To me, fiction is easy. I fabricate characters and events to create a story. To make it evocative, I add moments of reflection, deep emotion and situations my readers can relate to. When it comes to the real deal-that is, my own personal experiences-my fingers take pause. Why so difficult? Because we're talking about revealing part of the soul to the world-my soul.

Recently, my editor mentioned a site that rewards people for posting their life stories. It's called FieldReport, a free website that allows anyone to upload short stories highlighting true events in their lives. The incentive: a chance to win $250,000 in prize money. The challenge is to get your story rated by others, and scored high enough to move you up to the top spot. Quarterly winners earn a cool $4,000 and are automatically entered to win the grand prize of a quarter-mil. I posted a story last week about my visit to see my father when he was hospitalized back in 2006. It was a difficult trip that stirred up many feelings. I made the decision to write the experience down a couple months ago. I changed the names to turn it into fiction. Then I stumbled upon FieldReport and changed them back.

If you get the chance, go to the site. There are some amazing anecdotes out there. If you have the courage, join up and share your own story.

If you want to learn how to drive like a pro, whom do you turn to? An expert, of course. When it comes to writing evocative, multifaceted characters, we need to do the same. There are several ways to go about this: You could take a class, buy a how-to book, even hire someone to teach you the mechanics. What about immersing yourself in a novel and seeing firsthand how it's done? That's what I prefer. I'd rather witness a hero's flaws, strengths and personal growth by coming along for the ride.

If you have to choose one author who brings out the humanity in a character, pick Jodi Picoult. Jodi is a #1 New York Times bestselling author-in other words, she knows what she's doing. In her latest book Change of Heart, we get to see the world through the eyes of various people: a mother whose daughter needs a heart transplant but is running out of time, the cellmate of a murderer who wants to overcome the legal boundaries so he can donate his heart, an attorney willing to defend the rights of her death row client, and a priest whose life comes full circle when he faces the man he condemned to death. Each chapter takes on a different person's viewpoint, and we get to learn what motivates each individual; makes them tick; makes them doubt themselves, and then draw upon their resolve to push past barriers-basically, life and all its complexities, masterly woven so that each one overlaps the other in a profound and unforgettable way.

I take mental notes when I read. I study the way an author such as Jodi conveys a person's thoughts, actions and back-story in just the right amounts so the story flows evenly and enticingly. What better way to improve my own writing than utilize the techniques of a bestselling author? There's a reason why Jodi's at the top of her game, and it ain't the color of her hair; it's her audience: diehard fans willing to hop book-to-book, even though one story differs drastically from another. Why do they do it? Jodi delivers, and she does so consistently.

So here's my recommendation to you, the aspiring writer of character-driven fiction: emulate the best. Find authors who create unforgettable characters and weave them into stories where you can't help but become involved and care for them, even the bad guys. If a novelist can invoke strong feelings-love of a protagonist, even hatred for the anti-hero-then they've succeeded in sucking you into their world. But if you feel an empty spot devoid of emotion, then that person failed you.

So go out and read voraciously like a raptor seeking prey. If you are what you eat, and you consume the choicest selections, then you might actually create some of the most profound characters anyone will ever be able to laugh with, cry over or love to pieces. It's up to you. Now get over to Barnes & Noble and buy something (and I don't mean the package of Godiva truffles either). Do what I do: discover a book to inspire you; then take it home.