Creating SHTF Fiction Characters – How I Came Up With Scratch

Early cover art for THEM

Being one of the few authors writing booksin theSHTF fiction genre, readers are often curious about how I come up with ideas formy novels.

One question I get asked a lot is about how I came up with Scratch Sullivan. It’s funny, because I had no idea how memorable the character would be when I first thought him up.

Yet, my readers seem to develop an immediate connection with him. Maybe it’s because he’s hard as nails, yet he still maintains a certain vulnerability abou...