Stotan! is as an ensemble novel, one in which characters are more important than plot. Indeed, Crutcher himself suggests that he begins writing by first creating characters and only then worrying about the story. While Stotan! is narrated by Walker Dupree, the captain of the swim team, it is more about the team than individual people. Most of the novel centers on each team member's attempt to become a "Stotan," which is "a cross between a Stoic and a Spartan."

The novel is presented as a series of Walker's journal entries. As he describes himself, Walker is both a budding journalist and a storyteller. It is Walker who grows the most during the novel, as he begins to recognize the uncertainty of life and realize that many of his questions do not have answers. His friend, Lionel "Lion" Serbousek, has already proved he is a Stotan...