NO SLUGS, NO SLACKERS...

Today's quote comes from Thomas McCormack's excellent book: THE FICTION EDITOR, THE NOVEL, AND THE NOVELIST.

"Character is most keenly revealed when it's confronted with crisis, hard choices, urgent decisions. Thus, insofar as he's interested in revealing character, the author's job is to construct setting and circuitry that will call for decisions, for actions."

When you sit down to write today, ask yourself what your characters want and how far they will go to get what they want? Ask what they do about getting what they want--and also what effect their actions have on others? Finally, ask if the reader will care about your characters' goals?