Sibling Rivalries and Family Drama

In my current WIP (Work in Progress), my main characters are teenage sisters Anna, Katie, and Julia. If you have sisters, then you understand the type of drama that can be part of the day to day life. Even though my characters are set in Steampunk California in the late 1800s, they too have difficulties in navigating their way.

What I love about these sisters is they portray the challenges all teenagers face at some point during their awkward stage of pre-adulthood. Struggles like loneliness, betrayal, searching for truth and identity while wanting to be part of their family, but individuals as well.

Katie, the eldest sister, has raised her siblings. She wasn’t ready to take care of her sisters when her parents abandoned them as children, but there was no one else, so she stepped into a role that she was ill prepared for. Julia, the proverbial middle child, is spoiled and selfish, but she has a deep churning within her own heart to achieve greatness, even if others raise their eyebrows at her methods. Anna, the baby of the family, has a tendency to be overlooked by others, but she has opinions of her own that she’s just learning to vocalize.

As in any story, I find myself relating to characters in many ways. In my current WIP I relate to Anna because she’s finding her voice. As a writer, I speak through my characters, but I also relate to their struggles. What characters do you find yourself relating to?

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