Good Plots Vs Great Plots

Character.

A good plot can be clever and twisty and inventive. But a great plot arises from an interesting character and the character's unfulfilled needs and hopes and traits.
 
I agree. It very much depends on the genre. In Science Fiction, the concept is usually more important (or valued by the reader ) than character development and plot.

Coincidentally, today I stumbled on this list: How do I know if my plot is satisfying?
 
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Thanks for that post Snow. Very interesting read, and here was me thinking tumbler was just porn!

Wikipedia has quite an interesting bit on plot. The Greeks believed there were only seven plot lines. They may be right. It's interesting to see if your story conforms to them. Helps guide mine. Sorry I can't post a link I'm on my phone.

But after that is all down to angle and style.

Stacey x
 
... a great plot arises from an interesting character and the character's unfulfilled needs and hopes and traits.

Does it? Or does the character arise from the plot?

I like to have a story to tell, and then develop the characters who tell it, but sometimes they develop together.
 
A great plot for me is one that surprised me but was believable and covered all of the threads.
 
There are many many ways to create an excellent plot with which to convey even the simplest of stories.

My number one rule: Don't have me guessing correctly what's going to happen in either the near term or long, and everything had better add up at the end.

Watch Memento for a great plot of a fairly simple story.
 
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Does it? Or does the character arise from the plot?

I like to have a story to tell, and then develop the characters who tell it, but sometimes they develop together.

They're tied together. I don't think it matters whether as an author you start with the plot or with the character. The key is that it should feel natural for the plot to arise from the character, as opposed to being something that just happens to the character.
 
I agree. It very much depends on the genre. In Science Fiction, the concept is usually more important (or valued by the reader ) than character development and plot.

Coincidentally, today I stumbled on this list: How do I know if my plot is satisfying?
Interesting post. Thanks for sharing.

I think a great plot is something that stands out as different compared to other stories in the genre. I really enjoyed Gregory Keyes "The Waterborn" and "The Blackgod" as it was something very different for the fantasy genre. I started his "The Briar King" and found it too like so many other fantasy series. It doesn't have to be the plot per se; it can be the setting or the main character. I don't much care for mysteries, but I love Tony Hillerman and Dick Francis as they immerse me in a world that's interesting but very different from my own.
 
A good plot captures the reader's interest and gets the reader to read through the story. A great plot has twists that the reader did not see, but that the reader can understand.
 
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