"My characters surprise me constantly. My characters are like my friends - I can give them advice, but they don't have to take it. If your characters are real, then they surprise you, just like real people"

This quote by Laurell K. Hamilton talks to the power of character advancement in composing. Hamilton is recommending that her characters are so genuine to her that they act and respond in ways that shock her. She likens them to her pals, because she can provide advice, however they don't have to take it. This speaks to the idea that characters ought to be permitted to establish and grow in their own way, and that the writer needs to not be too managing. Hamilton is recommending that if an author can create characters that feel genuine, then they will amaze the author in the exact same method that genuine people do. This is an important suggestion to authors that characters must be allowed to be their own individuals, and that the writer needs to not be too controlling.