Do I know you?(Darrell Case) Are you just a name in a story? Do you have emotions? Do you have fears? Determination in your heart? Do you love? What is your day like? When you wake of a morning, what is the first thing you think of? What is the most important thing in your life? Do you have children? A wife, husband? For what or whom would you sacrifice your life? What is the greatest problem in your life? What could be the one thing that ruins all your efforts? Can you overcome evil or will it destroy you and everything and you love?
While you, as a writer, may not answer every question above at the beginning of your novel. You should be able to at the end. In the beginning, we write the first word without knowing who these people are. Someone has said we should interview our characters. We set them down and ask them their name. Then ask them to tell us about themselves. While this may be a suitable method for some, it doesn’t work for others. It is very difficult for me to stop a woman who is in a mad flight for her life. I, for one, like to find out along with the reader where the story is going. As I have said before, we weep with those who weep. We stand beside them at the casket of a loved one. We wrap our arms around them and weep with them. Put yourself in the place of your characters. Can you feel their fear, their love, their joy?

I’ve seen and I’m sure you have too. Movies where everyone else is dead and those alive are joyful. They have no remembrance of those who gave their lives for them. Is this true human emotion?

So, what is the solution? It is to walk with your characters. Get to know them. Feel their emotions, their pain, their joy and happiness. If you get to know them, you will love and share their lives.

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