Create Rich Characters by Tapping into Your Past
by Emme Gannon @GannonEmme �Oh Agnes, oh my soul, so may thy face be by me when I close my life indeed; so may I, when realities are melting from me, like the shadows which I now dismiss, still find thee near me, pointing upward.� Charles Dickens penned these poignant words in what some say was his veiled autobiography, David Copperfield. The character Agnes was based on the love of his life, Mary Hogarth, who died at age seventeen in Dickens�s arms. His lost love plagued his dreams and thoughts his entire life and sought restitution in his writing. Dickens drew from the tragedies of his life to portray a cast of unforgettable characters. As a result of his father�s irresponsibility and lavish lifestyle, the family was cast into debtor�s prison. The job to earn enough money to obtain their release fell to twelve-year-old Charles. His world crashed, as well as his hopes for a proper education. Humiliated beyond reproach, he clawed his way to such success that he ultimately ea...