Morris Gleitzman Quotes

As a writer, you have to realize that people want to like the characters, so you have to be careful to keep them involved.

I am a firm believer that a good plot makes for a fun enough read, but it's not what binds us. If we don't care about the characters, we won't care - not in a lasting way - about what's happening to them.

My characters are always utterly sympathetic to me, if that makes any sense.

I have to have a character worth caring about. I tend not to start writing books about people I don't have a lot of sympathy for because I'm just going to be with them too long.

If you can't laugh at your own characters, or shed a tear for them, or even get angry at one of them, no one else will either.

I think it is important that you care about the characters, and you are not just waiting for the next action sequence but have a vested interested in what happens to them.

If I don't fall in love with my characters, I cannot shoot.

I can tell you that as a writer and as a reader, I regard character as king. Or queen. No matter how riveting the action or interesting the plot twists, if I don't feel like I'm meeting someone who feels real, I'm not going to be compelled to read further.

Besides the mistakes that are pointed out, I love the way readers become involved with the characters. When readers start asking about character motivations instead of concentrating on the special effects, it means you're connecting with them on a personal level.

I always want to make sure I'm telling a story about people that I care about.

If you have great characters, then your reader becomes emotionally invested in those people.

I've always felt, even with sketches, that if you don't care about these people, then it doesn't matter.

You can't make the audience fall in love with a character you don't like.

One of the things that happens when you write characters - and maybe this is my own sentimentality - is that I always find I have an instinct to protect them.

I'm focused on finding characters I connect to.

If the reader doesn't care or relate to the characters, all that visual spectacle is pretty but feels empty.

Something that 'Game of Thrones' always does successfully is that action sequences are never just action sequences. There's always a point of view, and you're always identifying with one person or one group of people.

I love characters songs and I love to fit into a story. I love singing through a character's journey.

One of the things that separates a good genre movie from a bad genre movie, I always think, ironically, is when you care about the people. The dime a dozen ones are where you don't have any awareness of the character.

There's no rule that we have to like the characters movies are about.

I care about all the characters I play, and I get quite defensive about them.

Sympathetic characters usually have a voice. They usually don't have any trouble being heard.

I seem to have to make my characters family before I can access their hearts in any way that matters.

If you can relate to what the character's going through, the story can be as ridiculous as possible, and people will relate to it. You can be fearless in your storytelling if you're vigilant about protecting your characters.

I'm hopefully making the reader feel a lot about the characters and then about their own life.