JULIA: The inspiration behind the character

Another common question I get about The Catch is whether any of the characters have counterparts in real life. So I will write a series of blog posts, one for each of the major characters in The Catch.

Many people assume that Julia is me, and that her story is autobiographical. After all, Julia is a redhead, her name begins and ends with the same letters as mine, and she’s the same age as me. All those classics Julia reads and the quirky things she does at age thirteen? Yep, that's me. And many of the things that happen in Julia’s life came true in my own life after I wrote about them, which makes me wonder how much of the subconscious was at play.

But Julia's relationships with William and Kevin are not based on any relationship I've ever had. Her interests and talents, her background, and her personality are radically different from mine. I envision her being tallish and willowy with a long, thin face and a slight overbite, which bears no resemblence to me whatsoever.

Vanessa Bayer, in this photo, bears the closest resemblance to Julia of any celebrity I've seen.

Though not a perfect match physically, I think Emma Stone would do a great job playing her in the movie version (are you reading, Hollywood?).