Reality in Fiction

Time for another answer! By the way, I've still got lots of days open for your questions, so be sure to comment on here or on my Facebook page with a question or two! Julie Pollmann asked, "How often are characters or events based on real life? Give an example."

One of the things I love most about writing is being able to explore things that actually happen in a fictional setting. Sometimes I am able to change the outcome and sometimes I leave it the same. While there are only two characters that were cameos of real people I know (Sondra and Julie in Prince Charming's Search based on my mom-in-law and her younger sister), there are many aspects of my world in the characters and events in my books.

I'll give you a few examples of what I mean. My princes are all given characteristics of what I most admire in a man. And a lot of them share traits with my husband or my father. But they also share some of those irritating, yet endearing, quirks men have. This conversation between Moira and Lucian in Charming Academy was based around things I heard my parents say when they were having difficulty seeing eye to eye:

As Lucian tried to keep the rhythm of steps in his head, he also tried to engage Moira in conversation. While she had been polite throughout the day and even pleasant at moments, there was a reserve in her behavior. Trying to think of a way to broach the subject, he commented, “Your letters have been somewhat shorter recently.”
Moira looked surprised. “Really? I guess I haven’t had much to say.”
“Are you sure that’s it?”
“What else would it be?” she asked, a stubborn tone sneaking into her voice.
“Well, I know I kind of flubbed things at the last meeting,” he said.
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“Oh come on, Moira,” he retorted, trying to keep the edge off his voice, “we both know you left mad. I just wanted to make sure I hadn’t said anything that offended you.”
“You really have no clue, do you?”
“About what?”
Shaking her head, Moira muttered, “Boys really are blind.”
“Then help me see,” Lucian replied, exasperation clear in his voice. “I’m really not trying to be stupid, though obviously I’m succeeding.”
“I did not say that you were stupid,” she said. Though he could tell she was still mad, her tone was gentler.

Allegra shares my absolute fear of amphibians, though she is certainly a stronger woman than I am. My husband has already been warned that if he somehow gets turned into a frog, he's going to have to find his own way out of it! Her recurring nightmare in Finding Prince Charming is actually a modified version of a recurring nightmare I had often as a teenager.

In Becoming Prince Charming when Kaelen is testing to see if his unexpected visitor really is his sister Anna, the scene was based on a couple things. For one, I wanted to pay homage to "The Princess and the Pea" which is one of my favorite fairy tales. But it was also based loosely on a time when our family was brought some sort of casserole while my mom was in the hospital. Anna's refusal to eat is pretty close to what my siblings said when I set that casserole on the table.

The relationship between George and his sister, Samantha, is one example of basing characters and events on my own experiences. This scene from my next book, The Ultimate Prince Charming, takes elements from the relationships I have with my younger brothers, particularly James. But it is also based on my children's reactions to meeting their uncle Daniel for the first time since he had been on a church mission when they were born. Enjoy this sneak peek (and don't forget to ask more questions!):

