Characters in the world

As writers, we spend a lot of time thinking about our characters. It’s one of those happy requirements, something we both enjoy doing and have to do. Unless we understand our characters completely, we run the risk of sounding unauthentic or contrived.

Many writers take a questionnaire approach, writing down answers to questions about motivations and desires. How does the character feel about chocolate? What about yogurt? What motivates the character? Does the character love chocolate mixed i...