I know, it's the age-old debate among writers. Which is more important, plot or character? Does a well crafted plot drive the characters, or does a well crafted character drive the plot? Here are a few things I've learned: You must know your characters. Whether they are inspired by real people you know, or a figment of your imagination, you must know them: know their background, their likes and dislikes, their sense of humour, what drives them, their personality type, what they desire most and fear most. So how do you nail all this down? It's a bit like snatching cobwebs from the air and trying to write with them. I've used character profiles sheets given to me in a workshop, but I also use visual aids. I ask myself, what does he/she look like? And then I browse images on the net to find a lookalike. In this way, I put together a group of people to exist, especially for my story. It doesn't matter if they're famous people, (particularly if it's a cute...