The Character Story The whole point is about the transformation of a character’s role in his community.
Crisis - Central character becomes so unhappy, impatient, or angry in his present role that he begins the process of change (either consciously or unconsciously).
Conflict - Others resist the central character’s change, and attempt to change him back.
Climax - Character either settles into a new role (happily or not) or gives up the struggle and remains in the old role (happily or not).
Notes:
All stories have characters, and in a sense stories are almost always about one or more the characters. Stories must also have interesting and believable characters, but not all stories must have full characterization. Many excellant Milieu, Idea, and Event stories spend very little effort on characterization beyond what is necessary to keep the story moving along. Ian Fleming wrote over a dozen books about secret agent James Bond, but every one of those stories were about what James Bond does (in any given situation) and never about who he is. Bond has many obstacles to overcome, but at the end of each book, his role in society is exactly what it was before--a British secret agent who is licensed to kill. By contrast, the Character story is about the transformation of a character's role in the communities that matter most to him. The story begins at the point when the character begins the process of change, and ends with change or the failure to change. Since a person's role in a community is defined by and defines his relations with others, a change in his role with change their roles as well. Thus, much of the plot rises out of the other chracters' resistance to change.
In Daniel Keyes' very touching "Flowers for Algernon," Charly begins the story as a mentally-retarded forty-year-old janitor who is continually the brunt of his fellow janitors' cruel practical jokes. Charly laughs along with them because he simply doesn't know any better. He is later offered the chance to participate in a risky experiment to improve his intellect, and undergoes a series of operations which subsequently turn him into a mental giant. Once back on the job, Charly no longer falls for their cruel jokes, and finally sees them for what they are--bullies. One by one they turn against him. He also looses the affection of his special ed. teacher, his landlord, and all those others who cared for him. All alone, he ponders whether it was worth it. Gradually, the effects of the experiment wear off, and Charly returns to being mentally retarded.
If the transformation of character is what you care about most in the story, then you want to focus on the changes in not only the central characters but all those others involved as well.