One of my all-time heroes.

I was recently asked to explain what inspires me as a writer. And if you're wondering what Mister Rogers has to do with what I'm about to say, read on. Please note that the image and my caption is sincere. He is one of my heroes.



What inspires me as a writer? My inspiration comes from what's precious to people. Love, passion, courage and beliefs. We cling to these every day, no matter who or where we are. This is what it means to be human and alive. This is what gets me out of bed in the morning and takes me into the story world I want to build.





I don't want to write about paragons of virtue, because--and here is my Mister Rogers reference, because he said it first--nobody's good all the time and nobody's bad all the time. This is what makes people real and endearing, and this is what makes characters real and sympathetic.

But I do want my characters to do their best to be true to what they care about and true to themselves, even when they aren't sure they know themselves at all.



If they don't care about someone or something, how can I make readers care about them? If they aren't in danger of losing something precious to them, or struggling to protect something precious to them, or willing to stand up for something precious to them, they can't possibly be someone a real human being can identify with. Because people do exactly this every single day of their lives.



And yes, Mister Rogers was right: people can like you just the way you are. :) I hope to make characters who, like people, come across as just that sincere and believable.