Samantha was working on her embroidery when she heard the sound of a horse outside. She looked out the window and immediately recognized her brother. Forgetting all else, she ran out of the castle and threw her arms around George as he started leading his horse. “What are you doing here?” she asked.
“Hello to you too,” he teased. “I could go if you’d prefer.”
She smacked his arm playfully. “Have you finished your quest yet?”
George shook his head. “That’s part of why I’m here. I was hoping to get some advice from Kieffer.”
“He and Little George are out at the stables brushing his pony. I’ll take you to them and then we can all go in for some lunch.”
A maid came out of the castle holding a crying toddler. “I’m sorry to bother you, ma’am, but she’s woken up and I can’t get her calmed down.”
“It’s all right.” Samantha took the little princess from the maid and kissed the top of her head. “There, there now. What’s all the fuss for? Hush. Hush.” When she’d gotten her calmed down, she turned her to see George. “This is your uncle George, May. Can you say hello?”
The little girl looked at George, her brown eyes shy and teary. She sniffled.
“Hello, May,” George said gently, taking her tiny hand. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
She looked at him a moment longer before reaching out to him. Taking May into his arms, George handed Omega’s reins to Samantha. He cuddled the toddler until she noticed Queenie at George’s side. A wide, dimpled smile spread across her face. “Puppy!” she cooed. George set her on the ground and May started stroking Queenie’s head. “Oooh, pwitty puppy.” She then threw her arms around the dog’s neck and giggled as Queenie licked her ears.
“She likes dogs, I see,” George laughed, taking Omega’s reins once again.
“Puppies and ponies. That’s all my children ever talk about,” Samantha said with a smile. “So, what have you been up to for the last three and a half years?”
“Oh you know, questing,” he replied.
“Ha! You’re not getting out of the question that easily.”
They arrived in the stables and a groom took George’s horse to an empty stall. Kieffer looked up and smiled, “Well, George, it’s been a long time. Where’s your princess?”
“Daddy, I’m down here and I don’t have a princess,” Little George said.
Kieffer laughed, “That is true, but his name is George too. This is your uncle.”
The little boy looked up at George suspiciously. “Are you really Uncle George?”
“Yes, I am. You were just a little baby the last time I saw you.”
“Hey, Mommy’s gonna have a baby, but don’t tell anyone. It’s a secret.”
George glanced at Samantha. “Surprise would be a better word,” she grinned. “And we don’t say ‘gonna,’ George. Say going to.”
“Mommy’s going to have a baby.”
Kieffer rolled his eyes at George, “She insists he needs to use proper grammar.”
“He’s a prince,” Samantha argued.
“He’s four.”
“Is it true you defeated a whole thicket full of imps and rescued a princess with diamonds in her eyes?” Little George interrupted.
“Oh, well…”
“We’ve heard some stories,” Samantha said as George hesitated. “Why don’t you set the record straight once we’re settled for lunch?”
“You really don’t want to hear a travel log, do you?”
“I do!” Little George cried as Samantha nodded.
“I do,” May echoed.
Laughing, Kieffer said, “You’ve been outnumbered. Come on, it’s getting chilly out here.”
They went in to the castle and Samantha showed George to a spare room he could use. “I assume this will be a short visit.”
George nodded. “I’ve got to finish my quest.”
“Finally decided to rescue your own princess, huh?”
“Don’t you start with me too,” George said sourly.
Samantha just laughed. “No one would have if you’d rescued her first. Anyway, get cleaned up and come to lunch. And don’t even think about taking a nap to get out of it.”
He grinned sheepishly. “What makes you think I’d do that?”
“I know you too well, little brother,” she replied with a smile.
When everyone was gathered in the dining hall for lunch, George began telling them about his adventures. He tried to skim over the more frightening parts. He didn’t want to scare the children. Kieffer and Samantha both sensed that there was more to his stories than he was telling, but listened quietly. Soon the meal was finished and the children’s nurse arrived to take them to the nursery for naptime. “I’ll still be here when you wake up,” George promised as the toddlers began arguing with Samantha.
“Do you promise?” Little George asked.
“I promise.” He accepted hugs from each child before they were led out of the room. “They are so cute, Samantha.”
“I rather think so,” she replied with a smile.
“They take after their mother,” Kieffer said.
“Liar,” Samantha chided with a pleased grin.
“May certainly does. If you were the same age, you could be twins! But George seems to look more like you, Kieffer.”
Kieffer shrugged. “Maybe. But, I don’t think you took valuable time away from your quest to tell us how adorable our children are.”
“What has really been happening, George?” Samantha asked. “We hear a lot of rumors and stories, but we never know how much to believe. Mother and Daddy have been worried sick about you. Most of your classmates have finished their quests.”
“From what we’ve heard there are only three of you still out.” Kieffer added.
“Really? Which three? Other than me of course.”
“Not until you give us some clear answers, George,” Samantha said, interrupting Kieffer.
George sighed. “I’ve been doing exactly what I set out to do. It’s been harder than I thought. And before you start telling me off about it, I’ve already been chastised well enough for my stubbornness.” When they looked at him questioningly, he continued, “Lucretia helped me out of a difficult situation I’d gotten myself into. Not without first giving me quite an earful about how stupid I was being. Since then I have been working on my own quest.” He was quiet a moment. “What exactly have you heard?”
“Well Little George told you about the princess from the imps. The story was quite different when you told it, but I’m assuming you left out some of the more violent details. There was a story about a princess held captive by a witch and then one of a couple trapped in the ice caves in that one province. Kieffer, do you remember which one?” He shrugged and Samantha continued, “We’ve also heard that at least two princesses showed up in Biberseth to let Melantha know what had happened to them.”
“Do you remember their names?”
“Heavens, George, we don’t get told everything in rumors,” Samantha said. “I can’t remember any names being mentioned.”
“So, what about your own quest?” Kieffer asked.
“I’d like you to look at my map with me. One of the things Lucretia told me was I’m being followed by imps.”
“So you didn’t kill all of them.”
“No, just their king. Anyway, I had already been thinking of coming to see you for advice when I needed to make a stop in town here,” he said, pointing to the map. “I hadn’t made up my mind though and I remember thinking the quest led over here to Fallcrest. When I was getting ready to leave though, I noticed this note.”
“It looks like you wrote it while half-asleep,” Samantha observed.
“You don’t think you wrote it,” Kieffer commented.
George shook his head. “I don’t remember ever making this notation. And the letter from my princess was gone. I’ve been backtracking and circling around in hopes that they would lose my trail. But I’m starting to wonder if they made the note and I’ve been going the wrong way.”
“But why would they do that?” Samantha asked. “What do they gain by it?”
Kieffer rubbed his chin while looking at the map. “It’s interesting that the note should be here. I’ve been receiving dozens of complaints about a haunted castle and strange creatures in that wood from the citizens of Wellerford.”
“What kind of complaints?”
“Everything from monsters stealing cattle to pirates in the harbor and ghosts shrieking in the night. The mayor even asked if he could send a party to the castle to investigate. I sent word to the fairy king to ask his advice and he assured me there was nothing for the mayor to do there. So, I’ve been telling them to leave the castle alone. That’s what makes this so interesting. I have a hunch this castle is involved in someone’s quest, whether yours or someone else’s. Either you did make the note and you believe your princess might be hidden there or they’ve set a trap for you in a place they’re sure you cannot escape.”
“How do I know which one it is?”
“I don’t have a good answer for you, George. I suppose the only way to find out is continue on the path you’re on.”
“But what if it is a trap?” Samantha gasped.
“George has gotten past challenges never meant for him. I think he can manage either way.”
“So you think I should go to Wellerford?”
“I think you should consider it. It is entirely possible that your princess is waiting in a tower in that castle. We’ve had the occasional dragon here and there must be something in those woods frightening everyone. I’m not sure about vines, but quests sometimes have hidden meanings. It may not be a literal vine. A large part of that side of the country has been used for farming for many years. There are a lot of people there who use vines in their artwork and vine motifs in their architecture. It may be a plain old ladder with vines carved into it. Why don’t you think it over tonight and you can get started in the morning? Either way you choose to go, you’ve got a lot to do.”
“And you did promise the children you’d be here when they woke up.”
“I was planning to stay at least the one night.”
“Do you want to stay longer?”
“I’d like to, but I probably shouldn’t. I’ve got a princess to rescue after all.”
“Do we get to know this mystery princess’ name?” Samantha teased.
“Sure, when you get the wedding invitation,” George retorted with a grin.