When writing a novel, how can a character be developed well, but QUICKLY?

“I’m just a fan of your catch and release program.”

“Well, maybe if you didn’t spend all day reading—” May prodded the book with its garishly-coloured cover with her foot. “Bizarre comic book porn…”

“I need to do laundry.”

Do people really never face any hidden costs or surprises with surgeries in countries with single-payer healthcare like the NHS?

May studied the black and white comic panels. “Oh, my. She looks…anatomically implausible. What is she doing to that poor man? Wait, are those cat ears?”

“From the look of you, if you try to sleep now, you’ll spend the next three hours hanging onto your bed trying to stop the world spinning. Since you’re not going to sleep anyway, you might as well keep me company.”

Doing something they enjoy, that expresses their personality, and that is in some way unusual or noteworthy;

Why are there so many single moms in America?

“Number one, it’s not porn, it’s ecchi, and number two, why would I waste a perfectly good Saturday doing anything else?” Claire pulled at her tea and sighed. “The only thing that could make this day better is if you'd come home with some cute boy, so that after you kicked him out tomorrow I could live vicariously through you.”

“I know! That’s why I’m putting them under you!”

“I’m serious!” Claire said. “It’s staring straight at me.” She let the curtain fall. “Weird.”

What happens when you need emergency surgery in countries with universal healthcare vs the US?

“I don’t know. Partying. Going to a pub. Anything besides sitting on the couch reading…” She squinted. “What the hell are you reading?”

Claire, one of May’s three flatmates, former university roommate, and best friend in all the world, shrugged expansively. “It’s a Saturday night. What else would I be doing?”

“Fine.” May collapsed into the warm spot Claire had just vacated.

Why is my elder sister so mean?

“I try not to, but thank you for reminding me. I know I don’t need a cat. I don’t want a cat. What would I do with a cat?”

“Exactly.”

“Perv.”

Do girls ever miss their first love?

Create a context between this character and other characters.

“But they’re cold!”

“I’ll put the kettle on.”

What are the most significant instances of romantic jealousy in the Harry Potter series?

“Hang on, are they playing ping-pong?”

“Yep!” Claire chirped. “There’s this schoolboy, see, and he’s homeless, so he lives in this boarding house that used to be a hot springs bathhouse, which is cheap because it’s haunted, so he decides—”

“Damn straight. So get to it! This time next week, I want to hear some moans coming through that wall.”

What is an appropriate response to someone saying "merci" in French?

“You need some tea!”

“So you didn’t meet any cute boys at the club tonight?” Claire called as she bustled about the small kitchen.

They both burst out laughing. “I’m right, though,” Claire went on.

Why are men obsessed with breasts and their size? I don't quite see women being obsessed with the penis - Why is this so?

“Thanks. You’re looking pretty ratty yourself. Have you been in that bathrobe all day?”

“Yes way. It’s washing itself under the street light. Uh-oh, I think it spotted me. It knows I’m watching it. I swear it’s looking at me.”

In the kitchen, Claire set out a battered pair of mugs: May’s black, with “PEBKAC: Problem Exists Between Keyboard and Chair” in white letters; Claire’s white, with “This must be Thursday. I never could get the hang of Thursdays” in dark blue. She carried both mugs into the living room. “A moggie followed you home? Is this some weird Internet slang I’m not current on?”

Can you share a lesson that you learned later in life and how it has impacted your current lifestyle, mentality, or attitude?

May yelped. “Hey! Your feet are cold!”

The agent had only one bad thing to say (the synopsis was crap; writing synopses is hard!), but praised the characterization and particularly how well we introduced a character’s personality quickly.

“It’s not looking at you.”

Why do some people dislike Gilmore girls?

“Well, maybe if you’d wear more clothes, they wouldn’t feel so cold. Hussy!”

Claire sat back down, legs tucked elegantly beneath her. “You are looking a bit sloppy,” she said, inspecting May through narrowed eyes.

Essentially, what you do is show the character:

Does being poor build better character than being born rich?

“Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs!” Claire turned the book around.

Engaging in conversation that also shows something about their intelligence, personality, wit (or lack thereof); and

“Cute girls?”

How do you say "I don't speak French yet, but I hope to speak it well one day. It would be a pleasure to learn French with you. Would you like to teach me French?" in French? Could you add audio?

“About wearing more clothes? How am I supposed to catch any fish if I don’t show off the bait?”

May pushed Claire’s feet away. Claire rose to peer out the window. “Huh. It’s still there.”

“Exactly.”

Why do untreated borderlines always blame their partners when they actually think they are normal?

“Claire! Why are you still up?”

“Claire, I—”

“May! You’re home late! Early, I mean. Well, I mean, it’s early in the morning, but you’re home before I expected. Er, after. Before?”

What kind of person does a narcissist hate?

Do that and you can ground your characters quite quickly.

“I’m glad my sex life is so entertaining.”

“Nary a cute boy in sight.”

What are some of your shocking stories?

“It’s a cat. All cats are weird.” May sipped from her mug, inhaling the warmth. She closed her eyes. The room spun. She opened them again. “Ugh. I think I drank too much.”

“You know what? Never mind,” May said. “I am way, way too drunk to be having this conversation.”

“None of those either. Look upon the wasteland that is my sex life, and see that it is barren. Naught but a moggie followed me home.”

Here’s how we presented the character Claire when she was introduced, which the agent particularly singled out:

“They are! He broke the rules of the boarding house by petting this character while she was in cat form, so they invoke the ancient rules of single combat via ping-pong, and—”

“Nope, I mean a cat followed me home. A black cat, to be exact. All the way from the club. Probably still out there, for all I know.”

“You don’t need a cat. You can’t take care of a cat. You can’t take care of a ficus.” Claire flopped on the other side of the sofa and wriggled her feet beneath May.

“Tart!”

After Eunice and I finished London Under Veil, I entered the first chapter in a contest at a convention where you could submit something and have it critiqued by a professional book agent.

“Why is that always your first suggestion? I do not need some tea. It’s three o’clock in the morning! If I have tea, I’ll never get to sleep.”

“No, about the cat. You don’t need a cat. You remember what happened to your spider plant, right?”

“No way.”