Ask Midge: Character

Q: How do you write a first-person character whose voice doesn't sound like the writer's own? At some point does the character just take on his/her own life and you, the author, disappear? — J.W., Seattle

A: Many writers choose to write in a first-person POV because this voice comes naturally — it's similar to writing in a journal or writing a blog entry. But, as J.W.'s question points out, when it comes to fiction writing, an author needs to make the sure the character can live and breathe...