Fascination with Folks

In my opinion, the most important tool in a novelist’s arsenal is empathy. A writer must be able to put herself into the shoes (i.e. minds and emotions) of people of all types and persuasions. A writer must be able to empathize not only with her heroes but also with her villains.

Easier said than done.

Sometimes the way people behave mystifies me. Over the past year, I have watched as one woman has tried (and is still trying) to force her will on others. Sometimes she’s acted irrationally, some...