Creating the Characters...

For me, creating a character in a novel is much like meeting a new friend. At first you only know what they look like. Tall or short, pudgy or skinny, smiley or morose. When I create a new character, I need to know what they look like, even if it's just in my head and not yet on paper. Then, like when I get to know a new friend, I discover more things about them. They don't like onions or they always sleep on their left side or they are allergic to mosquito spray. Do these character elements always make it into the story? No, not at all. But do they all add to what the character is like? Of course. And, like with a friend, I get to know the character more as I write the story. Sometimes it takes three or four or ten passes at the draft before I really get to know the character. But when I do finally "find" that character, it's much like making a good friend. Which makes "The End" a hard thing to write. Because, now that I finally know that character inside and out, I'm done with them. And the process starts all over again...