Beginning Quote by Kurt Vonnegut

In most novels, the landscape, or the place, in which the story takes part is simply a backdrop to the human action.

— Paul Kingsnorth

I do think that I have a more flexible view of the interactions between people, and between human and non-human protagonists, humans and their…

— Karen Russell

The important thing is for the characters to feel real, and to be given the humanity they are due. That granting of humanity is…

— David Levithan

“But when the self—not a fictional character—is the landscape of the story, we can’t afford to be blind to our own themes and the…

— Dani Shapiro

I think almost always that what gets me going with a story is the atmosphere, the visual imagery, and then I people it with…

— Ann Beattie

To be human is to be in a story.

— Anonymous

Always tell us where we are. And don't just tell us where something is, make it pay off. Use description of landscape to help…

— Janet Fitch

It's a beautiful aspect of narrative construction, hunting for the right images and metaphors to render our character's hearts/minds/souls as though they're ecosystems, full-fledged…

— Joshua Mohr

You are your own stories and therefore free to imagine and experience what it means to be human… And although you don't have complete…

— Toni Morrison

I think writers should create characters who are human and have a character arc of their own.

— Abhishek Banerjee

“Human beings don’t necessarily exist inside of (or correspond to) the neat racial, gendered or national boxes into which we often unthinkingly place them.…

— Moshin Hamid

Somerset Maugham said that it took at least six human beings to make one fictional character. That is true of landscape as well, I…

— Mary Lee Settle