The Goat and the Rickety Bridge: The Balance of Plot vs Character.

In my beginning days of writing, whether it be short stories or full-blown novels with far too many words than is necessary, it became clearly evident that there were two necessities that formed the backbone of storytelling.

Unfortunately, it seems that (among the writing community) these two things always seem to be debated on which is more important, much like Show vs Tell (which I will discuss another time).

That being, Plot vs Character. In other words, who’s involved and what are they doing?

I’ll dive into each of these topics on a future day, but today I’ll deliver my two cents, in whatever currency is applicable to you.

What’s with the analogy?

There’s a bridge (no matter where it is exactly) that separates two high fields shrouded in impenetrable mist. From down into the deep fall below to the sky above, the mist seeks to bite at your ankles. Both fields are filled with grass, but one looks like its grass has been more cut down. It’s less green and the whole field is drying with tussock and yellowing dirt, that stinks with mud no thanks to the humid mist.

The other field, however, is quite pleasant. The grass is literally greener on the other side, flowers have even cropped up in a few patches of clovers.

On its own, the bridge is not all that interesting, at least not at face value. It’s quite an ancient bridge by design, held together by aged rope and wooden planks. The whole bridge is icky and damp to the touch like moss or scum by a harbour. The rope is damper in most places, making it stretch and creak when it sways, from a tiny gust of wind. Where the rope is drier is no better, as it’s splitting in some places. Some bits have split until a single strand is left to hold entire parts of the bridge together.

The wood came from a tree that was probably still standing before the United States was founded. Each plank, each step, is soggy and damp too. Some steps are even rotting away, leaving holes or cracks and hanging lifelessly by the rope, begging to not fall into the eternal misty void below.

If too much pressure is applied to this bridge, it’ll likely disintegrate into puffs of sawdust and itchy hay that tickles your nose and triggers your hayfever.

But still, it’s just a bridge, between two cliffs.

That’s your plot.

And it doesn’t seem like much of a plot. Until you add…

The Goat.

The Goat, with white fur, short horns and a thousand-yard stare, is standing on the lesser of the two fields, its hooves squelching in the mud and its stomach rumbling.

And immediately, the plot thickens.

The bridge was of not too much importance until you realize that the goat is heavily considering crossing it, especially if it means it is rewarded with fresh grass to eat.

But the goat is stuck with a dilemma. It can either stay put, and risk starving to death, or attain sustenance by risking crossing a very unstable and soon-to-collapse bridge.

But let’s assume there is no bridge with fresh grass on the other side, and the goat is on its own with a full stomach and in good health.

You are left with a goat (your character) that, while vastly more relatable than an inanimate bridge, still has no obstacles to overcome.

And considering that conflict is the biggest engine of storytelling out there, that’s a big problem indeed.

Even something simple as surviving by finding food can be the best conflict for a poor little goat. Imagine what you can do with a human being, with complex emotions and motivations.

And the bridge (your plot), while it does set the scene quite well, has nothing going for it if there is no one to cross it.

And the plot is often the product of what the characters are doing or choose to do.

My point is, dear reader, if your audience doesn’t care about your characters, they likely won’t care about the adventures they go on.

Granted, not all your characters have to be likeable, but they at least have to be interesting enough to have your audience hanging around to see what they do. This especially applies to villains both big and small.

Additionally, as time may soon prove, an audience will remember characters better than the plot they’re in.

It was many years before I watched the entire “Yu-Gi-Oh!” original anime in its entirety, and understood finally the ins and outs of the plot (yes, even the filler). But even after watching several episodes as a kid, I remembered and revered the characters for who they are and what they stood for far more than what they were doing.

In conclusion.

At the end of the day, the argument of whether plot or character is more important is a fruitless endeavour. It’d be best to remove that “vs” clause entirely. But if I had to impart my personal advice, prioritize your characters first before you figure out how they save the day.

But again, much like the Goat and the Rickety Bridge, one cannot thrive in a story without the other.

Thanks for reading and have a beautiful day!

• Daniel.