I hate that post that's been going around where a writing teacher is telling their student not to treat their characters like real people. I actually disagree hugely! As a writer, you SHOULD be trying to write 3 dimensional characters that feel real. That's a basic principle of fiction!
With that being said, I do think it's a useful thing to keep in mind when READING fiction--these people aren't real, if they harm each other, that's not real harm, it's part of the story and should be treated as such.
