SOURCE: Aldrich, Bess Streeter. “The Story Germ.” The Writer 54, no. 12 (December 1941): 355-7.

In the following essay, Aldrich illustrates how to build character and a story line by describing how she created Miss Bishop.

Several times in the past years your editor has asked me to contribute an article and each time I have been too busy, or thought I was, which is nearly the same thing. This morning another pleasant request has arrived and in the same mail a letter from a young woman with that old query: “Can you help a beginning writer? Where do you get your ideas? How can … ?” etc., etc. I wouldn't go so far as to say it is the hand of Fate, but the simultaneous arrival of the two causes me to put aside the desk work of the moment and do that article for The Writer.

Now I have written and...