Embrace the possibilities

One of the best things about writing is that our characters can do things we can't.

They can visit places and times we've never been to. They can have magical abilities. They can be braver than we are; they can say the things we wish we'd said. They can get revenge, or rise above it. They can live happily ever after.

Characters aren't just wish-fulfillment vehicles, of course. But there's something liberating about being able to experience multiple lives and multiple options. Forget about the road not taken--we can try all the roads, one at a time.