What I do is put my characters into situations that are so precarious there is no way to get out. And then I figure how to get them out.

As I dictate, other characters come in and the story begins to form, and I really talk the story,

The fact that my female characters have strong personalities but are also physically attractive probably reflects the women I've known in my life.

If there is any secret to my success, I think it's that my characters are very real to me. I feel everything they feel, and therefore I think my readers care about them.

Don't give up. There are too many nay-sayers out there who will try to discourage you. Don't listen to them. The only one who can make you give up is yourself.

In a novel, on the other hand, you not only have to describe the rooms, but the clothes, the characters and what they are thinking. It's a much more in-depth process.