“I should love to do a novel, about one abnormal character seeing present-day life, very ordinary life, yet arresting through it, abnormality, until at the end the reader sees, and with little reluctance, that he is not abnormal at all, and that the main character might as well be himself.” ShouldWellsLittlesEndsCharacterMightNovelSeeingReaderOrdinaryAbnormalPresent DayOrdinary LifeDay LifeReluctanceMain CharactersAbnormalityArresting Author:Patricia Highsmith
“My books are based on emotions, feelings, relationships. In these areas women are experts, so it's not strange that the main characters of my novels are females.” BookCharacterFeelingsEmotionNovelStrangeAreasFemaleExpertsMain CharactersEmotions Feelings Author:Isabel Allende
“Introduce your main characters and themes in the first third of your novel. If you are writing a plot-driven genre novel make sure all your major themes/plot elements are introduced in the first third, which you can call the introduction. Develop your themes and characters in your second third, the development. Resolve your themes, mysteries and so on in the final third, the resolution.” IfsWritingFirstsCharacterNovelMysteryDevelopmentElementsMajorsThirdsFinalsDrivenGenreThemePlotResolveResolutionIntroducingIntroductionMain Characters Author:Michael Moorcock
“I abhor crime novels in which the main character can behave however he or she pleases, or do things that normal people do not do, without those actions having social consequences.” PeopleCharacterActionSocialNovelCrimePleaseNormalConsequenceBehaveMain CharactersCrime Novels Author:Steig Larsson
“For my second novel, The Apothecary's Daughter, my editor encouraged me to think of another unusual profession for a woman to have. That led to the main character, Lilly Haswell, who finds herself doing the work of an apothecary at a time when it was illegal for women to do so.” ThinkingCharacterNovelDaughterProfessionIllegalEditorsUnusualMain CharactersApothecary Author:Julie Klassen
“I don't think I ever intended specifically to write for the young adult market. It's just that when the idea for City of Bones came to me, I knew the main characters were teenagers. In my mind they were just very clearly the ages they were, which turned out to mean it was a YA novel.” ThinkingWritingMindMeanIdeasCharacterAgeYoungCitiesNovelAdultsYoung AdultBonesTeenagerMain Characters Author:Cassandra Clare
“I do think that in the near future, if it hasn't happened already, people will be able to use technology to design their own novels, perhaps with individuals themselves as the main character. In other words, everything is being individualized and narrowed.” PeopleIfsThinkingCharacterUseAbleIndividualTechnologyNovelHappenedDesignMain Characters Author:Don DeLillo
“I've never before had the same main character appear in consecutive novels, but I liked Yancy and his attitude, and I was curious to see what would happen to him after Bad Monkey. And I liked the idea of him still trying to get his detective job back while he's stuck on roach patrol.” TryingStillsIdeasCharacterHappensJobsAttitudeNovelStuckCuriousMonkeysDetectivesMain CharactersRoachesConsecutive Author:Carl Hiaasen