There is something altogether more attractive about a character whose body makes more simple and controlled gestures. The bestselling character eats, nods, opens, closes, says, sleeps, types, watches, turns, runs, shoots, kisses, and dies. Actually, male and female characters die and survive with equal frequency in the bestseller—though those who are dying and surviving are not necessarily the lead roles. The important thing to note is that in the bestselling novel someone is often doing something as dramatic as surviving or dying, and they are not, as their lesser-selling friends prefer,
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