Maxine Thompson M axine Thompson has published 2 novels, The Ebony Tree and No Pockets in a Shroud, and has had numerous short stories, articles and essays published in magazines, anthologies and e-zines. I'll tell you who you are, a special co-worker once told me. First, let me explain what special means. So as you see, this was a ''gem'' spoken out of a ''special'' person's mouth. Although, at the time, I didn't quite understand what she meant, I now know what she was talking about is called ''character.'' In life, this could be a bad thing, but in fiction this is a good thing.
Nothing works better for memorable fiction than strong characters with flaws.
Sol Stein, in his book, Stein On Writing, points out that eccentricity is at the heart of all strong characterizations. In short, the most effective characters in fiction are tosome degree bizarre. Character is an essential part of the best fiction. Think of all the memorable characters in fiction. Pollyanna,'' and even ''Uncle Tom'' developed in our culture to express a personality, an outlook, a character trait.