Writers know all about alter egos. They usually have many. They have to. The good, the bad, the ugly, and all the squishy parts in between those familiar identifications.
If we can't look deep inside ourselves to find the essence of many characters, we often manage to make them cliché. Of course we hope we can't fit inside the skin of a serial killer, or an adulteress, or even a small time crook, but in spite of our queasiness at attempting to visit those mindsets, we must feel the depravity that accompanies those actions and portray them without a carbon copy character. Not an easy task to do evil well. Unless . . . well, we won't go there.
Which is precisely why we sometimes struggle with our bad characters. We earnestly try to avoid those kinds of actions in our real life, but we can find emotions or desires for revenge, unforgiveness, infidelity, lying, cheating, and even murder if we profess to be honest and are willing to delve deep enough into this thing we wear called flesh.
Alter egos assert themselves in conversations, day or night dreams - even blog posts. We object strongly or silently condone getting even. How much more can we write these kinds of emotions which inspire actions in our characters?
Do you have an alter ego when you write? Will you admit to it?
Father, the war continues between our spirits and our flesh. Please hold us steady in you but give us critical insight into this flesh to portray it, not glorify it, in writing. Help our stories show the battle as it truly is. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.
Into the Fire 
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