In her award-winning debut novel Destiny Lingers author Rolonda Watts was able to take experiences from her career as a journalist and investigative news reporter and weave them into the story line surrounding her main character, Destiny. By using real life experiences to enhance the details of the story, such as a hostage situation, betrayal, and other traumatic events, Watts was able to create relatable characters that appeal to readers. She recommends writers give just enough life to influence their characters and then let the characters drive the story.
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Understanding how experience can take you into the eye of the storm. Pulling on your own life and having the characters take you away into their lives , resonates with me. I don't have as much experience as Rolonda of course but I get her point!