The Art of Character

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
No writer works in true isolation, and no book appears solely from his effort alone. I owe a debt of profound gratitude to my longtime agent, Laurie Fox, and all the people at Penguin who worked so tirelessly to shape this book into its final form, especially Rebecca Hunt, Taylor Sperry, Katherine Griggs, Cathy Dexter, Ann Marie Damian, Ben Petrone, Stephen Morrison, and Kathryn Court. Leslie Schwerin, filmmaker and friend, read portions of the text in manuscript form and made invaluable suggestions. Mark Tavani has provided considerable support, editorial advice, and simple fellowship over the years, without which my career would have developed quite differently. Fellow writers whose work and teaching have influenced the ideas and techniques presented in this book are too numerous to mention, but those who made specific, direct contributions include most notably Donna Levin, Reed Farrel Coleman, Alexandra Sokoloff, Hallie Ephron, D. P. Lyle, Jim Frey, Elizabeth George, Joyce Maynard, Robert Bausch, Kim Addonizio, Tom Jenks, and the inimitable Gil Dennis. I’m also indebted to the following people and programs for providing me a venue for my teaching: Linda Venis at the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program; Jane Ganahl and Janis Cooke Newman at the San Francisco Writers’ Grotto; Karen West, Leslie Berkler, Sheldon Siegel, Jacqueline Winspear, and the three Petrocellis—Elaine, Bill, and Kathryn—at Book Passage; Dennis Widmyer, Mark Vanderpool, and Kara Kilgore at LitReactor; the late Oakley Hall and the extended Hall clan at the Squaw Valley Writers Conference; Ana Manwaring at the Napa Valley Community College; and Maureen Eppstein, Katy Pye, and everyone at the Mendocino Coast Writers Conference. I also need to thank my students and clients, who have taught and helped me at least as much as I’ve taught and helped them. And last, a word of gratitude is owed Mette Hansen-Karademir, my partner and friend, whose loving support, companionship, and patience sustain me in more ways than I can express.