At my book release party, my Dad approached my best friend
Kim and asked her a hilarious question. “Are you Kim?” he asked.
“Yes, that is my name.” “No, I mean…are you Kim? Like in the book?”
She laughed. “Well, I’m not Elly!”
My Dad smiled. “Well,
of course not! Isn’t that my daughter?”
Often times, when you are the author of fiction, you can
find yourself bordering the line between your own life and the bright, shiny
lives of your own characters. While I’m not sure this problem happens to
the writers of say, science fiction (Am I
am alien today? Nope, still me.), it can absolutely happen to writers
who tread a little more in real life and a little less on the fantastical
sphere. Like say, if you used to be a chubby floral designer in St.
Louis, and now you’re a chubby novelist writing a novel about a chubby floral
designer in St. Louis.
Elly, my main character, is absolutely an embodiment of my
own heart, my own insecurities, and a colorful collage of several extraordinary
women in my life. Her struggles with weight, food and men is very
personal to me. She’s not a carbon copy in any sense of the word, but those
fears that she overcomes are all something that I, or those I know, have
conquered in their own life. As I wrote the book, there were
times when I had to remind myself “That
is what you would do, but it’s not necessarily what Elly would do.” While
Elly carries my heart within her pages and has a slew of issues that we share,
there are also some key differences that kept me from falling head first into
her life. I luckily, have never found my husband tangled up in bed with a
redhead. I’m blessed to be married to an amazing man who is faithful and
caring. I do not have a weakness for artists, though I do have a weakness
for beautiful things, be it a beach or a cute dress. Elly has experienced
the death of her mother, where I was lucky enough to treat mine to a movie this
afternoon. However, both Ellyn and I have a deep love for flowers and
floral design. We both prefer hot chocolate over coffee, and we both tend to
fall clumsily into the worst possible situation. We can both be awkward,
quick tempered and easily intimidated. And we’re both not entirely confident in
dressing ourselves.
Finally, writing someone like yourself can be liberating, as
if your typewriter suddenly took on the form of a therapist. Writing
someone like yourself can also be terrible, a revealing of your worst
traits. Walking the line between fiction and real life is at best a
tightrope. Veer too close to your character and you’re writing a very
revealing autobiography. Veer too far and you are out of touch with the
emotional heart of your story.
They key is to keep a firm grasp on reality, while letting
your rich characters play free in your imagination. If you love them, you
cannot make them into yourself. It’s a disservice to them, and to your
story.
And if you can’t do it alone, find someone to remind you.
And then name a character after them.
About the Author
Colleen Oakes is a passionate Colorado native who really enjoys living in other places. She attended college in Bronxville, NY where she received her degree in Creative Writing. After college, she opened up a successful wedding florist before the writing urge came knocking. Now she is a night owl who does most of her writing in pajamas. When not drowsily hitting the keys, Colleen enjoys swimming, reading, and immersing herself in nerdy pop culture. Elly in Bloom debuted in September, 2012 via Amazon Publishing. She now lives with her husband in North Denver, where they are awaiting their first child through adoption. Colleen blogs about life (good, bad, and awkward) pretty frequently over at The Ranunculus Adventures. (http://ranunculusadventure.blogspot.com/) She is currently at work on the sequel to Elly in Bloom.
Connect with Colleen
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Facebook Author Page
Blog
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Colleen Oakes is a passionate Colorado native who really enjoys living in other places. She attended college in Bronxville, NY where she received her degree in Creative Writing. After college, she opened up a successful wedding florist before the writing urge came knocking. Now she is a night owl who does most of her writing in pajamas. When not drowsily hitting the keys, Colleen enjoys swimming, reading, and immersing herself in nerdy pop culture. Elly in Bloom debuted in September, 2012 via Amazon Publishing. She now lives with her husband in North Denver, where they are awaiting their first child through adoption. Colleen blogs about life (good, bad, and awkward) pretty frequently over at The Ranunculus Adventures. (http://ranunculusadventure.blogspot.com/) She is currently at work on the sequel to Elly in Bloom.
Connect with Colleen
Website
Goodreads
Facebook Author Page
Blog
