This is a scary question. You might not want to know what all goes on in an author’s head.
If you do, keep reading for a little insight into my own thought processes. I promise it isn’t frightening. Strange, probably, but that’s okay.
Before we get to the inner workings of an author’s thoughts, let me ask you a question that I always find myself wondering about when I read.
Do you ever wonder if bits of the stories you’re reading might be true?
I do.
Oh, I know the book itself is fiction, otherwise it would say non-fiction. But my imagination goes wild from time to time as it recreates the scenarios I’m reading. That old phrase “write what you know” comes to mind. What do we know better than ourselves?
Let’s look at an example.
In Melissa Tagg’s One Enchanted Christmas she plots the story around a character who falls in love with her book’s cover model. This has part truth and part fiction. Go look up Melissa for the complete story. She has fantastic encounters in everyday life that are an author’s dream for books. Not to mention her love of goats is legendary.
There are some meet-cutes (that moment in the story when boy meets girl) that are so amazing, I think they must be true.
Then there are times when imagination takes over in another way. (Here we go. What does an author think about?)
I’ve been teaching my teenagers how to do their own laundry (I have a point, stick with me). This morning I thought, “Well, there goes Samuel’s future chance of meeting a cute girl in his apartment complex’s communal laundry room because he’s clueless over how to work the washing machine.” Hello potential future meet-cute for a story! Though I have a hundred questions on how my mind went from teenagers doing laundry to book ideas, I’m rolling with it. Even if I never use the idea.
While I ruminated on that little tidbit, it made me think about other scenes and situations from books I’ve read. How many of them come from the author’s personal experience?
Authors tend to sprinkle bits of themselves into their stories. A phrase. A gesture. A personality trait. In my Independence Islands book, Footprints on her Heart, I wrote an introverted character, which I’ve done before, but Kara is different. I tested her on the Myers Briggs personality test, and she is an INFJ-T at 100% introvert. That makes her a bit more introverted than me but allowed me to use a lot of the same struggles I face for her character.
I’m wondering. Am I the only one who wants to know if the author is revealing bits of themselves through their work?
Is there a scene or meet-cute you’ve read that resonates so well you’d like to ask the author if it really happened? I’ll go back to Melissa Tagg’s One Enchanted Christmas and the meet-cute. It’s such an adorable and hilarious scene. I need to know if it might be even remotely from real life.
Tabitha Bouldin has a bachelor's degree in creative writing/English from Southern New Hampshire University. She is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers (ACFW) and has been writing since 2015. When she's not homeschooling her kids, you'll find her curled up with a book. Tabitha's genre of choice is Contemporary Christian Romance which she describes as: Adventure with heart.
I love a good meet-cute in books and film – that initial meeting is so telling.
I am not sure if I have thought is that part of the author. I probably have.
I meet a couple of authors in Atlanta, they took me to lunch and Debby Giusti and Patty Jo Moore were dropping me to the Atlanta Airport to go onto my next destination. We were driving and took a wrong turn. Debby is a LIS writer and we commented about if our wrong turn (and needing to get to the airport by a certain time) would make it into a book. Even came up with some scenario’s of what could be happening.
I’ve never thought about it before, but it does make sense that the authors would use some of their experiences in their books. Interesting!
I’ve definitely wondered what other authors do. I can’t help bits of myself leaking into my books. “Write what you know” to me means not just experiences, but emotions. So, although I may not have experienced being abandoned at the altar, for example, I may have had a different experience that made me feel rejection or shame, and I’ll lean into those feelings while writing. Does that make sense? Interesting article!
Authors are human so even though some events come from imaginatio I imagine many come from real life, whether the authors or someone they meet or hear about. Authors are entitled to privacy so I appreciate the story and would be uncomfortable about inquiring as to the source. Interesting post. Thanks
Hi Tabitha! Thanks for an intriguing blog topic. As a people watcher, retired pastor’s wife, teacher, mom, and Oma; I often related observations to my classes. I especially enjoy author’s notes in fiction books – maybe included more in historical fiction or cozy mysteries. ARC readers or newsletter subscribers are often privileged with additional information on the author, book, or series. As a mom of 3 sons I chuckled since my teen boys know how to do laundry.
