WHAT I LIKE ABOUT EILEEN

Inventing characters, who will hopefully prove to be memorable for good reasons, is one of the great joys of creative fiction writing.  And as I get to know my characters better I understand their foibles and virtues more, so writing for them/about them becomes more natural.  (I hope and think the writing flows better as a result of this).  What I like about my rebellious fairy godmother, Eileen can be summarized as:-

1. Eileen believes hypocrisy is something that happens to other people, ignoring the fact that is a hypocritical statement in itself.  Hypocrites are huge fun to write for as one restriction on their behaviour (at least!) is removed by their hypocrisy.
2. Eileen hates magical power abuses so, even though she is a hypocrite, there are still things she will not do.  Restrictions on a character force the writer to be more inventive.  It also creates dilemmas for that character which can (a) be the story or (b) make great sub-plot(s).
3. Eileen really does love her husband, Derek, and daughter, Jennifer.  The Fairy Queen quickly realises this makes Eileen vulnerable to blackmail and exploits that.  In normal circumstances, Eileen would tell the Queen to shove off (or words to that effect) but Eileen will not put Derek or Jennifer at risk so that option is out.  Eileen has to find better ways of bettering the fairy monarch.
4. Eileen dislikes her son-in-law, Paul, feeling Jennifer could have done much better (and, worryingly from his viewpoint, still do better!).  Paul equally dislikes Eileen.  So I can write in mother-in-law jokes etc where these are appropriate.  I can also show family relationships as a way of conveying how Eileen is adjusting to life on Earth.  For example, she cannot make a decent cup of tea to save her life and this gives Paul to have an angle to mock her, which she hates.  (But Jennifer loves the guy so Eileen's behaviour is more restrained than it otherwise would have been.  I love stories where you can sense the tension(s) character(s) feel and I think this does this for Eileen.
5. Eileen knows her old world could "burst in" on her new one at any moment and has to live with the tension of that.  I can also write about her attempts to circumvent this.  All of this I think adds depth.
6. Eileen is brave and honourable and is the sort of magical being I would want on my side in the event of an all out battle between the forces of good and evil that so often features in science fiction and fantasy.  I like the old girl!