Bailee Warber asked Ruta Sepetys:

Ruta Sepetys, First of all I would like to say that your book Between Shades of Gray was obviously beautifully written. I couldn't put it down. On regards to that book, how do you create the personalities for your characters? Are they based off of real people? Do you get random inspirations for different characters? The characters that you portray in your books are so fascinating and lively! Thank you for your time!

Ruta Sepetys Hi Bailee!

I'm so thrilled that you feel my characters are interesting and lively. The inspiration for characters generally arises while I'm researching. I'll come upon a story or even just a small detail that will inspire a character and bring them to life for me. Many of the characters also come to life while I'm interviewing people who experienced the event. I try to interview as many people as possible while researching a book. I then weave their stories together into one character. That way, I'm representing a larger human experience. Creating characters is my favorite part of the writing process. Thanks for asking! :)

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