Don’t get me wrong. I’m not opening this post with a clever cartoon just because I love the artwork. Nor is it because I’m bratly comparing my sapphic tales (say hi to Philippa and Janice) to a feminist classic. Nope, it’s what the famous writer is yelling—nay, trumpeting—that gets me.

Not long ago, an associate of mine returned the copy of Becoming Janice I’d given them in the hope of an impartial review. “I’m really sorry to have held on to it so long,” this person said, “but I must confess I just couldn’t get into the story. It felt like I was reading your diary from years ago and intruding on something private.”

I was both sorry and bemused to hear this because my latest book is pure fiction. I made up the plot (can’t you tell?), and all the characters. None are real, certainly not Janice, who is not a young and foolish clone of Yrs Trly (she’s taller, thinner and better looking). Only the settings are true because (a) I’ve lived in both London and Amsterdam and even if the book is fiction, I wanted to ground it in reality, and (b) because I followed Mark Twain’s hoary old adage for hopeful authors, “Write what you know.” That said, I must admit, one crucial incident was inspired by something that has actually happened In My Life. I, too, have felt the pain of betrayal, and I used that visceral experience to enrich Janice’s journey.

Funnily enough, this associate is not the only one to confuse Real Me (well, the me they think they know) with one of my fake characters. A couple of acquaintances were independently under the impression that I had based a star character in Becoming Janice on them. If you haven’t got round to reading the book yet, I don’t want to give away any spoilers. Suffice to say, this personage is a charismatic, narcissistic manipulator, not at all likeable. It made me wonder what these two readers saw in themselves to make them identify with such an unpleasant creation. A case of Melanie Klein’s projective identification, perhaps? Did my fake person evoke uncomfortable feelings in themselves that these readers would rather avoid by projecting them onto an objective outsider? Who knows? I didn’t dare ask.

Okay, I do get miffed if someone assumes I haven’t got the skill and imagination to write a convincing 3D character. But once I get over myself, I’m flattered. No harm done if a reader believes my brainchild is real. I don’t dispute their impression. I just say, “Thanks for the compliment” and leave it at that. How about you? What do you say when someone thinks your work of fiction is alt.reality of your life? Do tell.▼

Featured images

This post was largely inspired by the illustrations, which I happened to come across on social media. They are showcased here with huge thanks to both artists.

Message to Texas, editorial cartoon for the Toronto Star by Michael de Adder, an award-winning artist who lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and freelances for many big newspapers in both Canada and the USA. Michael has over a million readers per day and is considered the most read editorial cartoonist in Canada. Follow @THE deEP STATE.

Educational drawings by Lillie Marshall, a public school teacher of English in the USA since 2003. Lillie launched DrawingsOf.com in 2020, building upon the success of her other sites, AroundTheWorldL.com (2009) and TeachingTraveling.com (2010). Her original art is all hand-drawn. Follow @WorldLillie.