What Influences You?

Good morning and Happy Sunday everyone! Today I'd like to find out, "Not so much of what influences you or not, but more so the creation of the emotions and feelings of your characters....I think!"

First, I don't read other's romance novels while I'm writing my novel. Mainly because, I don't want their words or emotions influencing my own work.

Our characters live in our heads from start to finish of our book and if we are writing a series they live there a long time.

I have been worn out the last couple of weeks and have had a touch of the flu and find myself projecting how I'm feeling onto my characters. I have been saying my heroine is exhausted and yet there really is no reason for her to be.

Do you find yourself doing this?

Let's say you've had a bad day and are in a cranky, snappy, mood, do you find yourself making your characters mood match your own?

How about sympathizing with your characters moods, feelings and emotions?
When your characters are stressing, irritated, nervous, or sad, etc.  do you find yourself feeling and expressing their emotions?

There is a part in my novel where my heroine is experiencing morning sickness, now I'm wondering if I actually had the flu or was just sympathizing with her, remembering all those mornings when I was pregnant with my sons!

I'd like to hear your take on this! It would be interesting to know that I'm not the only one experiencing these feelings.

Have a great day everyone!