Why Really Getting to Know Your Characters Makes Your Story Richer

Today I’m the visiting professor over at one of my favorite blogs, Romance University. We’re discussing a topic essential to any story–your characters. My stories are character-driven. However, even in a plot-driven story, the main characters shoulder most of the load. If the character doesn’t feel real, the reader will quickly lose interest.

A character that isn’t fully formed is akin to a flat paper doll as opposed to a three-dimensional one that feels real to the touch and mimics the activi...