Hi, I'm currently on a story where the MC is an orphaned thief who lives in a small town that is in the shadow of a lord's castle. Basically I'm finding that when I brainstorm my stories, I develop the plot and characters almost side by side. I was wondering how many other people do this and if you don't, how you do it differently. Thanks!
The two should, ideally, be inextricably intertwined. A character brings forth their unique personality and experiences, which affect how they react to situations. The plot is basically just a bunch of strung-together situations. As such, how, when, and why those situations occur depend on the character(s) involved. A plot would likely not unfold the same way with different characters at the helm. I hope that makes sense.
Plot and character can not be separated: they are the same thing. Plot is merely what the characters do in response to the particulars of their circumstance. I hear all the time that someone is having problems fitting their characters into their plot. You build your story by simultaneously creating character, plot, and theme.
I agree that what you are doing is how it should be done. If you are doing this without prior thoughts about it, may be you have an innate writing sense in you Also, whatever works for you is just fine, imitating how others do may not necessarily work for you.
