Who is your favorite character to write? Least favorite?

Instead of an individual character, I’ll speak in general terms.  I like writing about characters that are surprising to me.  Where I either don’t see them coming (their voice just pops up) or I’ve thought of them, but they do something totally unexpected. 

Least favorite characters are those that feel like they have no soul.  Like they are just going through the motions.  I have two characters in story I wrote who are wrapped in a domestically abusive relationship.  I hate them both.  They feel one-note and unmotivated to me, if that makes sense.  They are doing things and acting out towards each other, but I’m like “so what.”  I feel like the point is missing.  The why of who they both are and what gotten them to this point.  So they sit on the page and the story doesn’t sing.

In what story did you feel you did the best job of world-building? Any side-notes on it you’d like to share?

Hmm…tough one.  I think the story I mentioned in another post where I spent time building description about a company.  This included the interior physical structure as well as using dialogue between the main characters to give a taste of the company culture. 

What’s your favorite culture to write, fictional or not?

I’m widespread here, nothing that is a favorite.

How do you map out locations, if needed? Do you have any to show us?

I typically don’t need to do this.  My locations are pretty small in scope– office building, home, car, basement, stretch of road being travelled, etc. 

Midway question! Tell us about a writer you admire, whether professional or not!

First answer – Stephen King (no secret I’m a huge fan) for content, quality and quantity.  And for telling it like it is in his book On Writing.  Second answer, all of the writers I’ve met in person and virtually who are dedicated to their craft from beginning (creation) to end (submission).  I embraced the courage to submit (more consistently) this year and am looking forward to where that road will lead.

Do you write romantic relationships? How do you do with those, and how “far” are you willing to go in your writing?

Yeah, romantic relationships that then veer off into “whoa, watch out” land.  I have a piece I wrote with a killer temp worker who used sex as a distraction.  Some of the scenes went graphically far, but I then I edited them down.  That level of edgy detail didn’t further the story and started to stand out and take away from the other content.

Favorite protagonist and why!

Need to noodle a bit more on this one.  When I was younger, it was Holden Caulfield because I got his “what the bleep” view on the phonies of society.