"They are imaginary characters. But perhaps not solely the products of my imagination, since there are some aspects of the characters that relate to my own experience of a wide variety of people"

This quote by Margaret Mahy suggests that the characters she produces are not entirely made up, however rather based upon her own experiences with various individuals. She indicates that her characters are a mix of her own imagination and the people she has actually come across in her life. This recommends that her characters are more than just figments of her imagination, but rather a reflection of individuals she has actually satisfied and the experiences she has actually had. It is likely that her characters are a combination of her own thoughts and sensations, along with the characteristics and attributes of individuals she has actually experienced. This quote highlights the importance of individual experience in the creation of characters, and how it can be used to create more sensible and relatable characters.