I’ve written on the importance of character many times. I even have a book Character: The Heartbeat of the Novel (Oak Tree Press, 2013) on the importance of character to your book.  If you don’t have good, memorable characters, there is a real danger the reader may say, “Who cares?”

 The other side of the coin is plot. If you have no plot, the reader may well say, “This is like watching a sundial.”  Nothing is happening.

 So, ideally, you will have both memorable characters and a riveting plot. Today, let’s talk about plot and start with a definition of plot. A story is a narrative of events arranged in a time sequence.  A Plot is a narrative of events in a time sequence where the emphasis falls on causality. 

That is, it is not enough to simply relate a sequence of events. The plot must give the reader not just what happened, but why it happened. Plot is the engine that drives your book.

 Aristotle called plot preeminent in dramatic art. He said it was more important than character. Henry James called plot a “prime and precious thing.”  It is plot that will make us read hours past our bed time. It is plot that will make kids  read by  flashlight under a blanket when parents have said it’s time for lights out.

 If you want a book that makes your heart beat a little faster, then you want a book with a strong plot. If you want to write a page-turner (and who doesn’t), you need a strong, intertwined, unique plot.

 Some authors can write a beautiful novel with little or no plot as James Joyce did in Finnegan’s Wake.  But while widely acclaimed, Finnegan’s Wake is rarely read. And it is never described as a “page-turner.”

  Certain genres demand emphasis on plot. Mysteries, science fiction, fantasy, and thrillers are some where the emphasis must be on plot.  Most literary fiction and a lot of women’s fiction tend to be much more character oriented.  Even in these, the reader will ask, “Is this going anywhere?” That means, we need a plot. Plot makes the book “go somewhere.” 

 If you start with plot, it will shape your characters. If you start with characters, they may well determine what the plot is, where it goes. The Help is certainly character driven, and here the characters determine where the plot is going.  On the other hand, The Hunt for Red October is plot driven. And the nature of the plot determines the characters.

 There are many books that will tell you how to develop a plot. What I am trying to emphasize today is the importance of paying attention to plot.  Understand that considerable time and attention need to be devoted to plot.

 So, like Ben and Jerry, or Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck, or Batman and Robin, you need both parts in your novel.  Character and plot.  To make it a “page-turner,” rev that engine up. And plot is the engine.

Callan’s latest suspense, A Ton of Gold, has a strong and intertwined plot.  It can be found in paperback on Amazon at:   http://amzn.to/UQrqsZ  or in Kindle format at:  http://amzn.to/12PeHJb  or in Nook format at:  http://bit.ly/1kM7p1M   .