#8

I’ve been asked several times if there is a character that is based entirely on me. While it is true that I allowed a great deal of myself to come through in the story (I mean, how else can I explain how I managed to include Wonder Woman, Dynasty, and my hatred of Whitney Houston into the story). I also used inspiration from events in my own life, but there is not one character that is based on me. Instead I tried to impart different parts of myself into several of the characters. Ben, for example is more of my serious side. The fact that he writes is totally me; though I have never been good at keeping a journal. Plus the way he goes about reading, and seeking out information when he accepts that he is gay, is what I did before I ever shared it with anyone. The way David pulls into himself at the end is exactly how I have dealt with losses in my life. I want to be alone and keep to myself or only be with one or two people. I also like to think that his joking spirit comes from me - I love a good laugh. The love and friendship of Ben, David, and Sarah is so much inspired by my own relationship with my best friend Teri. As for Nic, I think he was the easiest to write because as the older character he saw things differently than the boys did and used his experiences to grow from. He’s more like me today that as I was as a teen.