“It is the genius of great fiction to reveal the way it feels to be another person. Empathically connecting to experiences of love, hate, despair or joy is one of the major reasons people will pick up your book. But it is important to remember that our feelings are intimately tied to what we think. Anger arises not only because we don’t get what we want, but also because we don’t get what we deserve. Grief comes because we lose something we love, something we think is worth loving. Our most intense feelings are connected to our most deeply held philosophical visions of justice and value. As you develop your characters, show us what they are thinking that contributes to their intense emotions. What makes something valuable ir hateful to them? What do they think they and others deserve in life? Also, what do you think about what they think?”

— Roger S. Gottlieb, The Writer, July 2014