The Search for the Twins: Character Building

I started thinking about a debate I have seen between writers: Should the characters or the plot be developed first?

My opinion: Characters make your plot, so they should come first. I'll admit, though, that for Forbidden Children, neither came first. The Immortal society itself was created first, back when I was about 15. I then started a 12 year hunt to find my characters. 

I went through at least 20 potential main characters, but encountered the same problem. Back then, I didn't know exactly what the problem was. Now I know that I was dropping cardboard cutouts into a plot and hoping for the best; the story wasn't their story, it was anybody's story. I eventually scrapped the whole original plot (which was much more predictable as far as horror novels go) and sat the story on the back burner. 

I knew I had found my main characters in 2008 when I could not picture them in any other story except this one. They gave me my plot. They did not neatly slide into a peg hole like my previous attempts did, but they clawed out their own. This is why William and Thomas are my favorite characters, and this is why their story needs to be told. 

I have also seen how crucial it is to know your characters inside out. You have to be able to answer any question about them. You have to get to the point where people think you're talking about someone real. For example:

What would William think about a typewriter? Answer: He'd laugh at it and go back to writing longhand. He thinks that typewriters and computers degrade his profession; he is a scribe.

What does Thomas think about love? Answer: It's a nice idea but ultimately a pipe dream.

This is a nice exercise for writers: can you answer nearly any question asked about your main characters? Do they have a favorite food, piece of clothing, childhood memory? The trivial facts have led me to some great plot points.

Next post: I am actually going to post a scene from the novel, and I am both excited and terrified.