Teresa, I have Asperger's syndrome. I seldom mix with people. I have been totally alone most of my life. I don't keep company with anyone. And I cannot think of a single person who has influenced my life. I have not had sufficient human contact for that.

In fact, one counsellor I saw in San Diego told me that I had grown up like a wolf-child - without any human contact, but that's another story.

If I create characters, it probably comes from the mass of books I've read throughout my life. During school years, I read between 2 and 4 books a day, and since then I've read a book a day (I'll be 71 this year). I've also read about 600 self-help, psychology, and neurology books. In that mish mash, I'm sure somewhere I can make up characters.

And, no, I don't write about you. Why on earth would you say that? Have you ever read anything I wrote? It's about climate change, political and economic systems, ethics, etc. I'm an INTJ - I don't do people.