on Fiction University:
To be a great writer, it helps to be a terrible parent (but only to your characters).
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I have this philosophy for my characters—what doesn’t kill them makes them more interesting. It allows me to be as ruthless and mean to them as I want, because I know that in the end, all their suffering will make readers love them even more..
My characters aren’t happy about this, of course, but they understand the necessity.
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One of my favorite “evil things” to do to them is force them to face horrible, if not impossible, choices. Choices that will tear them in two, make them question themselves and the path they took, and often leave them in dire situations with no hope in sight.
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<cackles gleefully>
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Why do I heap such hardships on my poor characters? Because…
Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog 
It’s definitely key to have characters with “character” or attitude in a story. You need to find a reason to grab the reader firmly from the first few pages and not allow them to leave until they have read the last page. It’s not easy to do, but characters in my opinion are always key to a good book.
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Haha. I can think of at least one character who hates me after the way I embarrassed him by having him serenade the heroine yesterday. Thanks for sharing, Chris. Best to Janice. Hugs on the wing!
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❤️
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