“The Real Writing Struggle: Creating Believable Characters or Building a Killer Plot?”

Introduction: The Writer’s Dilemma (I’ve Been There)

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Let me be real with you—I’ve wrestled with this question more times than I can count: What’s harder to create—believable characters or an engaging plot? It’s not just a hypothetical. It’s one of those gut-check questions I ask myself every time I stare at a blank page and whisper, “Now what?”

There were nights I thought if I could just get my plot tight—clean, twisty, satisfying—then boom, I’d have a great story. But then I’d read what I wrote and realize, with a sinking feeling, that my characters were as flat as a white wall. No soul. No heartbeat.

Other times, my characters were full of voice and backstory, but they wandered aimlessly through the story like tourists without a map.

So yeah, I’ve been through it. And this article? It’s the breakdown I wish I had when I first started chasing stories.

Creating Believable Characters (The Emotional Marathon)

I remember the first time I fell in love with a character I wrote. They were messy, selfish, scared—and totally alive on the page. I knew their coffee order, their Spotify playlist, the song they cried to when nobody was watching. And because I knew them, the reader did too.

That wasn’t always the case though.

I used to write perfect protagonists—charming, clever, noble. You know, the kind of person you think people want to read about. But here’s what I learned the hard way: perfection is boring. Readers don’t connect with statues. They connect with people.

Writing a believable character means peeling back layers, even the ugly ones. It’s asking, “What keeps them up at night?” “What lie do they believe about themselves?” and “What would destroy them?”

You want to build a character? Don’t start with their hair color or job. Start with what hurts them—and what they’d do to hide it.

I’ve written characters I’d gladly be friends with. I’ve also written some that scared me with their darkness. But the common thread? They all felt real. And when they didn’t, readers could tell in two sentences flat.

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Building an Engaging Plot (The Mental Gymnastics)

Plot is a different beast. While character digs into the emotional trenches, plot demands logic, pacing, and precision. It's the part of storytelling that makes me want to tape my wall with index cards and drink five coffees in one sitting.

Good plot isn’t just a sequence of events. It’s a living pulse. Each scene needs to push the story forward, raise stakes, and complicate decisions. If it doesn’t? Cut it.

One of the toughest plot lessons I learned was that tension doesn’t come from car chases or sword fights. It comes from decisions. Put your character in a situation where every option has a cost. That’s plot gold.

But dang, it’s hard. Especially when the middle of your story turns into a swamp of subplots and dialogue that goes nowhere. Been there. Fixed it by asking: What does the character want right now—and what stands in the way? If I couldn’t answer that clearly, the plot wasn’t working.

And here’s the biggest twist of all: sometimes the best plot move is the one that hurts your character the most. That’s the beauty of intertwining character and story. One drives the other.

Which One’s Harder? My Honest Answer

Alright, if you cornered me and demanded a single answer—what’s harder, plot or character?—I’d say: characters.

Why? Because they’re unpredictable. They challenge me. They force me to get vulnerable.

A plot can be outlined, fixed, revised with structure tools. But making a reader cry because they see themselves in a fictional human being? That’s lightning in a bottle.

That said, it depends on you. Some writers are plot magicians—they build intricate worlds, brilliant timelines, perfect pacing. For them, digging into emotions feels like walking barefoot on Legos.

Others are character-first. They can write raw, magnetic people but struggle to connect them with meaningful events.

Me? I had to learn to juggle both. And not perfectly—just honestly.

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The Real Magic: When Plot and Character Dance

The best stories I’ve written didn’t choose between character and plot. They let them dance.

Think about it—when your character makes a choice that changes the story, that’s where the real magic happens. When the twist doesn’t just shock but emotionally devastates? That’s good storytelling.

Plot should pressure your characters. Break them. Force them to evolve—or refuse to.

Character should guide your plot. Make it inevitable, not mechanical. When they want something badly enough, the plot unfolds naturally.

Here’s my tip: write a scene where your character’s deepest fear is tested by a plot twist they never saw coming. If you can do that, you’re not choosing between character or plot. You’re letting one feed the other.

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Tips From My Process (No Gatekeeping Here)

Let me give you some tools that helped me balance both:

The Character Litmus Test: After I outline a character, I put them in a situation they’d hate. Something that tests their moral line. If I can’t answer how they’d react? I don’t know them well enough.

The Plot Pulse Check: Every 15–20 pages, I ask: Has something changed? Stakes, motivation, setting, relationship—something has to shift. If not, the story’s flatlining.

The Gut Check Scene: I write a scene that isn’t even in the story—just a freewrite where the character talks to me. No structure. No format. Just emotion. You’ll be shocked how much this tells you about them.

Borrow From Real Life: When I’m stuck, I borrow stories. Something I saw in the news. Something a friend told me. Emotions are universal—use what hits you in real life to fuel fiction that hits hard.

Conclusion: Stop Choosing—Start Balancing

So... is it harder to write a believable character or an engaging plot?

Honestly? That’s not the question to be asking.

The real challenge—and joy—of storytelling is weaving the two together. A great plot reveals a character. A great character transforms the plot.

Instead of picking one to “get right,” ask: How does this story change my character? and How does my character shape this story?

That’s where the unforgettable stories live.

Now go write something messy, vulnerable, twisty, and true.

FAQs

1. What do publishers value more: character or plot?

Publishers want both—but strong characters tend to leave a deeper impact. They’re what makes a story stick.

2. Can you write a novel with a weak plot but strong characters?

Yes, but it’ll feel more like a vibe than a story. Some literary fiction pulls this off, but most readers still crave some direction.

3. How do I make readers care about my characters?

Make them want something—and struggle to get it. Give them flaws. Let them fail. That’s where empathy grows.

4. What’s a good ratio of plot to character scenes?

There’s no rule, but think 50/50. Make sure every plot event reveals something about your character—and every character moment moves the plot.

5. Is writer’s block usually a plot or character problem?

Most of the time? It’s character. If you don’t know what they want or fear, you won’t know what should happen next.