You're In My Novel

I have this great T-shirt my friend Valerie gave me. It's a simple message -- a warning, really. It just says, "Careful, or you'll end up in my novel." She sent it to me a couple of years ago, but as I told her at the time, I've been threatening people with that for years. I'm not a mean person, I hope, but when people start pushing my buttons, I'll often say something like, "You know, I'm a writer. You don't want to piss off a writer. You'll end up in a novel."

What? I say it nicely.

Somehow last night we got on the topic of who in the family is "in my novel." I told the kids, "yeah, your dad is definitely in the novel." Then they all wanted to know if they were. I had to say -- I couldn't point to any specific places where they were "in" the novel, but largely because there aren't any children in the novel as characters (there will be, but in later books... Note my optimism...).

The conversation made me think, though, and here's what I've concluded: Everyone is in my novel. I'm a shameless people-watching eavesdropper, and you'd be amazed at what goes on when people think no one can see/hear them. I don't so much use specific incidents that I see or hear about, but I do use those incidents to think about people and what motivates them and why they act the way they do. Sometimes the incident and names will change, but the motivations and emotions are similar.

It goes back to that human condition thing. Writers explore the human condition. If we're honest -- if we get outside of ourselves long enough -- we can look deeply into the emotions, motivations, actions of anyone and find a use for it in our work. My work takes place on a mythical world with at least two magical races (so far) in addition to humanity, but I still find everything I need in this world.

The truth is that Bryce is the only person I can really truly say is "in my novel," and I've really taken all the best pieces of him and split them up between three male characters. One is funny, smart, and rakish; one has a deep nobility of spirit and a commitment to doing what is right whatever may come; and a third is a rugged warrior. (I'm lucky. My man has all of these traits. I had to split him into three pieces to put him in a book.) The rest of the characters -- I can't trace their roots back to anyone specific, but I can look at all of them and say that at least one piece is similar to someone I might know or have heard about at some point.

I'm reminded of Hamlet, who mused "What piece of work is a man! how noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in form and moving how express and admirable! in action how like an angel! in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the world! the paragon of animals!" Of course, Hamlet went on to say that man did not delight him. Well, though I love the noble Prince of Denmark, I must disagree. Man fascinates me, and writing lets me explore man in all of his damaged, wounded, fractured, fantastic glory.

Everyone is in my novel, because people are in my novel.

But you should probably still be careful around me.