A few years back I went to a conference, and Shannon Hale asked this question of us: Are you a character writer or a plot writer? Do you come up with characters and then discover their story? Or do you think of a fascinating plot or situation and build from there?
At the time, I wasn’t sure. I debated the finer points of my writing style, but couldn’t decide. Now I laugh at myself for that.
I am a character writer all the way. I discover a character, and then I learn their story through painstaking effort. Painstaking, I tell you. I have to work hard for that plot.
So what are you?