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.
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.
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
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.
I think people throughout the world identify with my characters.
There's this sense of excitement because you invent and control the characters. You decide whether they live or die. I find this type of creative process tremendously stimulating.