I like your books because the characters are so well written. How do you decide how much information to give the reader about each character?

Rachel Caine Thank you, I'm honored you like the characters!

I start out like the reader, typically not knowing a whole lot about the character beyond the basics ... part of the joy of writing for me is discovering things about the characters as I go. So I only give the reader what the character themselves discloses, in a sense.

It's tougher with point of view characters, where they can (especially in first person) tell you everything, but the idea is that if it isn't necessary to know it (or isn't super compelling!) then leave it out.

I also try to keep my character profiles up to date as I go along, so if I mention the character went to a particular place or knew a particular person, I note it down. Saves a lot of trouble later! And by the end of the book I have a robust character profile, but (hopefully) without oversharing.

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