the book were from totally different backgrounds, had different memories and different lifestyles. One depended upon the other to make the story come to life, though it was the thought processes themselves which brought every page to life. The contrasts between them were marvelous and the writer had readers believing something almost impossible to fathom in ordinary life, simply because she took the time to write down the thought processes of her characters.

Fantasy and escape.

Often people escape into another world of fantasy. It is here that dreams are born. It is here that the housewife may find solace from her lack of adventure, or the old man handicapped and confined to a wheelchair find that they can still run through a field of flowers. These thoughts of fantasy and escape help the reader to understand the depth of characters. Instead of being a bored housewife, the lady character becomes a heroine with heroic thoughts, dreams and ambitions. The inanimate man in the wheelchair becomes a real character with thoughts which make up for the lack of movement, and memories and fantasies which make them alive and vibrant.

Putting the thought processes into your fiction writing adds a wealth to the written word. Characters start to shine. Where would we be without an understanding of the remorse of Ebenezer Scrooge? Without knowing where the remorse came from or what lead him to that particular stage in his life when he realized the error of his ways, no-one would remember a mean man who thought only of money. Add the thoughts and the man becomes someone we all remember and use as an example for life. Thoughts are every bit as important as height, weight, build, background and class. They add a richness to writing that would otherwise be bland. Imagine your life as a writer without the privilege of thought, and it suddenly matters that your characters have the one element which sets us apart from animals. These instincts, feelings and emotions are all painted by thoughts. Once you grasp the ability to write thoughts and to convey them to the reader, your place in the bookshelves of readers is much more likely to be reserved than those writers who fail to recognise the importance of character thoughts.

Learn more about this author, Rachelle de Bretagne.
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