Charlotte
Charlotte asked Ruta Sepetys:

Hi Ruta! Between Shades of Gray was one of the first historical fiction books i had evet read and i loved it! I was wondering how you are able to develop characters into such depth that they are so unique?

Ruta Sepetys Hi Charlotte!

Thanks for your question about characters.

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 and hopefully they have more depth.
Ruta Sepetys
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