I have a confession to make. I’m not one of those brilliant authors who can write about stuff I have no concept of.
For
example, two years ago, I started a story about a lawyer in New York City who
got turned into a vampire. It was going to be a hysterical chicklit piece, but
I couldn’t get more than two chapters in. Why? Because I have no idea what it’s
like to be a lawyer.
Yeah,
yeah, I know. I also don’t have a clue what it’s like to be a vampire. But that
seemed a lot easier to write about than the legal stuff. I mean, you don’t have
to go to school to learn about sucking people’s blood.
So
there you go. You know my shameful secret. My failing as an author. Which is
why I had to make my main character in “The Politician’s Pawn” – a character
who gets kidnapped and terrorized and, well, I can’t say more without issuing a
major spoiler alert – the same exact profession as one of my best friends:
oncology nurse.
I
actively borrowed from my best friend’s expertise and stories in order to make Kayla
Jeateski realistic. However, their personalities and looks are completely
different. If I had based Kayla off of Ashleigh in any other way, shape or
form, the story would have been a lovely fairytale with a Disney-princess
ending.
I
might be able to throw characters with my personality and some of my basic
looks under the bus. And I can definitely do it to the ones I base off of
people who irritate me. But I draw the line when it comes to best friends.
