Sympathetic Characters

You ever get one of those rejections that just sticks in your mind, twisting it into a tight little wad of self-doubt?

Here's the deal. I got a rejection letter today. No biggie. I've had dozens of the little buggers and after the first round of them back in '04, I've done a pretty good job of letting them roll off my back. But this rejection letter... Well, she told me the characters never came to life for her.

The whole thing is rolling around in my head and fugging things up. But that's beside the point. I'll get over it. I always do. The point is... I can't see where she's coming from. My characters seem very alive to me. (Well, of course they do, you nimrod, you wrote them.) And I think I do a pretty good job of making them come alive outside of my own head. I mean, Myke - the MC of Caldera - is one hell of a gal and although she's probably not the most sympathetic of characters, she's very alive.

So, the answer I've come up with is that Myke, and probably most of my MCs, just aren't regular people. I admit it. Myke comes off a little strong until you get to know her. She doesn't take shit from anyone, she's brash, and she's pushy. But she knows what she's doing, and when there's a job to be done, she'll do whatever it takes to accomplish her goals. My kinda gal. (Umm... Duh.) She's also a softy when it comes to kids, and sometimes she gets discouraged, and she's maybe a bit afraid of love. This all comes out once you get to know her. Which is, of course, in later chapters. Myke doesn't worry that no one will like her; she just worries about her work - and this is how I wrote the first few chapters. Now I'm wondering if her attitude toward her being likeable (or not, as the case may be) is going to torpedo my chances at representation.

Ack.

Anyway. What I'd like to ask you is: What makes a character come alive for you? Or what makes you sympathize with a character? (Or do you think I'm way off base, and maybe I'm just not writing my characters well enough to make all that they are inside my head come out on the page?)

(Or am I just obsessing again?)