In my first two months on Instagram, I've gotten to know a lot of Lego builders and photographers, and I'm honored that some of my favorite Lego people there have chosen to follow me. This morning, one of the most popular ones put out a call for advice on reorganizing her city. Right now, it's a hodgepodge--a clump of buildings here, a transit station over there, and a railroad track surrounding it all. I suggested choosing a center--something that her city now lacks--that can provide a focus for everything else.

When I write a novel, I have a "center" in mind--a protagonist who has a strong external desire and acts to achieve that desire. Underlying the protagonist's external desire and efforts to achieve it are powerful internal desires and beliefs. These should drive all of the action in the story. All of the scenes should relate to this center and should end with the protagonist closer to or further away his or her goal.

An effective Lego town also needs a center, and I told the builder that whatever center she chooses will set the tone for the entire city. For my Lego city, Little Brick Township, I chose Town Hall as the center.