Readers sometimes ask where my characters come from. The honest answer is: it varies.
Some characters seem to arrive almost fully formed. Dylan, the “first-born” of my fictional world, was like that. I wanted someone young, closer in age to my own children, a young adult trying to find his place in the world. I knew many people his age were dealing with student loans, career uncertainty, and the pressure of figuring out life. From there, Dylan began to take shape.
Other characters began with small sparks of real-life inspiration. I went to a Catholic girls’ school, so I remembered the presence of the principal, the nuns, and that particular school environment. Those memories helped inspire Sr. Marie in the Mirror Estate world. Fr. Phil was shaped by many priests I’ve known over the years, not one specific person, but a blend of qualities, experiences, and impressions.
Some characters come from research. Others are sparked by television, especially the law enforcement characters. I might borrow the feel of a certain type of character, the loyal partner, the brilliant forensic expert, the steady leader, but then I change the backstory, personality, role, gender, race, or family history until the character becomes someone entirely new.
And, of course, some characters simply come from imagination.
That’s the fun of writing fiction. A character may begin with a memory, a question, a job title, or a personality trait. But once the story begins, that character grows. They make choices. They surprise me. They become part of the world in ways I didn’t always expect.
No character is ever copied directly from real life. They are pieces, echoes, possibilities, and imagination woven together until they feel real enough to walk onto the page.
For me, that’s when a character truly comes alive.