Fiction can entertain, convey an author's point of view, give us connections and bring experience to us in things we would never be able to experience without it.  We learn from fiction, which can influence us as we consider our experiences.

Writers can find their story characters for their novels by looking at their own lives. If a writer or anyone takes this advice to see these future literary characters, they will have relooked at the cast of characters in their own lives and made some choices.  Just prioritizing those choices will contribute to reweaving how they perceive their past.

One approach to finding the characters for the writer’s book could be to pick the ten most influential people in their life. Questions about these ten that will help and serve as a guideline, according to author Carolyn See, professor emerita of English at the University of California, Los Angeles, would be: “Whom do you love? Who betrayed you? Whom did you betray? Who drives you nuts? Who is out of your reach? Who is your role model? Who is your benchmark for insanity?” I would suggest that you also ask who made a difference.

She suggests listing the other type of people you know on the second list. “The ones that gave you the willies. Those who creep you out, and you don’t know why?”. You might also ask who hurt you.

Once you have your two lists, you have the central characters for your stories. This advice is good for writing a novel, but it might be good to understand your own nonfiction life. 

The novelist weaves the plot points from the interaction of their characters.  Often you find great writers talk about how they just listened to the characters and wrote as they put those characters into situations, even suggesting that they were surprised at how the plot worked out.  The characters drive the story.

We do the same with our life’s stories and characters as we reweave, update, and make sense of our lives. Our perception changes as we see the characters and many other things differently over time.