Welcome to another blog hop. Today’s topic is:
Do you include your character’s family in your stories?
Adding a character’s family fleshes out the character themselves a bit more and makes them seem more real. In my latest novella my main character Tom had outlived most of his family, but around halfway through the book I introduce the son of his new friend Ellen. Here’s an excerpt below:
The phone rings as I turn the key in the lock. It’s a little boost to my overall melancholia to hear Ellen’s voice on the other end.
“Hello Tom. How are you today?”
“Oh… so-so.”
“You sound depressed.”
“Just been diagnosed with dry AMD.”
“Well, that’s not as bad as I’ve got, so you’re better off than me.”
“I’d dance around the room if I could.”
“Cheer up, it’s only forever.”
I have a little chuckle at her words, and blurt out the first thing that comes into my head.
“Why don’t you get one of your care workers to drive you over here for a visit? We could have a chat and some lunch and set the world to rights.”
“I’d like that. They always want to earn more money. I can’t get on and off the buses any more.”
“That’s settled then. What day can they bring you?”
“I don’t know yet, Tom. I’d have to ask and book it up. There’s a procedure for that sort of thing. I’d have to let you know.”
“Okay. I can always re-arrange my brain surgery.”
“D’you think that’s wise?”
I can hear Ellen’s high pitched laugh on the other end of the line. I like a woman with a sense of humour – life’s too grim without it.
It’s only a short while later that the phone rings for the second time today. As I hardly have any callers I can only assume that it’s Ellen again, but I don’t recognise the number on the screen. I pick up the receiver.
“Okay, I’ve had my brain surgery. You can come over now.”
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”
I’m slightly flummoxed to hear a male voice on the other end of the line.
“Who is this please?”
“This is Robert Wilkinson. My mother is not well enough to travel outside of the home other than to go to the hospital for her appointments.”
“Are you keeping her prisoner then?” My hand grips the receiver with more force. “She seemed quite all right the last time I saw her.”
“She is elderly and needs to be looked after. As her son, this duty falls to myself to carry out.”
“Look, mate. All I’m doing is inviting her for lunch. She’s going to book a ride there and back from one of the care workers.”
“I’m not your mate, and I’ll thank you to leave my mother alone.”
The line goes dead. I’m fuming.
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Stevie Turner 
