While I always enjoyed reading good novels, I never really paid much attention as to how they were written. Then a couple years before I was thinking about writing novels, I was dissecting the novels I was reading, probably starting with my reread of Asimov's Foundation series. Not sure why I went into this analytical stage, but it proved useful later for my three TDG novels.

Writing about characters such that similar real-life people can understand something about themselves---"without being insulted," well, this kind of story will prove a very valuable in moving the world forward.

In a way, I kind of tried to do this with my novels. But was I successful? Especially since this is my first foray into fiction writing?

Len Pash, is the main character of Diary of a Future Politician. I tried to portray him as an unambitious blue-collar worker, content with the simpler things of life and an easy pace.

Thelma Delgers is the main character of Confessions of a Future Politician. She gets caught up with the party-party lifestyle that many youth fall into.

Would readers from these two subcultures find my stories "insulting"? Hard to say. Would these subcultures read this fiction? Hard to say. I don't think I have the writing experience to really pull it off well. I'm not sure I can get there or want to get there.

But maybe there is something you can learn about the character building of Len Pash and Thelma Delgers to help develop stronger characters that are not insulting to those subcultures, yet moving them forward.