Writing Real Characters

Envision a picket line with Scarlett O'Hara, Sherlock Holmes, and Lazarus Long carrying signs, "Characters are People too!" Fictional depictions demand an emotional life that is similar to what you and I experience. People in the grip of strong emotions do not always behave in ways that makes logical sense. But they do make emotional sense. For that to happen in fiction writing, it helps to understand the psychology of humans.

A good example of an action making only emotional sense happened to me in 2006 when my mother died suddenly. I performed a hasty sorting and shipped most of her household goods to my home (2000 miles away). Once all the "stuff" entered my house, I shoved it into cupboards.

Thus, 18 months later, I find Mama's can of asparagus in the pantry. "I hate canned asparagus," I tell a friend. "Why did I keep this?"

She shrugs and offers, "Because it was your mothers?" Like all the rest of the junk I can now get rid of, it represents my mother too quickly snatched away. We have many unresolved issues. Surrounding myself with her belongings softened the blow and allowed me to cope with grief at my own pace.

Simple little touches like this will show your character's psychological makeup far better than telling readers, "She couldn't bear to let go of her mother, and that's why she kept the canned asparagus, which she hates." Grammatically correct and flat to read.