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I finished another round of revisions on FORTITUDE. Yes, I thought I was done last fall, but nope, still had room to improve—and still do, I’m sure! Each time I edit, I get a clearer picture of the characters: who they are, what they stand for, what roll to they play to each other. Even though I begin writing with character files and notebooks, nothing takes the place of hours upon hours with a character. A lot of who I thought a person was has changed by the sixth rewrite. Now that I’m doubly past that, I’m thinking “whoa, and I thought ______ was just a ____,” or something like that. The characters in FORTITUDE are deeper than I ever imagined.

A lot can be said for real life people, too. In an age when we tend to make snap judgments based on a person’s social media activity, living situation, etc., I say nothing takes the place of spending quality time with each other. Don’t be so quick to shove someone into a box based on what they wear, their education, or what they might repost. People are deeper than their outward expressions. There’s a lot going on inside on any given day. Take the time to discover what it is before you dismiss someone’s opinion, or their value as a character.