May’s theme is all about characters, my favorite aspect of writing. All my stories are character-driven. Once I know my main characters, I can run with my plots and settings. Reading about characters who touch me or with whom I identify inspires me to develop my own.

I have lots of favorites, but these are some of the characters I visit over and over again.

• Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson
• Archie Goodwin of the Nero Wolfe mysteries
• The rabbits of Watership Down
• Jeeves and Wooster by P.G. Wodehouse
• Father Brown by G.K. Chesterton
• Montague Egg by Dorothy L. Sayers

So who are your favorite book characters?