Disliking people you've made

Before I became a mother, it always used to worry me I might have a child I didn't like. Can you imagine how awful that would be? Stuck for life with offspring that was dull or boring or just plain nasty - someone I couldn't stand the sight of.

Luckily for me, I was gifted with a child who is wonderful. I can talk for hours about how beautiful, funny, interesting and intelligent she is. She's good company and I enjoy every minute I spend with her, even when she's giving me cheek. And I'm already suffering pre-emptive empty nest syndrome, even though she still has three years of school left before she goes off to university. (She's just read this and wants me to tell you she also has lovely hair.)

Just as well I like her, really because you can't take your child back to the shop for a refund. And, whatever the childcare experts might advise, you can't change their personalities.

It's much easier with fictional characters. If you create a character you don't like, you can influence them to a much greater degree than you can a child. And you can, in drastic situations, perform corrective procedures on their entire personalities.

I've had to do this with my current WIP. The heroine was shrill and unreasonable. The hero was alpha to the point of being utterly obnoxious. So I've unearthed my writerly dissecting kit and tried to analyse exactly what was wrong with them - and made an attempt to rebuild them into nicer characters.

The heroine has had her edges softened. The hero has had his nasty streak amputated. I think the result is much more pleasant - and now I feel these are people I'd like, rather than a couple I'd avoid at parties.

(There are a few characters in real life I'd like to perform the same corrective surgery on, but that's another story.)

I'll let you know as soon as I hear if I've done enough to turn it into a saleable manuscript, but please keep your fingers crossed for me.

Next time: Reasons I love my Mother's Day TV