Quotes from Debra Dixon

There are no new plots, but there are plenty of fresh new characters with whom you can grab the reader. Characterization is the key to successful commercial fiction. Characterization starts with goal, motivation, and conflict. Character

Cowards and courage make for great conflict. Embodied within the statement above is the idea that imperfect heroes are the most satisfying because true courage is facing what you fear, trying even though the odds of failure are great. Internal

Just as the word "because" triggers a clause of motivation, the word "but" triggers a clause of conflict.

if the thought of conflict and trouble makes you chortle gleefully and race to your computer, you are definitely in the right place. If you love conflict, chances are your characters will be flawed and in trouble. That's a good thing. Here's why: People with perfect lives are boring, and . . . well . . . frankly, they're irritating. How

The strength of your book is your conflict. For many writers that sentence should read, "The strength of your book is your villain." How

Men ask such stupid questions.

We don't like writing. We like having written.

Writers write. Period. No matter how hard it is. One word after another. Sometimes the sentences spill quickly from our fingertips, and other times we bang our heads against the wall wondering why we do this to ourselves.

Even light comedy should be well motivated. It's foolish to assume that a shorter book needs any less attention in the GMC department. In fact, a shorter book needs stronger GMC. By that I mean clear, understandable GMC. Short books can't waste time rambling. You've got to set up your characters and get out of the way. A

External motivation is usually the most important to establish early in the book. Internal motivation can take a bit longer to develop and be woven into the fabric of the story one thread at a time. Coincidence:

A goal is a desired result, a purpose or an objective. A goal is the prize or reward that your character wants to obtain or achieve. Everybody likes a winner, and readers are no exception to that rule.