“You’re writing a book? Cool! Am I in it?”

It’s a question that I’m sure every unpublished writer gets (published writers can tell you to buy the book and find out for yourself). I’m also sure that the answer is the same for 99.99% of them as it is for me.

No.

My books deal with situations that I want to explore. That means that the characters are defined by the needs of the plot (although as the story matures in writing, the characters also bring new perspectives and conversations to the storyline).

Maybe somewhere out there, someone has written a story about how they and their two best friends were abducted by a UFO and went on to become superheroes. That’s not what I write.

That’s not to say that the people and experiences in my life haven’t informed my storytelling. Some of my life experiences have profoundly impacted the shape of stories that I’m working on.

I spent 22 months living in a very rural area of northern Namibia. I lived through two years of terrible flooding wedged between long periods of drought. That experience greatly inspired and informed a whole section of Tau Ceti.

I lived in Johannesburg for just under three years. From a privileged position of being a white outside observer, I noted the racial disparity, racism and complacency in the face of that racism. That too has informed a section of Tau Ceti.

As I’ve aged, I’ve observed how my perspective on the propriety of certain actions has shifted. Much of that infused itself into the narrative of Hryka.

There have been conversations that I’ve had with people that have sparked ideas and led to scenes in Hryka. These aren’t verbatim recreations, just a capturing of and morphing of philosophical stances for the narrative’s need.

So, even though my stories have been indelibly affected by my life, and you have been a part of my life, no you are not in my book(s).