Quote by John Gardner

“The principle that characters do not want to change applies to more than just fiction.”

— Donald Miller

“The good characters in my book are loosely based on folks I know. All the bad stuff is made up.”

— Mike Bove

“Never let something you want to happen in a story tie the hands of your characters and especially not your villain. If your hero…

— Alex Woolfson

“I began to write fiction on the assumption that the true enemies of the novel were plot, character, setting and theme.”

— John Hawkes

“Good fiction is trawling back into the past and digging up the real characters who've influenced your entire being.”

— Ken Scott

“The Fiction defense. Sometimes I just need to use it.”

— C. Kennedy

“I want characters to do bad things and get away with their misdeeds. I want characters to think ugly thoughts and make ugly decisions.…

— Roxane Gay

“But I’m starting to think that most villains aren’t evil—they are just misunderstood. Or victims of that most manipulative force: love.”

— Karina Halle

“Word to the wise writer...never underestimate your secondary characters! But watch them...they sneak off with stuff.”

— Ka Hancock

“Not all fiction writers are evil, just the ones good at their job. After all, it's not a decent book if it can't make…

— Ellie Rose McKee

“In books, often the bad guys have a story too, and sometimes it is just as tragic as the hero’s.”

— Jennifer Megan Varnadore

“trying to outrun the novelist’s most insidious enemy, which is doubt.”

— Stephen King