I’ve started a new segment where I’ve asked a variety of authors to answer a few questions that I pose. Of course, I love a twist. All answers had to be no more than two sentences. Brevity presents a greater challenge.

For me the process was delightful as well as insightful. I love that authors can express our personalities and style in so few words. Just check out the varied responses to the first question!

The first question: What is the single characteristic you try to include about every major character to help readers visualize him or her?

“Body type—It’s a gay thing.”

Daniel W. Kelly, author of Rise of the Thing Down Below

Site: www.danielwkelly.com

“Each character has their own mannerisms and quirks, and for me my major characters tend to develop these from the beginning of my stories.  I think that they go side by side with the subtle insertion of physical appearance for characters to come alive in the minds of readers.”

Jo Robinson, author of Echoes of Narcissus in the Gardens of Delight

Site:  www.africolonialstories.wordpress.com/

“Temperament is more important than looks, since readers always draw faces from their own imagination and the character being obnoxious, pleasant, whatever, determines what face/form the reader conjures – meaning, Pitt or Perlman could leap to mind, contingent on narrative prompts, yet a reader’s visualization needs to be accurate *enough* to serve the story … writers can only ever provide those prompts.”

Mel Keegan, author of the Hellgate series

Site: www.melkeegan.com

Adrian W. Lilly is the author of The Runes Trilogy, The Devil You Know, and Red Haze.