When character(s) matters

The question is as old as fiction itself. In a novel and other works of literature, which is more important? Writing or story?

Depending on who you ask, the answer is clear. Some readers value writing more than the story. Others do just the opposite.

Most novelists value both. They try to write a great story in prose that shines. I know I do. Even when I fail, I attempt to do both.

Then there is the third element. Often shoved to the side, it is as vital to the success of a novel as the writing and the story.

That element is the characters. Without compelling characters, even a well-written story can founder. It can fail to hold a reader.

I did not pick this up right away. I wrote several books, in fact, before readers reminded me, sometimes not so gently, that characters matter. I learned that flawed, sympathetic protagonists and nuanced villains are as essential to a work as a solid plot.

In my next book, The Refuge, readers will see flaws and nuance galore. They will see good guys (and gals) show their harsher sides, confident souls struggle with major life decisions, and ruthless killers find love. They will see people at their best and their worst.

They will also see old friends in a new light, colorful secondary characters, and historical figures in familiar roles. They will see the human mosaic that was Oahu, Hawaii, in the months leading up to the December 7, 1941, attack on Pearl Harbor.

The Refuge, the fourth book in the Time Box series, is in the second stage of the editing process. It is set for a June 1 release.