Be clear on every character’s agenda in a scene, and the agendas in conflict. Before you write, take just a moment to jot down what each character in the scene wants, even if (as kurt Vonnegut once said) it is only a glass of water. - James Scott Bell

Think of your main characters as dinner guests. Would your friends want to spend ten hours with the characters you’ve created? Your characters can be loveable, or they can be evil, but they’d better be compelling. ― Po Bronson

I think the hardest part of writing anything is getting exposition out easily, without hitting people over the head with it. - Jillian Bell

Not all readers are satisfied by the “And then the wizard saved the day!” plot point. Some want to understand the magic. They want to know its boundaries, see its limitations, and be able to anticipate the main character’s struggle. - Moriah Richard

It’s like a piece of music; you never lose sight of the theme. Each scene pushes off to the next like music builds and you can almost hear the next chord progression, so it has a strict structure, which is very compelling. - David Strathairn