Be You

As a writer, I find it difficult to not interject pieces of my personality into my stories. While my first novel, Lessons Learned, is definitely a work of fiction, I can’t deny that there are aspects of my heroine's personality that intersect with mine.

Like Sarah, I grew up in a traditional town in the South (but not quite as conservative as the fictional community of Sycamore Falls). Growing up, I preferred record players to Barbie dolls, and Ferris Bueller’s Day Off is still my favorite 80s movie. I also struggled with certain aspects of religion. I have always been a Christian, but it took many years (and several churches) until I found a comfortable pew. Luckily, I was raised by two parents who didn’t “force” me to believe in anything – religious, political, or otherwise. They taught me to be an honest person and encouraged me to think for myself.

They also taught me that I don’t have to necessarily agree with someone in order to be kind to them, which is the heart of Lessons Learned.

I love free-thinkers. I love people who don’t conform. I love people who formulate their own opinions. And a person doesn’t have to be militant about it. I’m a firm believer that you can have traditional values and beliefs (whatever your traditions are) and still be kind to another human being.

In a world full of labels, it’s sometimes hard to march to the beat of your own drum.

Are you Republican? Democrat? Catholic? Baptist?

Do you like country music?  Heavy metal? Opera? Rap?

Does it matter?

It shouldn’t.

Be you.

*Originally posted September 2, 2012 on Lori's Book Blog.