“Begin with an individual and you find that you have created a type; begin with a type and you find that you have created – nothing.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald

“Supporting players should serve one of two purposes in a story. They either help or hinder the main character. They are allies or irritants. If they aren’t one or the other, what are they doing in the story except taking up space?” – James Scott Bell

“When someone is mean to me, I just make them a victim in my next book.” – Mary Higgins Clark

“Writers are always selling somebody out.” – Joan Didion

“When I used to teach creative writing, I would tell the students to make their characters want something right away – even if it’s only a glass of water. Characters paralyzed by the meaninglessness of modern life still have to drink water from time to time.” – Kurt Vonnegut