As a story-teller, my process begins with a character. It is then my job to bring them out into the light of day.
Sometimes I know him or her well.
Sometimes I’ve just eavesdropped on a conversation or a thought. The whole person is still deep in shadows, waiting to reveal who he really is.
Stage Two is when I start to think about the What Ifs.
Sometimes this will be background and setting stuff – like what if my hero stumbles across Napoleon? Or the Hadron collider? Or an international conspiracy?
But usually it’s more personal. Characters in novels are awkward sods.
What if my character insists on making a different choice from what I expect? Continue reading
