It is amazing how little it takes to spark the concept for a story or a novel. Sometimes a simple conversation or a news story makes me wonder, what if, and I’m off plotting some new project.  More often, it is a casual meeting with a stranger that ignites my creativity.  Without conscious effort, a new character begins to form in my imagination and I have to get him down on paper before that fleeting glimpse is gone. For it is characters that most often drive my stories. Once a character becomes real to me, he or she writes the story, often acting and reacting in ways I would never have imagined. I have never learned to write with the restraint of an outline. It is only after knowing my characters thoroughly that they entrust me with their fates, and allow me to tell their stories.