p.m. terrell @pmterrell
Award-winning "Twist and Turn" author
Heraclitus, the famed Greek philosopher, said that “change
is the only constant in life.”
When envisioning readers, it’s important to understand that
each one is undergoing change. Changes may be subtle, such as steadily growing
older. Other changes may be dramatic, like a sudden personality change. Some
can be seen with the naked eye, such as a spine that’s more stooped, while
others are invisible because they are taking place internally.
A book that stands the test of time and becomes a classic is
one in which the main character is completely transformed. This often occurs
when an average individual encounters extraordinary circumstances. Those
situations may be positive or negative on their surfaces, such as winning a
lottery or losing a limb, respectively. However, what begins as a positive or
negative often transforms the character in the opposite direction. It is that
spiral that the accomplished writer should seek to portray, and the more
detailed the circumstances, oddly, the more readers will identify with the
character.
