Literature
Characterization
The test of any good fiction is that you should care something for the characters; the good to succeed, the bad to fail. The trouble with most fiction is that you want them all to land in hell, together, as quickly as possible.
~Mark Twain
*****
As always, Mark Twain hit the nail on the head. One of my biggest complaints with online fiction is the lackluster characterization I frequently see. Occasionally, I’ll stumble onto a story in which the characters move me on a profound level, and like Mr. Twain suggested, I start to care about them like I would a friend or family member. Unfortunately, 99% of the time, one chapter into most p