For Writers, The Lies Your Characters Tell
by Sarah Sally Hamer @SarahSallyHamer Characters lie. To each other, to the reader, to the writer, and most of all, to themselves. Why? Because they have to, if they�re �real� characters. When writers create characters, we base them on people we know, or on people we imagine we know. But predominately, we base them on ourselves. And, at some level, we all lie. Please hang on a second before you start throwing tomatoes at me! Let me explain. We are the sum of our experiences. Over our lifetime, things happen to us. Death of a loved one (even a dog or cat!), traumatic accidents, childhood wounds, failures, betrayals. These all leave scars which can cause us to lie to ourselves. Maybe a better term than lying is �a deeply-held misconception�. Regardless, we create an excellent coping mechanism for when reality seems too harsh. Examples: If we have a baby, it will save our marriage. My child (spouse, parents) are better off without me. I can�t (fill in blank) because (fill ...