Sometimes, people underestimate the power of characters—I mean, just look at Anakin Skywalker; everyone was underestimating his power—and believe that the plot is the most essential element to a good story. While I’m not denying that a gripping plot will hook your readers, I do believe in the power of characters when it comes to enhancing your overall book.
And yes… I’m about to compare writing to food again, but don’t you want your readers to eat your story up? Okay, okay, I’ll stop with the jokes. Moving on!
Imagine your plot is a turkey, just the standard Thanksgiving main course without any spices. A little bland, right? You may have the meat part, which is alluring to some degree, but nobody is going to dig in without that extra kick. What is that extra kick, you may ask?
The extra kick is characters.
A great plot is about 55% of what makes a great book. The other 45% relates to your characters. That isn’t to say your characters must act a certain way or live up to some ‘character criteria’—to each their own. What I’m saying is that a character holds one of the many keys to a reader’s heart, and thus, we have to treat like so. At the end of the day, your hero isn’t just going to save the day; he will inspire the person reading his adventure.
When the likes of plot and character combine, they create a beautiful, well-rounded, exciting story. People connect with characters, and the plot keeps us wondering what will happen to them. It’s a cycle, one that is worth crafting.
P.S. Even if you aren’t a writer, this is great advice for Thanksgiving!
Best wishes,
Michael.
Michael T. Hare 
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