Writers are always challenged to come up with fresh, interesting plot twists, unique or unusual characters, and innovative character relationships.

Although money can be made on recycling tried and true formulas (witness the financial, if not necessarily literary or artistic success of many sequels), a writer, like any artist, wants to be known for a groundbreaking achievement that will place him or her into the upper echelons of the literary world.

In order to make a story interesting and keep the reader engaged and turning pages, a writer needs to employ an interesting plot, three dimensional characters, tension and conflict. There must be a challenge or an issue to resolve. Sides must be taken by the characters. A moral or ethical struggle between protagonist and antagonist should grip the reader.

Invariably, one or more readers may feel personally insulted by a character’s intellectual or moral position. This is unfortunate but unavoidable when creating a enthralling narrative. The alternative is to write a saccharine story about rainbows and unicorns (which itself may be found insulting by someone).

One must consider political and demographics sensibilities; in this age of political correctness, certain types of people are considered unfair game when portrayed in an unflattering light as a fictional character.

With that in mind, I’ve made a concerted effort to push people’s buttons in writing my latest novel. If you’re looking for the smug satisfaction of self-righteous political correctness, well, sorry. Not gonna happen. At least not in this series of novels.

Happy reading.

Try not to snap your tablet in half.