Very thought provoking post. I like a good-meet cute. Now, I have read Enchanted Cottage
I think I get too involved in a story to even wonder if it happened to the author but now you have me wondering.
As a writer I’m always asking couples how they met and about their first date. Inquiring writer minds, right?
Hi Tabitha, oh yes, I always wonder if some of the things in fictions books happened to an author. I know I always tell my husband when he says that some movies I am watching are way out there, I tell him “they made that movie for a reason, I think it actually happened to someone or at least part of it” I enjoyed reading your post. Thank you for sharing this. Have a great week and stay safe.
One that sticks out to me is the opening scene in Plot Twist by Bethany Turner. The hero helps the heroine escape another guys unwanted advances in a coffee shop by coming up with a hilarious story of their own fake meet-cute. I’d like to know how much of that was inspired by real life, if any.
While I’ve never pondered that question exactly, I love it when authors hint, or straight out tell, which parts of the books came from their real lives either in the author’s note or in posts like this one. :)
There have been many times when I’ve wondered if a certain part(s) of a story was about an experience the author (or someone close to them) went through, but we’ll probably never really know unless the author makes a mention of it somewhere,
I think every author puts something of themselves in each book, whether they totally realize it or not. It may not be their life story, but they each put something of themselves in each one. Just the style, the words used, separate one author from another.
I’m always curious as to an authors inspiration for a story or what sparks a particular scene. Also, when they have a meet-cute in their book, was it something they’ve observed or done? I think writer’s have lots of inspiration just in watching other couples :-)
It always interesting to learn behind the scenes tidbits.
Great post! My brain works very similarly, story ideas are always materializing in my head based off something I see or hear. And actually right now I’m in the very early stages of working on a story which has an opening scene that is based off a real experience from my own life!
I do believe that a lot of ideas that the author’s use are either from their own lives or information that someone shared with them. It may not be a full idea. It maybe just a word or phrase that catches the ear of the writer. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.
It’s a lot of fun coming up with a perfect moment. Do you have a favorite?
That sounds fun! I love plotting with fellow authors. You never know what might come up.
I’m always asking myself questions about people, and authors in particular. People are such a unique blend of their experiences.
Absolutely! And every person knows so much more than they give themselves credit for. I find myself mining memories all the time and being surprised with all the things I’ve felt over time. I love your way of using emotions!
Thank you for commenting. You make a good point, and that is one of the reasons I have never asked the million questions I have, but it’s fun to contemplate.
People watching is fun. You never know what all you’ll see. I have started reading a all the author notes! My boys are not happy about learning lol, but they’ll appreciate it someday I hope.
Thank you for commenting.. They’re so much fun to read.
Haha! My head is a trap of questions. I get lost in story too, but then when it’s over I start wondering all sorts of things.
Right. There are so many great stories out there. Truth is stranger than fiction, right
Thank you for commenting. That’s what I often think too. The idea had to come from somewhere.
Now I need to go read Plot Twist. Sounds like a great book and one I would definitely wonder about.
I need to remember to add things like this to author notes. Thank you for mentioning that.
Right. All these inquisitive minds going crazy with questions.
Exactly. We’re all there in some form or another. Many of us have certain word choices that always show up in our work. I love when I find them.
People watching and talking to lots of couples offer inspiration all the time, but it’s always fun when a personal experience can be used. I love knowing what sparked a book idea too.
It’s like getting a peek behind the curtain and into an author’s thoughts. It’s a fun place to be.
Oh, that’s fun! I love when that happens! Happy writing.
Thank you for commenting. A person’s mind is such a wealth of information, that we can take a phrase or a situation and turn it into something else. We’re such a creative species.
I think in some stories the author writes bits about them in it. I’ve even read books all about the authors real life
I think they add little parts of there life. I have a book from a friend who wrote it about her life & my wife is doing the same.
This was an interesting post to read!
So many stories I’ve read that I’m wondering if parts of them are true encounters … Isn’t it what makes it interesting? :)
Huh, this is an interesting point! As a writer myself I know I haven’t put many things that I’ve had happen in books but I have done little things.
A laundry room meet-cute would be super fun!,
don’t really think about it