Wolves of Sherwood and the as yet named prequel-prequel(aka my own version of a "Robin Hood Origin Story"--upcoming project for November 2020 fingers crossed), are plot driven stories.
Lure of the Fox and the final script in the cycle(tentatively titled Prince of the Blood, and with tidbits coming to this blog April 2020--yay!!!!) are character driven stories.
What exactly does this mean?
Allow me to enlighten you.
(For those Already Enlightened, you are welcome to skip this post and I won't hate you. Or if your Lazy and Want to Just Google It, that's cool too).
Still here?
Awesome, here goes.
Plot-driven stories are when the plot--the events--are the driving force of the story.
Meaning if you take away the characters, it's likely the events will happen anyway.
Aka "Who/How" Stories.
Aka High Concept Stories.
Aka every single high action "box office smash" that gets a summer release.
Aka:
1. The Fast and Furious Franchise
I love this franchise; I do--enough to own the first seven(I'm gonna see what the last three do before I see them on my small screen cause maybe once in theatres is enough, idk). But don't tell me that you would have a story if you took out all the cars and chases and explosions, cause you wouldn't.
2. Every Thriller/Horror/Mystery Ever
The Mummy is about waking up something from the Dead. The Forest is about what happens after dark in a forest. Miss Marple/Sherlock Holmes/whoever would have nothing to do if nobody died. The Ocean's Eleven films are all about heists--events. "Knives Out" is the exception. Don't agree? We'll talk.
3. Every Single Event Biopic Ever
Pearl Harbor. First Man. Red Tails. Midway. Selma. Newsies(Disney-fied, but still rooted--if shallowly--in a factual event). Hotel Mumbai. The Current War. Basically, if it's in the title, it's plot-driven.
4. Every Single Super-Hero Film Ever
Every single Avenger becomes an Avenger because of an event; every single DC character was shaped by an event; if the TMNT hadn't encountered the Ooz, they'd still be pet turtles. Change my mind, I'll wait....
Character-driven stories are when the characters are the driving force of the story.
Meaning if you take the characters out of the story, it crashes and burns a horrible death.
Aka Low Concept Stories.
Aka "Who/Why" Stories.
Aka:
1. The Prestige
Two men trying to outdo each other no matter the cost to themselves. I mean, it's bound to get ugly, but it's so fascinating to watch. And each twist of the plot is driven by a choice that the character makes--to outdo his rival.
2. Every Single Person Biopic Ever
Hidden Figures, Freedom Writers, Julie& Julia, Shakespeare in Love(more fiction than fact, but still), Band of Brothers(Ensemble Character Driven), The King's Speech, Rocketman, Harriet. People make choices, and the story moves forward.
3. Every Single Coming-of-Age Film Ever
The Breakfast Club, The Perks of Being a Wallflower, Rumble Fish, The Outsiders, Honey Boy, The Peanut Butter Falcon. People make choices, and they make discoveries and the suffer the consequences(except, can you really "suffer" a good consequence? maybe use the biblical definition on that one), and the story moves.
4. The Joy Luck Club
When my twin brothers were six, PBS did a tv series based on Amy Tan's picture book, "Sagwa". So of course, I had to read the picture book. And then I had to read more Amy Tan, so I read this book and saw this movie about the lives of Chinese-American and Chinese women which was brilliant. And the story wouldn't happen if the women in the stories didn't make choices.
The Now Novel website does an even better job of explaining both of the above than I did (see image below), so check them out too.
There's more than four of each, but this post is already long enough so Goggle can show you the rest.
Wolves of Sherwood and the as yet named prequel-prequel are about how the characters are shaped by events to become who they are.
Lure of the Fox and Prince of the Blood are about the development of their protagonists and why they become who they become.
Cool huh?
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