Shirley
asked
Kristan Higgins:
When you write a novel, do you start with an outline? Do you change your characters after you start writing? Do they "talk to you"? Have you written any characters that you didn't like in the beginning?
Kristan Higgins
Great question! Yes, I do like to outline, probably too much. And yes, the characters change a great deal! I think a writer can't really know their characters until they've written about 200 pages. There are some characters who start off being a little too tough or cynical or dopey, but one thing I always try to do is make sure they have other characteristics, too. So if they're cynical, they're also kind. If they're dopey, they're also optimistic. And I try to give them reasons for being the way they are... backstory, in other words.
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