I suppose that when I'm building a character, it's usually related to what their family is like and who their parents are, as well as how I grew up - that nurture side.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
I have frequently gained my first real insight into the character of parents by studying their children.
There is a common theme, though, in the stories I have told, which are usually associations of characters or families that are formed outside of a family circle.
I believe my readers are crazy about their parents and want to be just like them when they grow up.
My school of thought with going into a character is that you have to understand where they come from, and you have to empathize with them.
Parents look at me like I'm somebody pretty important, and say, We were raised on your characters, and now we're enjoying them all over again with our children.
Looking back, I see that I write books about brothers and sisters, about what makes up a family, what works and what is nurturing.
Family tends to be one of the recurring themes in my fiction.
I shy away from plot structure that depends on the characters behaving in ways that are going to eventually be explained by their childhood, or by some recent trauma or event. People are incredibly complicated. Who knows why they are the way they are?
I think the sense of community that exists with all the characters - that's the answer. The fact that they have found a family in their friends. It does give some depth and meaning to their lives.
One of the things that's important about family is the narrative history they create for themselves.
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