Thinking prompt #20: YOU & YOUR WRITING

Hi Everyone,

“One cannot leave a record of another without leaving a trace of oneself.”

—Elizabeth Hardwick

YOUR PROMPT: Are all our characters autobiographical? A product of our sensibilties and obsessions? Can you deliberately introduce more of yourself into your characters?

Don’t be afraid to bring portrayals of your characters more fully to life by borrowing, very specifically, from your own. Try layering in personal details, experiences, expertises, ruminations, convictions, even mementos to enrich your characters’ histories. Go ahead and leave a trace …

(Here’s an immigration document—that’s me at fourteen—that I’m using in my new novel.)

Have fun!

Abrazos,

Cristina