More than Writers

   It's the end of an era, isn't it? At a first glance, HM the Queen and I have very little in common. People all over the world recognise the Queen, whereas a mere handful could identify me in a crowd scene. I love, respect and admire HM, but I get the feeling that she is, I fear, in danger of being thought of as a saint, whereas like other people, she and I have faults, and I cringe when mine are thrown into a spotlight of any kind. You’ll be glad to know that there is one place where faults and inadequacies are necessary, and need to be given an airing, and that is in the place where fiction writers create a protagonist of any kind. We have to work hard at making our heroes or heroines less than perfect. They need to have flaws or vulnerabilities that a reader will feel comfortable with; relieved perhaps that here is someone who gets in a strop sometimes, or misjudges people, or says unkind things when they feel threatened. Do you remember that time (July 1982) HM was...