Under no illusions
When my cousin was younger, she had an imaginary friend. Her parents would even set an extra place for her at the table. I remember wondering what my own dinner table would look like if I invited all my imaginary friends – the ones who follow me around in my head.
It’s often one of the ‘getting to know you’ questions – if you could invite ten people to a dinner party, who would you choose? – They might be real people (past or present), they might even be characters from your favourite books. But can you imagine a room filled with the characters you’ve created. What would that look like? Would it be beautiful chaos, or a little frightening!
Not difficult to picture though, is it? Because, the thing is, although we’re under no illusions they’re real – except in a metaphysical kind of way – we live with them every day.
Readers experience it too, when the characters they love become three-dimensional. It’s one of the ways we connect. Although, as I said earlier in the challenge, there’s understanding the passion we feel, and then there’s trying to assimilate that with the way writers talk to the characters in their heads. And sure, it can be jarring. But, for a writer, it’s all part of the fun!
Thanks for stopping by
Mel
Melissa Barker-Simpson 
I like that–setting the place for the imaginary friend. I wonder where that ends up though as the child grows.
Whenever I think about growing out of imaginary friends, I always think of the movie ‘Drop Dead Fred’… that movie made me cry!
Good point!