Ava asked Katharine McGee:

Did anyone you know inspire characters for American Royals?

Katharine McGee Sometimes there are aspects of real-life people that make their way into my characters. For instance, Samantha sometimes reminds me of my younger sister—they’re both spontaneous and fiercely loyal, and have great fashion sense (namely, a love of sequins). But I never consciously base my characters on people I know. More often, I find myself drawing upon a *moment* from my own life to write a scene, or repurposing a joke into a line of dialogue. In The Thousandth Floor, when Atlas realizes that he loves Avery while waiting for the elevator—that was me, eight years ago, realizing that I love my husband on a subway platform. Or in Majesty, when Teddy shows Beatrice the hole from the dry ice bomb—let’s just say my husband may have done something similar in high school...

flag