What I do is put my characters into situations that are so precarious there is no way to get out. And then I figure how to get them out.
In a novel, on the other hand, you not only have to describe the rooms, but the clothes, the characters and what they are thinking. It's a much more in-depth process
If there is any secret to my success, I think it's that my characters are very real to me. I feel everything they feel, and therefore I think my readers care about them.
There's this sense of excitement because you invent and control the characters. You decide whether they live or die. I find this type of creative process tremendously stimulating.
The fact that my female characters have strong personalities but are also physically attractive probably reflects the women I've known in my life.
I think people throughout the world identify with my characters.
