Character Led or Situation Siezed

I have always written about people. Situations come later. I don't think i would choose to write about something that happened and then fit in some characters. I don't know why. Just the way my mind works, I guess. If I'm watching a TV drama, I need to feel empathy for the characters pretty quickly or I lose interest. My first foray into novel writing, 'The Harlequin Triangle' trilogy had what my editor called 'a large cast'. I was concerned that my readers wouldn't like so many characters - that it would be confusing and put people off. In the end, I think there was only one person who complained.

'Believing in Butterfly' concentrated on six major characters, some of whom were not particularly likeable. As with acting a character for a play or a film, it's quite important to find something you like about them. Very few people are completely devoid of at least one acceptable trait, I believe. I discovered that once you have found a point of vulnerability in a character, they come alive. Yes, there are people we love to hate but, if we find some human quality to which we can relate, we start to invest in the outcome of what occurs in their stories.

At the moment, the nation is gripped by 'Line of Duty', a drama by Jed Mercurio on the BBC and, although the writing is superb, I believe it is our fondness for the three main characters and consequently, our concern in what happens to them, that has made this series the success it is. I have to say, there have been some amazing characters in my life, mostly the best of people. Some I miss terribly and some who I know would be quite surprised at where I've ended up.