Playlist
Ian McMillan will be reveals another set of literary trade secrets.
This week, Ian is joined by the novelist Susan Elderkin to explore the creation of character.
They cut through the mystical notion that characters simply "come to you" when you're writing, and look at practical techniques to create believable, living characters.
And they hear from three very different British novelists - Howard Jacobson, Rose Tremain, and the young Leicester writer Bali Rai - about how they people their work.
They explore why exaggerating characters' traits can be useful - and not just in comic writing, why it's important to know where your characters come from, and why you shouldn't necessarily start writing straight away.
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