When you read the book Me and My So-Called Friends, you must be wondering, are the stories in the book true?
Recently, a few highlights were recently added to my Instagram profile. Thank you @jessnewman1! The first one explains what the book Me and My So-Called Friends is about, although I didn’t say if the story was true. I didn’t have time to get into that much detail. So here is my chance to dive a little deeper and give you the inside scoop!
As the title of this blog reads: Are the stories true in the book true?
If I tell you, I would have to kill you.
Kidding!
I will share a few stories.
The waterskiing incident!
When I was 14 years old, I was with my girlfriends hanging out at a cottage. We were waterskiing that afternoon and it was my turn. As I slid down the ski dock, the back of my suit got caught on a nail and my bathing suit tore in half! I was in complete shock, and incredibly embarrassed, to say the least! But after I fell into the water and reached down to feel my bare tush, we all roared with laughter and I knew I wouldn’t forget that moment for as long as I lived.
What happened in real life and what was written in the book were kind of similar, but different. I took a real story and twisted it to make it more powerful. I added Lizzie’s crush to the scene in order for the story to be more entertaining and ten times more embarrassing!
Was there a real “Jimmy”?
As much as I would like to say that I dated a guy like Jimmy in high school, I didn’t. I know that I would have really liked to because let’s be real – this guy is a “mensch” – right? Let’s just say that in order to create Jimmy, I decided to take all of the fantastic qualities of every boy that I ever dated (Let’s be fair – my husband’s personality plays a generous role in creating this character!) and meshed them all into this one special human.
Writing a book has its challenges, but creating characters is definitely a fun part of the process that I always look forward to.
And the rest of the book?
The majority of the bullying references came from personal experience. There was a lot that I witnessed. I was also a part of the 33% that has been the victim of bullying during middle school. (National Bullying Prevention Centre, 2016) What came with this experience brought me great wisdom. I now have the ability to share the tale to help others.
It should be noted that bullying affects everyone. Those bullied, those who bully others, and those who witness bullying. Some of the effects of bullying leave lifelong scars.
I swallowed these situations but then chose to ask for help. I received professional support. The most healthy and best way to cope.
My own story was very different from Lizzie’s. I took what I experienced, added my imagination, and created a story. I hope that readers will learn that you can and will get through these challenging middle school years.
I hope you enjoy reading Me And My So-Called Friends as much as I did writing it. If you want to order your copy, you can do so here.