A high school English teacher also encouraged her students to listen to those voices.  Although I wrote for pure enjoyment and normally wouldn't do anything but hide them away in a file cabinet, recently a true friend pushed her, ok, so she shoved her, into the writing world, and she is so glad that she did.  BSwangin Webster's family has also supported her by giving her time and space, especially when she gets that glazed look; meaning her characters are fighting for her attention and she buries her head in the laptop until they (characters) are back at rest.