Almost as much fun as writing my first novel was recently visiting the places I have brought to life. In Liberty Layne and the One-Girl Rebelution, my middle grade fiction novel, Liberty and her bff Calliope and cousin Lincoln head to San Francisco to audition for a singing competition. Familiar places to me are used to create my character’s stories, a scene at Pier 39 is one such example.
I experienced Pier 39 for the first time my senior year in High School with some of my best friends, Michelle and Caroline. The following year, I drove from California Baptist University in Riverside where I attended college to meet my best guy friend Fritz. He was going to school in LA at USC. We tailgated from USC to Stanford for their big weekender game. We had a blast! A few years later, I was working at the awesome-est summer camp ever, Mount Gilead, in Sebastopol, CA. One of their staff bonding trips was to San Francisco and Pier 39. Alcatraz and a walk across the Golden Gate Bridge rounded out our trip to the City. A memorable trip it was… evidently, I ditched my future husband half way across the bridge to hang out with some of the other staff. My story…I was not “ditching” him but merely exploring my options! Now, as a parent, we have taken our kids for many a day trip to San Francisco.
Yes, Pier 39 holds fond memories for me. Now, through the eyes of my main character, Liberty Layne; the “boys are yucky,” awkwardly uncomfortable tweenager whose brain forgot to tell her body to start growing up…and out…(if you know what I mean) others can experience Pier 39 too!
Have you explored places one of your favorite characters experienced?
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