Remember, when we're lost in a story, we're not passively reading about something that's happening to someone else.
We may think of ourselves as static anti-heroes, but in reality we're dynamic protagonists just waiting for our courage to kick in.
Don't just write a strong female protagonist. Be one.
There are books which you can't tell people about, books so special and rare and yours that advertising your affection feels like a betrayal.
Putting a piece of you in your protagonist adds depth and merges the worlds of fiction and reality.
What was the point of having a situation worthy of fiction if the protagonist didn't behave as he would have done in a book?
There is one final point, the point that separates a true multivolume work from a short story, a novel, or a series. The ending of the final volume should leave the reader with the feeling that he has...