Creating Authentic Stories and Characters

In this episode, Jessica Brody discusses the art of creating stories and characters that are believably authentic. She emphasizes the importance of setups and payoffs in storytelling, where every significant event or reveal is foreshadowed earlier in the narrative. By planting clues that readers and characters may miss, the eventual reveal feels inevitable and satisfying. Brody explains that story ideas can come from various sources, such as snippets of dialogue, characters, settings, or even plot points. She also highlights the importance of allowing stories to evolve and change during the writing process, as being too rigid can limit the creative possibilities.