Based? (was John Weasley)

[Amy Z]

David wrote:

> I haven't gone through her interviews in detail, but the my memory 
> is that JKR is quite careful to use phrases like "Character X is a 
> little bit like real person Y".
> 
> I am not an author of fiction, so I take these statements at face 
> value: there is a degree of resemblance between the character and 
> the real person.  To my mind, that is something different from 
> saying that character X is 'based' on person Y.
> 
> The use of this language doesn't bother me in itself, but I wonder 
> about the deductions that are then made.  For example: "Hermione is 
> based on JKR's teenage self, and Ron is based on Sean.  These two 
> are old friends but have never had a romantic relationship [as far 
> as the post author knows] so R/H can't happen."
> 
> My question - I would particularly like authors of fiction to share 
> their own experience here - is: Is this a valid form of reasoning?  

I'll respond as a partner of an author of fiction:  no.  It drives my 
dh nuts when people assume that his first-person character must be 
him, and therefore the wife is me, the mom is his mom, etc.  I'm not 
crazy about it either, as it implies that, e.g., my husband is having 
sex with a teenager behind my back, to cite one story.

He draws on his own experiences and POV to create the characters, but 
even the ones who share a lot of his experiences and POV aren't him.  
What they do is not necessarily something he's done, or wants to do, 
or is afraid he will one day do.  It's fiction, not a diary. 

Even if JKR said flat out that Ron was "based on" Sean (and IIRC, 
what she actually said was that she didn't realize until later that 
she'd given Ron quite a lot of Sean's characteristics), I wouldn't 
take that to imply anything about Ron's fate, character, future 
romances, etc.  "Based on" is stronger language than "is a little bit 
like," I agree, but it still is just an overlap.  It could mean 
something as simple as his being her best friend throughout 
adolescence, or his being very tall with red hair, or his being 
funny.  Why should the fact that they have some things in common mean 
that Ron has to be in lockstep with Sean forever?  (I'm pretty sure 
that Sean never crashed his turquoise Anglia into a Whomping Willow 
and got his wand broken.)

One thing every writer seems to confirm is that characters take on a 
life of their own.  If that is true, Ron has probably told JKR a few 
things about himself that have utterly surprised her, and would 
surprise Sean as well.

Amy