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Same Difference was a very personal story for me. I based it off the summer before my senior year of high school, when I went to a summer art program in Philadelphia.When I was growing up in New Jersey, I knew how to play what I’m going to call “the game”, which means that I knew what to do to blend with the in-crowd, the “right” friends to have…all the stuff that keeps you afloat in high school. It wasn’t all bad, necessarily. I had good friends. I liked my life. But I also felt like there were parts of my personality that I had to bury, to hide from my friends, because they’d think I was weird. A lot of times, I felt like a phony. Like I was playing pretend.
But then I go to Philly and meet all these super cool artsy kids who just don’t care what people think of them. They’re doing crazy stuff and into music I’ve never heard before. It was all so exciting and inspiring, and I found myself drawn into this whole other world. I was totally inspired by the confidence they had. I let some of those hidden parts show. It was exhilarating!
Only, that was a game too. You needed to act a certain way to be friends with those artsy kids. You couldn’t like things that were popular. You had to put on a show. And did I mean it in the same way the artsy kids did? Or was I acting again? In a way, both groups were similar. There were rules you had to follow.
By the end of that summer, I was so mixed up. I didn’t know which version of myself was the real one. Was I the suburban girl who played by the rules, or the arty wild girl who didn’t care what people said/thought about her?
So that became the inspiration behind SAME DIFFERENCE…the story of a girl who has to find true herself, while she splits her time between two very different groups of friends.
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Thanks so much, Siobhan. That was a great guest blog!
If you are an author and would like to be a part of Inspired Friday, please contact me at laurenscrammedbookshelf@gmail.com.
great guest blog, i think every teenager goes through the phase where they don't know who they are. i can't wait to read Same Difference
ReplyDeleteIt's lovely to read that authors have also experienced the whole awkwardness of adolescence. In fact, her experience was oddly similar to mine: New Jersey growing up, Philly for college and learning to be true to myself. :) Yay!
ReplyDeletegreat guest blog! I love guest blogs cus they show a different side of authors. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat guest blog! It was interesting to know that it was based on her real life and she actually went through a similar experience.
ReplyDeleteI really want to read this, I love that it was based on the author's real life.
ReplyDeleteGreat guest blog, now I can't wait to read Same difference!
ReplyDeleteI definitely know what it feels like to act like someone different in front of people, even your friends. This books sounds really good and I really like the fact that it's so personal to you Siobhan (=
ReplyDeleteI know what that feels like, because I recall doing that when I was in middle school. I would always somewhat hide a little part of me when I was with other people. But luckily, now only a freshman in high school, I have best friends that I can ACTUALLY be my total self with. I don't try to impress them or anything but they don't care how weird I am, so it's great :)
ReplyDeleteYeah, I know what it is. I don't really like to preend to be who I'm not, but sometimes is the best to act different in front of some people.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like such a great book, and even in college I'm finding that people go through the same stuff!
ReplyDeleteI've heard such good things about Same Difference. It's neat learning about what books are based off of.
ReplyDeleteThis book sounds completely awesome! I love the idea of a girl getting a chance to be herself and express herself with art!
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