Journal Entry 23: Influence of Childhood

I think childhood experiences influence much of what authors write. Even fiction authors will take childhood experiences and just add a more interesting setting to it, to make it unique. I think that is why so many books have similar structures, because many of the things we experience in our childhood are similar. This is also why books are so enjoyable, because we can relate to them. One good example of an author who uses childhood experiences in his books is Roald Dahl. He even wrote a book about which childhood experiences he used in his stories! He had a very interesting life, which made his books very interesting as well. One book that is kind of similar to my life is The Outsiders. My friends and I were like Ponyboy, Dalley, Johnny, and the others. We were always there for each other, and although we made fun of each other,  we would never let anyone else do the same. Although my life wasn't as interesting, and there were no rumbles or shootings, the idea is kind of the same. The death of Johnny is kind of like me leaving the group to come here, and the death of Dalley was kind of like one of the seniors in our group graduating.