Characters!

Hey! I was going through my old school files and found these podcasts I made about writing! Each one is an interview with a different published, award-winning author. I’ve got three: Plot, Characters, and Setting. I can’t figure out how to embed them here 'cause I can't get to the code, but if anyone knows how I’d love to share them. They say pretty much everything I want to say. For now I’ll just add this little note:

You don’t need to include every bit of research or inspiration you got about your character or plot in the actual story. Especially in short fiction, you want to just focus on those salient details that 1.) Progress the plot/conflict or 2.) Develop your character in some pertinent and necessary way. By character development I mean something that validates a previous or upcoming action. If you spend a scene discussing how much your character hates arachnids, but your character is never faced with crossing a pit of deadly, giant, poisonous spiders it doesn’t matter. But if you’re character does quirky, crazy things, you’re going to have to establish early on that your character is quirky and crazy. Clear as mud?