Fountain of Knowledge

Hello Rachel!

I base a lot of my characters on people I interact with every day. My family is full of people with varying personalities that do crazy and hilarious (and often inspiring) things. It's not a bad thing to base the characters you use in stories on people in your life.

Many times a relative of mine has discovered that the main character in the story they are reading is loosely based on them. I've never had any problems with this, since my family is good-natured to start with. (They were just happy that they gave me inspiration.) However, I always feel a little uncertainty and hesitation when I do this - it's natural to feel this way. You don't want to hurt those you love, but sometimes you have to. If you're inspired by something you see in someone you know, go for it. Don't stop your creativity, no matter how much it might offend people. I remember a quote someone once said - and don't ask me who said it because I have no clue. It went something like this:



I'm not telling you to be downright nasty when basing your characters on people you know. However, as an artist, you have a right to create your characters however you want. If they love you, they'll forgive you. It might take time - everyone is different - but in the end they'll come around and appreciate the work you put into it and know that you didn't mean any harm.

P.S. Never tone down one of your characters because you're afraid it might hurt someone. It's your characters, your creation. Not theirs.

I hope this helps!

- Sara Ann