If you’re like me, you love character-driven stories. You love watching a character pursue their goals, struggle, fail, and eventually grow because of what they’ve gone through. You want to write a story just like that, but when you sit down to write it, you find yourself wondering “How do I write a character-driven story?” That’s where the “Yes, but/No, and” method comes in.
Though this writing tactic has an odd name, it is key to using cause and effect to craft an exciting character-driven plot. In today’s post, I’ll go over character-driven plots and explain the meaning of “Yes, but/No, and”—one of my favorite plotting tools.
Character-Driven Plot Meaning
What’s the difference between a character-driven story and a plot-driven story?
As you might guess, character-driven stories focus more on the characters, their internal conflicts, and their decisions than external events. On the other hand, plot-driven stories focus more on the events of the story. Essentially, in a plot-driven story you could replace the main characters with anyone off the street, and the story wouldn’t change much.
Both kinds of stories have their place. Character-driven stories work well for stories that are more emotional or theme-focused. Plot-driven stories work well for stories focused on action.
The best stories, in my opinion, are stories that have a character-driven plot, meaning the characters make decisions that result in an action-focused and exciting plot. Without a connection to the characters and that emotional side of a story, stories hold little interest for me. But the same can be said for stories without a strong enough plot.
For the best of both worlds, you want a story with strong characters that create a strong plot. The “Yes, but/No, and” method is one way to accomplish that.
“Yes, but/No, and” Meaning
I first heard of the “Yes, but/No, and” method on the Writing Excuses podcast—an excellent podcast I’d recommend to all writers. It’s a wonderful method that uses the cause and effect of your character’s decisions to determine the events of the plot. By using this method, your story will feel connected and engaging.
“Yes, but/No, and” focuses on try/fail cycles. The main character tries something and regardless of whether or not they succeed, the stakes are raised.
To use this method, you start by determining what your character will try to do and then asking if they succeed or not. There are two options from here: Yes, they succeed, but there’s a consequence or setback, or no, they don’t succeed, and there’s a consequence or setback.
With the whole thing being based on a decision the character made, your story will be rooted in who your character is. With either option causing a consequence or setback, you can keep the story’s tension high until the very end, crafting a plot that your readers won’t want to step away from.
See how your characters’ decisions can create a compelling plot?
“Yes, but/No, and” Examples
Let’s look at some examples of this method.
Say you have a character who wants to quit their job. They decide to hand in their letter of resignation. Do they succeed?
Yes, but . . .
- Yes, but their boss blackmails them into withdrawing their resignation.
- Or yes, but their partner doesn’t want to date someone who’s unemployed, so they break up with the main character.
- Or yes, but their car breaks down on the way home, and now they can’t afford to fix it.
No, and . . .
- No, they chicken out of quitting at the last moment, and their boss gives them extra work to do over the weekend.
- Or no, and they’re assigned to work on a project with a coworker they can’t stand.
- Or no, and the one coworker friend they had is transferred to a new location.
You can also see the “Yes, but/No, and” method in popular stories.
Tony Stark uses his new suit to fly to Yinsen’s home village to protect the people there from terrorists using weapons from Stark Industries. (Yinsen was a fellow captive with Stark and sacrificed himself to allow Stark to escape.) Does Stark succeed? Yes, he saves the village, but on the way back two fighter jets shoot at him, and he is forced to reveal his secret identity to Rhodes to end the attack.
Flynn Rider decides to steal the crown from the royal family. Does he succeed? Yes, but he’s pursued by palace guards and a determined horse. Does he get away? Yes, he hides in Rapunzel’s tower, but she knocks him out and hides the crown, making him promise to take her to see the floating lights to get it back.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
When Hagrid wins a dragon egg, Harry, Ron, and Hermione decide to contact Ron’s brother who works with dragons to come get the dragon, hoping to keep Hagrid out of trouble because it is illegal to own the creatures. Do they succeed? No, they get caught, and Gryffindor loses 150 points, and they have to help Hagrid in the enchanted forest as part of their punishment.
That’s how to write a character-driven story using the “Yes, but/No, and” method. It’s a surefire way to keep your characters active, let them determine the plot, and create an engaging, interconnected story. Let me know in the comments if you have used this tool or seen it in any of your favorite stories.
