Warriors Fanfics: Specialized Writing Guide

BASE | Plot vs. Character Fanfics

August 8, 2019

This section discusses the general differences between plot driven and character driven fiction within the Warriors universe. It mostly exists as a reference for other parts which have mentioned this concept before. As a Base section, it has little to no examples drawn from canon Warriors.

This section seems like an odd fit for a Warriors fanfiction writing guide. And it is; we already have established what kind of fiction Warriors is and how it conveys itself to readers. But, as a concept I have referenced in other sections of this guide several times, I figured it is time I explained it better. More general definitions exist somewhere on the internet (particularly TvTropes) but, as usual for this guide, it is highly specialized. So let us explore this concept as it pertains to our source material.

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HOW WARRIORS TELLS ITS STORY

Plot-driven stories rely on lore, setting, and external forces to carry a story and its characters from beginning to end.
Character-driven stories rely on individual decisions, personalities, and changes to carry a story from beginning to end.

Warriors is a plot-driven series, through and through. I have stated that a few times in this guide already. This is understandable given the content and target audience, and it is not a bad thing. There are some character-driven moments woven in, such as the romance subplots or the occasional emotional flare-up. But, for the most part, the omens, setting, and external forces carry the characters and audience through the story. Tigerclaw being kicked from ThunderClan was far more important to the story than where he was born or how he was raised. Scourge's life as Tiny took a back seat in importance to his invasion of the forest territories. The uses of these important characters in regards to the lore and setting is far more important than their motives or their backgrounds, and their actions are more or less determined by the plot rather than their previous actions (because, again, their upbringing and motives were not as important to our understanding of the story).

In canon Warriors, the world itself is more important than the characters in it in regards to driving the narrative forward. We will look into that idea a bit more.

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PLOT-DRIVEN FANFICS

Plot-driven stories easily more common and popular than character-driven ones. The books that you see on best seller lists or are the popular 'flavor of the month' are likely plot-driven. Some examples include Epic of Gilgamesh, Harry Potter, Iliad, Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Assassin's Creed, The Simpsons, and of course, Warriors. All of these stories are more reliant on their lore and external forces than the characters to create a compelling story.

Here is an example from our nonexistent fanfiction to show just what I mean:

- Catkit was the runt of her litter. She was ignored by her siblings and mother after failing to grow like they thought she would. She was the last to become an apprentice due to her size alone. As Catpaw, she would often roam the forest with her mentor, Goodheart, or her best friend, Otherpaw. While Otherpaw had many friends and a loving family, she liked Catpaw the best. Catpaw became a warrior, still the last of the apprentices to do so, and Otherleaf became a medicine cat. One day, while Catclaw and Otherleaf were roaming the forest alone, they were ambushed by a ThunderClan patrol. Waking up from the lost fight alone and injured, she returned to ShadowClan to find it sacked by both RiverClan and WindClan.