CarrollBlog

I bumped into someone on the street yesterday I hadn't seen for ages. Kiss kiss how ARE you? Blah blah. They told me they'd recently moved to the neighborhood and were just getting used to what stores to use, what restaurants, etcetera. The backstory on this woman is she is very beautiful, very messed up, and very charismatic. She's probably broken more hearts than any person I have ever known, but she does it innocently and without the slightest bit of guile. She just is who she is and that's a major handful. Whenever I've seen her in the past, she's always been involved with a number of men at the same time but none of them know about each other until she tells them and then boom. Ever since we met about five years ago I've wanted to use her as a character in a novel, but just can't figure her out. I'm often asked if I use people from real life as the basis for characters in my books. I always say yes, but with lots of alterations and their approval, naturally. It's like bringing a new coat to the tailor and having them take it in a little here, let out the sleeves, etcetera. But there are some people who you'd love to put into a book but they just don't fit, or some intangible part of them won't let you. No, not me. When we said goodbye yesterday, I stood on the street watching her walk away thinking once again, damn it, she'd be so great but it ain't gonna happen.