Over at the Queensland Writers Centre WQ Magazine, I talk about my Top Five Tips for Believable Characters.
Characters: we love them, we hate them, sometimes we want to be them, but the most important thing is that, no matter how we feel about them, they are our guides through the stories we read. So, how do you ensure (and when I say ‘ensure’ I mean ‘do your level best’) that your characters are ones that readers will stay with? Even better, ones that will stay with readers long after they read The End? I mean, in a good way, not a nasty, stalkery kind of way.
When I’m writing I have five touchstones to which I always turn when creating characters, and to which I return when I feel I haven’t got things quite right. ‘What are these magical top five tips for creating believable characters?’ I hear you demand?
I’m so glad you asked! *gets on soapbox*
For the rest, go here.