One thing I ADORE about books is the way characters can make me feel like I’m just like them! Now you can only imagine how an author feels when their character is based off themselves. Today I have author Anna Staniszeweski here to tell me all about her upcoming novel, The Dirt Diary!
Are
Your Characters Just You In Disguise?
Your Characters Just You In Disguise?
“People often ask how much of
me is in my characters. When it comes to fourteen-year-old Rachel Lee, the
protagonist in The Dirt Diary, I
would say quite a bit. Let’s break it down:
me is in my characters. When it comes to fourteen-year-old Rachel Lee, the
protagonist in The Dirt Diary, I
would say quite a bit. Let’s break it down:
Rachel:
She brings painfully shy to a
new level. She literally freezes when she’s mortified, and whenever a guy even
looks in her direction, her entire body slows down so everything she does and says
comes out in slow motion. Embarrassing, right?
new level. She literally freezes when she’s mortified, and whenever a guy even
looks in her direction, her entire body slows down so everything she does and says
comes out in slow motion. Embarrassing, right?
Me:
When I was Rachel’s age, I was
in a constant state of embarrassment. Everything I did and said felt wrong, and
I was terrified of talking to people outside of my close circle of friends. And
interacting with boys? Haha, yeah right.
in a constant state of embarrassment. Everything I did and said felt wrong, and
I was terrified of talking to people outside of my close circle of friends. And
interacting with boys? Haha, yeah right.
Okay, the similarities between
the two of us are undeniable. When I was creating Rachel, I took all of my
social fears and ineptitudes and turned them up a few notches. Then I threw in
some funny sayings (“Holy fried bananas!”) that reflect how much I love playing
with language.
the two of us are undeniable. When I was creating Rachel, I took all of my
social fears and ineptitudes and turned them up a few notches. Then I threw in
some funny sayings (“Holy fried bananas!”) that reflect how much I love playing
with language.
However, there are other, less
obvious ways that I relate to Rachel. Something I knew about Rachel from the
beginning was that she was biracial—she has a white mother and a
Korean-American father. Since I’m 100% Polish, this isn’t something I can
directly relate to, but I grew up bicultural—born in Poland and raised by a
Polish family in the US—so I could understand that in-between feeling, that sense
of not quite belonging.
obvious ways that I relate to Rachel. Something I knew about Rachel from the
beginning was that she was biracial—she has a white mother and a
Korean-American father. Since I’m 100% Polish, this isn’t something I can
directly relate to, but I grew up bicultural—born in Poland and raised by a
Polish family in the US—so I could understand that in-between feeling, that sense
of not quite belonging.
Of course, there is a lot
about Rachel that is purely fictional. I’ve never worked for a cleaning
service, or gone through a parental divorce, or entered a baking competition.
But I think Rachel and I share enough of an emotional core that I could
understand her even when she was going through things I had never personally
experienced.
about Rachel that is purely fictional. I’ve never worked for a cleaning
service, or gone through a parental divorce, or entered a baking competition.
But I think Rachel and I share enough of an emotional core that I could
understand her even when she was going through things I had never personally
experienced.
So are my character just me in
disguise? I would say no. After all, writing about myself is boring. Even
though I give my characters bits of me, I also see how far away from me I can
push them. It’s a whole lot more fun that way.”
disguise? I would say no. After all, writing about myself is boring. Even
though I give my characters bits of me, I also see how far away from me I can
push them. It’s a whole lot more fun that way.”
Born in Poland and raised in
the United States, Anna Staniszewski grew up loving stories in both Polish and
English. She was named the 2006-2007 Writer-in-Residence at the Boston Public
Library and a winner of the 2009 PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Discovery
Award. When she’s not writing, Anna spends her time teaching, reading, and
challenging unicorns to games of hopscotch. She is the author of My Very
UnFairy Tale Life series, published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky. Look for the
first book in Anna’s next tween series, The
Dirt Diary, in January 2014, and visit her at www.annastan.com.
the United States, Anna Staniszewski grew up loving stories in both Polish and
English. She was named the 2006-2007 Writer-in-Residence at the Boston Public
Library and a winner of the 2009 PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Discovery
Award. When she’s not writing, Anna spends her time teaching, reading, and
challenging unicorns to games of hopscotch. She is the author of My Very
UnFairy Tale Life series, published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky. Look for the
first book in Anna’s next tween series, The
Dirt Diary, in January 2014, and visit her at www.annastan.com.
Lastly, here is something to tie you over until you can get the actual book! Check out the book trailer here:
Thanks so much for having me!
Great post! When I see myself in my characters–and I catch a glimpse of myself from time to time in a lot of very different ones–I'm surprised because at the same time they feel so unlike me in so many ways.