To be fully successful, a conceptual novel's plot and characterization must be intimately linked to the main idea. In Whipping Star, the Caleban's problem is everybody's problem. This includes the protagonist Jorj X. McKie, a futuristic special agent working for the Bureau of Sabotage. Failure to save the Caleban will kill McKie, and the tension stems in large part from McKie having to confront the possibility of sudden death no matter what he does.

As he uncovers the enormity of the danger that confronts the Galaxy, so too is the main concept of the novel developed, with new details arising as the plot progresses. Thus McKie becomes the moving force of the plot and the themes as well.