“If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth” (1).
I was a freshman in high school when I first discovered the iconic introductory line from J.D Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye. I was hiding in the library because girl friendships suck sometimes, and I wanted to find a new book to take my mind off things. I liked going to the library to sit on the floor in a corner and just hide between the shelves, and as I contemplated the meaning of our collective existence, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted this small, plain, white book. I picked it up and looked at the black letters of the title, shrugged my shoulders, opened it up, and read this first line. I had never read anything that reflected my mood so accurately. And as I plowed through Catcher in the Rye, I had never read anything like it before, if you want to know the truth (see what I did there?). I loved the rebellion, the confusion of Holden Caulfield. I related to his feeling of hating fake people, but also not knowing how to honestly engage with them without feeling misunderstood.
As I grew out of that whole “I’m so misunderstood” phase, and went to grad school, I did an independent study on J.D Salinger, figuring that since Catcher in the Rye was my favorite book, I should know more about him. I was also drawn to how reclusive he was throughout his life, and how he shunned society almost completely until the day he died. This course opened my eyes to just how many of Salinger’s early works were pretty much exactly the same, and how his later stuff was far more intriguing. Seriously kids, if you ever have an author, or historical figure you admire, do an independent study course on them. Nothing will simultaneously burst your bubble and open your eyes quite like that experience.
But I suppose you could say these kinds of experiences influenced my own writing. Which brings me to the main protagonist of Otherside: The Serenity: Alanis Laundale.
In my last blog post I talked about how Otherside evolved over the years. This is true of Alanis as well. One of the most fun parts of writing her was developing her personality into someone who is relatable. The book takes place in a fictitious town called Sable, set in Massachusetts. In Sable, the main industry is fishing, so Alanis and her friends live on the side of town near the ocean where the majority of adults work as fishermen/women. It’s a rougher side of town, a little more rundown. There’s not a lot for them to do except hang out, and there’s a few shops, and a bar.
The beginning of the book centers around Alanis’ main group of friends. Alanis is 16 years old and she’s lived in Sable her whole life. She wants to get out as soon as she graduates high school. Alanis and her friends have a band called White Clover, which has a punk rock/classic rock influence. Their group is more into that style of music — they like vintage things. So, music is what brings them together. They’ve known each other their whole lives.
Alanis is the lead singer of the band. She has a boyfriend, named Josh Linestone, and I’ll probably talk about him next week.
Alanis is kind of a plain girl in some ways. She does okay in school but doesn’t have a whole lot of interests outside of music, and being with her friends. I’ve always liked writing characters who are ordinary, and then end up doing extraordinary things. Which, let’s face it, is a main theme within the YA Fantasy genre.
Alanis is the kind of person that people come and talk to about stuff. She’s there to make them laugh, or be their shoulder to cry on. She’s rebellious at times, especially against her dad — they have a rough relationship. It’s complicated. So, her friends are a refuge for her in a lot of ways. And I like to think that’s true for many teenagers. I know it was for me at times growing up.
Alanis longs for adventure and meaning in her life, and she thinks getting out of Sable, and becoming a famous band with her friends is the way to do that. But her plans get derailed, so to speak. She does get adventure, just not in the way that she was expecting. She goes on a wild ride, and hopefully you will take that ride with her.
I hope Alanis is a character that people relate to who is both flawed, and also redeemable and relatable. One of the earliest pieces of critique I received about Alanis from an early draft of the book was that she was too safe. She was too plain, and didn’t have a whole lot of depth. And it was because I was afraid of people not liking her as the main character. That was probably one of the best pieces of advice I ever got because it made me take more chances, and put more flaws in her.
And flaws are fun. I’ve grown to really love flawed characters so much in my writing, and sometimes the more flawed the character, the more fun they are to write. Looking back on it, maybe that’s why I had such an affinity for Catcher in the Rye. Holden Caulfield isn’t particularly likable — in fact, he’s kind of douche. And yet, for some reason, we find ourselves rooting for these characters anyway. We want to see them redeemed. Having said that, I’d like to think Alanis is much more likable than Holden Caulfield, but I’ll let you be the judge of that.
Next week, I’ll tell you about Alanis’ boyfriend, Josh Linestone — lead guitarist of White Clover! And in keeping with writers who impacted me with the spirit of rebellion, I’ll tell you about falling in love with the poem “Howl” by Allen Ginsberg, and how that influenced my decision to choose where I studied my Master’s degree.
Otherside: The Serenity is currently available on both Amazon and online at Barnes and Noble. You can get the book in both Kindle and Paperback versions. If you have read the book, and would like to review it, you can do so on Amazon, Goodreads, and Barnes and Noble.
(1) “Catcher in the Rye,” J.D Salinger, 1951
H.J VandeRiet 