Claire LaZebnik Hosts a Q and A discussion
don't know what you have planned for this....
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I usually start with the germ of an idea--or, ideally, two or three ideas that become more interesting when they're combined--and then gradually flesh out the characters and the plot. I leave a lot to be discovered as I'm working on the manuscript. I often find a character takes on a life of his or her own and some relationships become more important than I realized in the early stages. And after I have one draft, I usually edit it in a direction, emphasizing the parts that work well and reducing or cutting the ones that don't. I do like writing in the first person: I find the narrator takes over my job at some point and leads the way.
Rickie's voice is so clear-I would think she forced her way out first!