Blog Chain: Tell me where it hurts (so I can make it hurt more)

Shannon brought up this blog chain topic:

Imagine this: when you are gone, readers will remember your writing most for just one of these things: your characters, your plots, your settings, or your style. Which (only one!) would you prefer over the rest? Why?

Fascinating question.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about it. I've gone so far as to examine my favorite aspects of the authors I believe I will remember most when they are gone.

But I hit a dead end because I like different authors for different reasons, and I don't read and write for the same reasons.

So I started thinking about why I started writing in the first place.

I accomplished the initial goal I'd set for my writing -- to have my words touch someone so deeply they'd cry -- by creating a character whose emotional pain was so great readers felt it in their gut.

I got a kick out of having that control over people's emotions. (Yeah. Go ahead. Call me a bully.)

So I figure if I can't get out of life alive it would be cool if my characters could stick around in people's heads for awhile after I'm gone to do my bidding. (Insert evil laugh here.)

What would you choose and why?

Find out what Michelle said yesterday. Tune in at Christine's place tomorrow to see if her plan is as diabolical as mine.