Thought for the Day The three....

[Paul Whybrow]

“The three things that matter most in a story are characters, characters and characters.”

Bob Gale

 

[Hannah Faoileán]

In a recent talk by David Bishop, director of Edinburgh Napier University Masters in creative writing, he said the three things that matter to readers (in commercial novels) are plot, characters and the writing itself - that all important voice. Most people agree that The Da Vinci Code isn't a masterpiece of writing craft, but it has one hell of a plot, and that's what got it the sales. (Cymera Writing Conference '23).
Imogen Cooper of The Golden Egg Academy (former Chicken House editor) said plot and character are integral. Without a character to invest in, who cares about the plot? Without a good plot providing stakes, your character won't have enough purpose to keep your readers engaged.