Character development is a fascinating process if you want to do it in a way where the reader will give a damn about them. If you spend 80,000 or so words reading a book and you come through it going, meh, whatever -- that's probably a bad sign a doomsday scenario for any self-respecting writer. That's why most authors spend so much time researching and delving into their character's backgrounds.

For instance, I have pages upon pages that will never see the light of day about the characters in my books. They are for me -- so I can understand what really makes them three dimensional. But this is not a skill learned overnight. It takes so much discipline and creative effort, not only to not use what is not needed but to imagine a person worth inventing.

The protagonist in my latest book, Jonathan Abraham, is a complex character. I'm not going to spoil anything for you, but he is the kind of person who lives in a world of gray. It took me a very long time (years) to hone in on what really makes him a person worth caring about. For those who read the book, HAVEN'S POINT, I hope you would agree that Jonathan represents the kind of depth worthy of your time and effort to learn about him. Jonathan is, as well as the other characters, devised to bring a world to you that matters. Hopefully, the extra work in making sure the character research pays off.