A Goodreads user asked Louise Phillips:

Louise, how do you get to know your characters? Their backgrounds, history, relationships etc?

Louise Phillips Hi Karmel - and thank you for you question. My characters usually start with a voice, and by that I mean their narrative voice on the page. I have used bio's, in particular emotional bio's to add more layers, but generally, their voice will grow as the novel progresses, and as I dig deeper into their choices and the life they led before the story begins. I am often surprised by the direction some of my characters take, and sometimes, I have been very lucky, and the voice appears almost complete from day one. I think every good writer will know when a character is working well, as do readers, and once you have that, then their relationships with others in the fictional world, will be as natural as the development of relationships in the real world. I hope this answers your question. Best and warmest wishes, Louise

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