There are trickier things than family dynamics, but if you look at the sheer impact of families, that pretty much shoots to the top of the list of what humans deal with. Setting aside the many permutations of friends and relatives’ relationships, the mother-daughter ones that I develop for my fiction are spread along a spectrum from what will be somewhat of a jaw-dropper in the upcoming Shades of Deception to the fairly idyllic affection shown in the “Small Town” quilting series. Police Detective Bev Henderson loves her mother and is frequently exasperated with her lack of understanding as to why her daughter wanted to be a police officer instead of having a “normal” job. They don’t have all that much in common as adults, but their exchanges are often humorous.
Chris Green, the main character in the spin-off series of Deadly Doubloons, etc., is older and wiser now than when she greatly stressed her parents with teenage rebellion and ultimately eloped with a totally unsuitable boy at age eighteen. I’ve never introduced the readers to her parents, although Chris occasionally reflects about having restored their relationship.
The tragic ones depicted in False Front and Georgina’s Grief spoke to the heart-breaking reality that exists for too many children when the destructive behavior of their mothers (and can be fathers as well) forces the child to assume an adult role or causes so much emotional damage that the baggage they carry into adulthood is difficult to rid themselves of.
Like other aspects of creating characters, this particular relationship can be pivotal in developing a fictional person that readers can relate to, can see in their minds, or as one fan says, “Your books are written so that it’s like watching a movie”. For most writers, our goal is to make the characters either seem genuine or be so much fun that you don’t mind the exaggeration.
And so, for those who do have that wonderful kind of affection between mothers and daughters, that’s great. For those whose life experiences have taken a different turn, remember that you are your own person and one of value.
