on Writing Forward:

Good storytelling includes many elements that a writer must consider. Plot and character are foremost among these elements, and for literary writers, language is high on the list as well.

Some writers start with nothing more than a few key characters and let the plot develop by exploring those characters’ actions. Others practice careful and elaborate plotting and determine every twist and turn a story will take before writing a single word of the first draft.

Whether you write from plot or character, it helps to understand a few basic plot elements.

If you plot by planning and outlining in advance, then these elements will be integral to your story development. If you write from character and let the plotting occur organically, then these are elements that you’ll want to consider as you revise and work through later drafts.