Vidal Gore — Eighteen Seventy [3253]

Hayes is an impressive-looking, rather stout man with a naturally fierce expression. I stared at him with some fascination, for he is, after all, my creation, a major character in the book that I am writing. It is not often that writers are actually able to see their fictional creatures made flesh. — Vidal Gore, Eighteen Seventy, 3253

Note

This passage shows a unique writerly moment—the author observing a character of his creation—a fascinating interplay between fiction and reality that reflects on authorship and character development.