Nobody likes to read about cardboard characters, but how can an author bring a fictional person to life? One way is by including family members in a story. Here are a few ideas of how to insert them: 1. Part of backstory Weave in small hints, or include flashbacks, which in some way tie in the past actions of a family member with a main character's present behavior. A mother who gave up a child for adoption, a father who cheated on his wife, or a sibling who received too little or too much attention, are some examples. 2. Immediate family interaction  What's happening in the here and now can be compelling. Some examples are a loving husband and wife, or the opposite, an incompatible couple, maybe squabbling siblings, or those who'll go out on a limb to help each other .  One overused, yet still popular concept I often run into is the brother who gambles too much and the sibling who pays for the other's transgressions. 3. An important family event One way t...