We all have them in our lives: the excellent fodder for characters in our fiction. Maybe it’s your Aunt Sheila who’s flat broke and still charges designer shoes by the ton, or your high school boyfriend who tragically broke your heart after the big game, or your father who abandoned you and now hits you up for money.

Imagery is a very important aspect of fiction writing, one that many beginning writers tend to forgo in favor of heightened dialogue or plot.