I get these every once in a while. Questions during readings about the “specifics” of people, places, and things. The answer to all three is “NO”.

There is a reason for this: It’s called “defamation of character.” If you make stuff up about an actual person, place, or thing, you can be sued for presenting person, place, or thing in an untrue way.

I write fiction. I make people up. None of the characters in my book are real people. Except for large urban markers full of THOUSANDS of anonymous people like St. Paul, Eau Claire, and Madison; actual small towns in Northwest Wisconsin are either made up (as in Book Two) or are simply not mentioned by name. To drive the point home, I write a disclaimer at the beginning of every book to that effect, just in case folks still think I’m secretly writing about them.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m obviously influenced by the reality around me, but I’m not out to capture a single person’s life, not even my own. I really want readers to personalize the book for themselves. There is no greater compliment than, “Darlene acts exactly like my Aunt Gertrude. Really, her name should have been Gerty!” An even better one is, “these books really don’t have to take place in Wisconsin at all. This could be in my home state of Missouri” (or Northern California, Ohio, you name it, it’s fine with me).

I’d like to think that all the characters and the culture they exist in are splices of many people that I have encountered in experiences where I encounter them. They are flawed, noble, prejudiced, ignorant, enlightened, wise, goofy, self-righteous, funny, mean, sexy, insane people. They are my people. Hopefully, they’ll be your people too.

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