The Tao of Me

I received a note from one of my oldest friends a while back. We don’t get to see each other often these days since we live in different cities, but the friendship is still strong. She probably knows the heart and soul of me better than anyone, with my husband ranking a close second. The longer track record with her, gives her insight into the me before I evolved into who I am now and yes, it does seem like another lifetime ago.

Anyway, her note said she had just read Struck by Lightning and Isabella made her feel like I was in the room with her. This brought me up short. Interviewers sometimes ask if my characters are like me and my answer is “ I don’t think so,” and thought I was correct. Unable to let her comment go, I called my friend and asked for a better explanation.

“Yes,” she contends, Isabella is a lot of me. Smart mouthed and with an attitude. She was willing to concede I’m not like that all the time, but there are those moments. (Thinking she needs to look in the mirror here as she has her moments, too…LOL)

After hanging up, I spent some time mulling over what she said and the questions from past interviewers about my characters’ personalities in an attempt to tap into the Tao of me...my path, my way. As a writer, I probably bring more of me to the people I create than I originally thought. If not the me that I am now, then the me I have been and the one I want to become. With that in mind, I only hope I can become as strong as some of the characters I have planned for future books.

What about you? Do you consider yourself a strong woman or one in process?

Lizzie