Beaufort

Aidan’s Shadow: Darkened Paradise is set in Beaufort, South Carolina. This small town in the Lowcountry of South Carolina is an absolutely beautiful setting. I had always heard that I should write about what I’m familiar with, so I modeled Aidan’s personality after my my high school personality (when I experienced a severe depressive episode). I obviously altered a number of details and invented characters (Tris, Chris, Faye, Cassandra, etc.). These characters were rough amalgams of friends and acquaintances throughout my life. The family members portrayed in the novel were slightly more complicated. They were loosely modeled after my family. Basically, I used much of their biographical information, but changed their personalities/ behavior (to varying degrees). I did this to serve the narrative. The love that Aidan feels for his family is reflective of my own feelings, though.