say editors are looking for character-driven fiction, but that's assuming the plot holds water.
Maggie Toussaint
ON THE NICKEL
I agree–both–and it's a chicken and egg thing as Maggie wrote. They're so bound up in each other, we can't separate them. Nice post!