“Why” is one of the most powerful questions. We learned that as little kids when we drove our parents crazy asking why the grass is green instead of red, why we can’t see the Big Dipper during the daytime, and what happens when we die.

Asking “why” helps us learn and grow.

Learning why real people do the things they do helps us understand them better. That understanding helps us craft more believable, nuanced characters.

I don’t think I can write about series fiction for kids without first talking about Harry Potter. (If you’ve never ready any Harry Potter, you’re missing out on a huge influence on the kid lit world.)
The Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling is, at least according to Mental Floss, the best-selling book series of all time.

Pageboy, a memoir by Elliot Page, caught my eye as I scanned the new book shelves at my local library. Page is a transgender man formerly known as Ellen Page, the actor, who I first saw in the film Juno.

Rowling and Collins had to think through their world’s history, government, technology/magic, and social customs. Those kinds of concerns are often thought of as belonging to fantasy, science fiction, and historical fiction. But novels set in the realistic here and now may also use these issues to compelling effect.

Digging into our characters’ whys will enrich our fiction.

I’ve been working on character interviews for my middle grade dog novel to help clarify my characters’ wants and needs and what’s at stake for them. I wanted to ease into the interviews like I would for a real human being, not just ask them what they want and why.